Numbers 9:6
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: 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:
Certain men made ceremonially unclean by touching a human corpse could not keep the Passover on its appointed day, so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. This occurred at Israel's Passover in the wilderness in the second year after leaving Egypt while encamped at Sinai-Horeb before journeying toward Kadesh-barnea, a Passover not repeated in the wilderness because uncircumcised children could not partake until Israel entered Canaan. Their uncleanness became the sole warrant for keeping the Passover a month later on the same day of the second month, never a day early, which shows the Passover was otherwise kept only when due at its regular time. The word rendered dead body literally means a dead soul or dead person, showing that soul is used for a person living or dead and that a soul can die rather than being an immortal deathless being.
Passover Context and Timing
The verse belongs to the resumed account of Israel's experiences after the narrative had left the people encamped at Sinai, recording their journey from Sinai toward Kadesh-barnea. It belongs to Israel's celebration of the first Passover after leaving Egypt while camped at Horeb in the wilderness, before Israel left Horeb and no earlier than the latter part of the second month of the second year. It belongs to the Passover observed in the wilderness in the year after Israel left Egypt, which was not observed again during the wilderness years but was resumed after Israel entered Canaan, since circumcision was omitted in the wilderness and uncircumcised children could not take part.
Men defiled by contact with a dead body could not keep the Passover on its appointed day, so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. Those made unclean under the Levitical law had to purify themselves through prescribed rites before the Passover. The restriction explains why those observing the Passover were expected to avoid contact with the dead.
Passover alone was the one exception to the rule that the feasts given to Israel occurred annually and were to be observed only when due, since those unable to keep it in the first month on account of ceremonial uncleanness were allowed to keep it on the same day of the month in the second month. The case of ceremonial defilement was the only warrant for eating the Passover at another time, never one day before, which establishes that Jesus kept the Passover at the regular specified time.
Meaning of Soul
The phrase rendered dead body denotes a corpse that made the men ceremonially unclean and unable to keep the Passover on that day. The Hebrew word is nephesh, translated soul, here translated body or dead body. Literally it means a dead soul or dead person, a dead person made unclean by contact. In this setting it is listed as an example of neh-phesh put for body or dead body.
The word for soul is used in the sense of a person. It can refer to someone who has died as well as to someone living, since the men were defiled by contact with a dead person. A person therefore remains identifiable as a person after death.
This usage shows that a soul can die. The dead body of a man is called a dead soul, which is evidence that the human soul is subject to physical death. Soul does not mean an immortal, deathless being.