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Easy-to-Read Version

Numbers 9:6

But some of the people could not celebrate Passover that day. They were unclean because they had touched a dead body. So they went to Moses and Aaron that day

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Passover;   Sanitation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bodies, Dead;   Dead Bodies;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;   Defilement;   Feast of the Passover, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Camp, Encampments;   Passover;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Clean, Unclean;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sacrifice;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mishael;   Numbers, the Book of;   Passover;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Clean and Unclean;   Numbers, Book of;   Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Passover (I.);   Smith Bible Dictionary - Pass'over,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Events of the Encampment;   Last Days at Sinai;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Death;   Law in the Old Testament;   Numbers, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Accommodation of the Law;   Festivals;   Law, Reading from the;   Mishnah;   Passover;   Pesaḥ Sheni;   Pesaḥim;   Sacrifice;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
There were certain men, who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Pesach on that day, and they came before Moshe and before Aharon on that day.
King James Version
And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Lexham English Bible
And it happened, men who were unclean by a dead person were not able to perform the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
New Century Version
But some of the people could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were unclean from touching a dead body. So they went to Moses and Aaron that day and
New English Translation
It happened that some men who were ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man could not keep the Passover on that day, so they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
Amplified Bible
But there were certain men who were [ceremonially] unclean because of [touching] the dead body of a man, so they could not observe the Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron that same day.
New American Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because of contact with a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And certaine men were defiled by a dead man, that they might not keepe the Passeouer the same day: and they came before Moses & before Aaron the same day.
Legacy Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because of a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; so they came near before Moses and Aaron on that day.
Contemporary English Version
Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the Lord , and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron,
Complete Jewish Bible
But there were certain people who had become unclean because of someone's corpse, so that they could not observe Pesach on that day. So they came before Moshe and Aharon that day
Darby Translation
And there were men, who were unclean through the dead body of a man, and could not hold the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
English Standard Version
And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
George Lamsa Translation
And there were certain men who were defiled by touching the dead body of a man so that they could not keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
Good News Translation
But there were some people who were ritually unclean because they had touched a corpse, and they were not able to keep the Passover on that day. They went to Moses and Aaron
Christian Standard Bible®
But there were some men who were unclean because of a human corpse, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. These men came before Moses and Aaron the same day
Literal Translation
And there were men who had been defiled by the body of a man, and they had not been able to prepare the Passover on that day. And they came near before Moses, and before Aaron on that day.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then were there certayne men defyled of a deed man, so that they coulde not kepe Easter vpon that daye: these came before Moses and Aaron the same daye,
American Standard Version
And there were certain men, who were unclean by reason of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Bible in Basic English
And there were certain men who were unclean because of a dead body, so that they were not able to keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And certayne men were defiled by a dead man, that they myght not kepe the Passouer the same day, and they came before Moyses & Aaron the same day.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But there were certain men, who were unclean by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
King James Version (1611)
And there were certaine men who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keepe the Passeouer on that day: and they came before Moses, and before Aaron on that day.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there came men who were unclean by reason of a dead body, and they were not able to keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
English Revised Version
And there were certain men, who were unclean by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Berean Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean due to a dead body, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that same day
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! forsothe summen vncleene on the soule of man, that myyten not make pask in that dai, neiyiden to Moises and Aaron,
Young's Literal Translation
And there are men who have been defiled by the body of a man, and they have not been able to prepare the passover on that day, and they come near before Moses, and before Aaron, on that day,
Update Bible Version
And there were certain men, who were unclean by reason of the dead body of man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Webster's Bible Translation
And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
World English Bible
There were certain men, who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
New King James Version
Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day.
New Living Translation
But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day
New Life Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because they had touched a dead person. So they could not keep the Passover on that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day
New Revised Standard
Now there were certain people who were unclean through touching a corpse, so that they could not keep the passover on that day. They came before Moses and Aaron on that day,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But so it was that there were, certain men who had become unclean by a dead person, and could not keep the passover on that day, - therefore came they near before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But behold some who were unclean by occasion of the soul of a man, who could not make the phase on that day, coming to Moses and Aaron,
Revised Standard Version
And there were certain men who were unclean through touching the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day;
THE MESSAGE
But some of them couldn't celebrate the Passover on the assigned day because they were ritually unclean on account of a corpse. So they presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on Passover and told Moses, "We have become ritually unclean because of a corpse, but why should we be barred from bringing God 's offering along with other Israelites on the day set for Passover?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai. This was during the first month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites to celebrate Passover at the chosen time. 3 They must eat the Passover meal just before dark on the 14th day of this month. They must do this at the chosen time, and they must follow all the rules about Passover." 4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate Passover. 5 The people did this in the desert of Sinai just before dark on the 14th day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. 6 But some of the people could not celebrate Passover that day. They were unclean because they had touched a dead body. So they went to Moses and Aaron that day 7 and said to Moses, "We touched a dead body and became unclean. But why must we be kept from offering our gifts to the Lord at the chosen time with the rest of the Israelites?" 8 Moses said to them, "I will ask the Lord what he says about this." 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 "Tell the Israelites this: It might happen sometimes that you or your descendants cannot celebrate the Lord 's Passover at the right time. Someone might be unclean because they touched a dead body, or they might be away on a trip. They will still be able to celebrate Passover at another time.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

defiled: Numbers 5:2, Numbers 6:6, Numbers 6:7, Numbers 19:11, Numbers 19:16, Numbers 19:18, Leviticus 21:11, John 18:28

they came: Numbers 15:33, Numbers 27:2, Numbers 27:5, Exodus 18:15, Exodus 18:19, Exodus 18:26, Leviticus 24:11

Reciprocal: Numbers 9:10 - be unclean 2 Chronicles 30:19 - though he be not Ezra 6:21 - all such Haggai 2:13 - General John 11:55 - to purify

Cross-References

Genesis 4:14
You are forcing me to leave the land, and I will not be able to be near you or have a home! Now I must wander from place to place, and anyone I meet could kill me."
Genesis 5:1
This is the history of Adam's family. When God created people, he made them like himself.
Genesis 9:2
Every animal on earth, every bird in the air, every animal that crawls on the ground, and every fish in the sea will be afraid of you. All of them will be under your control.
Genesis 9:3
In the past, I gave you the green plants to eat. Now every animal will also be food for you. I give you everything on earth—it is yours.
Genesis 9:5
Also, I will demand your blood for your lives. That is, I will demand the life of any person or animal that takes a human life.
Genesis 9:6
"God made humans to be like himself. So whoever kills a person must be killed by another person.
Genesis 9:12
And God said, "I will give you something to prove that I made this promise to you. It will continue forever to show that I have made an agreement with you and every living thing on earth.
Genesis 9:14
When I bring clouds over the earth, you will see the rainbow in the clouds.
Genesis 9:26
Noah also said, "May the Lord , the God of Shem, be praised! May Canaan be Shem's slave.
Genesis 9:27
May God give more land to Japheth. May God live in Shem's tents, and may Canaan be their slave."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds,

"who died by them suddenly,''

whereby pollution was contracted, see Numbers 6:9; though perhaps this was a whole house or family, one of which was dead, and so all were defiled, being in the place where the dead body was, or had touched it, or been concerned however in the burying of it, and on account of which were unclean seven days, and so might not eat of any holy things, as the passover; and though at the first institution there was no such law, yet since that time there was, which obliged them, see Leviticus 7:20; and it is said z, that the section concerning the red heifer, and so of defilement by a dead body, was delivered on the day the tabernacle was erected, even on the first day of the first month; and though recorded in Numbers 19:1; yet was given out before this; and indeed otherwise it is not easy to conceive how these men should know that the dead body of a man was defiling:

that they could not keep the passover on that day; as others did, the fourteenth of Nisan, it being, according to the Targum of Jonathan, the seventh day of their defilement:

and they came before Moses, and before Aaron, on that day; on the selfsame day the passover was kept, and they were sensible of their pollution, which disqualified for it; and therefore it should rather seem to be the first day of their pollution than their last; since otherwise they would doubtless have inquired about this matter before the passover came; unless the time of their pollution was so near out, that they thought they might eat it safely, on which they desired advice.

z Chaskuni in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Certain men - Probably Mishael and Elizaphan, who buried their cousins, Nadab and Abihu, within a week of this Passover Leviticus 10:4-5.


 
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