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Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Amplified Bible

Numbers 19:21

'So it shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity [on another] shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Defilement;   Purification;   Water;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible, the;   Perpetual Statutes;   Statutes;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Purifications or Baptisms;   Red Heifer, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ashes;   Burial;   Clean and Unclean;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Uncleanness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Church, the;   Clean, Unclean;   Funeral;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Sprinkle;   Tabernacle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Colours;   Numbers, Book of;   Red Heifer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Preparation ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Atonement;   Heifer, Red;   Water of Separation;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ashes;   Burial;   Clean and unclean;   Covenant;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Atonement, Day of;   Heifer, Red;   Separation;   Uncleanness;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafá¹­arah;   Law, Reading from the;   Red Heifer;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It shall be a perpetual statute to them: and he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until even.
King James Version
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
Lexham English Bible
"‘It will be an eternal decree for them. The one who spatters the waters of impurity will wash his garments, and the one who touches the waters of impurity will be unclean until the evening.
English Standard Version
And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.
New Century Version
This is a lasting rule. Those who sprinkle the cleansing water must also wash their clothes, and anyone who touches the water will be unclean until evening.
New English Translation
"‘So this will be a perpetual ordinance for them: The one who sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.
New American Standard Bible
'So it shall be a permanent statute for them. And the one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity will be unclean until evening.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And it shalbe a perpetual lawe vnto them, that he that sprinkleth the sprinkling water, shall wash his clothes: also hee that toucheth the sprinkling water, shalbe vncleane vntill euen.
Legacy Standard Bible
So it shall be a perpetual statute for them. And he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.
Contemporary English Version
These laws will never change. The man who sprinkled the water and the ashes on you when you were unclean must also wash his clothes. And whoever touches this water is unclean until evening.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is to be a permanent regulation for them. The person who sprinkles the water for purification is to wash his clothes. Whoever touches the water for purification will be unclean until evening.
Darby Translation
And it shall be an everlasting statute unto them. And he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his garments, and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
Easy-to-Read Version
This rule will be for you forever. And whoever sprinkled the special water must wash their clothes because they will be unclean until evening.
George Lamsa Translation
And it shall be a perpetual statute to you that he who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of sprinkling shall be unclean until evening.
Good News Translation
You are to observe this rule for all time to come. The person who sprinkles the water for purification must also wash his clothes; anyone who touches the water remains ritually unclean until evening.
Christian Standard Bible®
This is a permanent statute for them. The person who sprinkles the water for impurity is to wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water for impurity will be unclean until evening.
Literal Translation
And it shall be a never ending statute to them; and he that sprinkles the water of impurity shall wash his clothes; and he that touches the water of sprinkling shall be unclean until evening.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And who so euer toucheth the spreklinge water, shal be vncleane vntill the euen.
American Standard Version
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them: and he that sprinkleth the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he that toucheth the water for impurity shall be unclean until even.
Bible in Basic English
This is to be a law for them for ever: he who puts the water on the unclean person is to have his clothing washed; and anyone touching the water will be unclean till evening.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And it shalbe a perpetuall lawe vnto them, that he that sprinckleth the water of seperation, shall washe his clothes: and he that toucheth the water of seperation, shalbe vncleane vntyll euen.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them; and he that sprinkleth the water of sprinkling shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of sprinkling shall be unclean until even.
King James Version (1611)
And it shall be a perpetuall statute vnto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation, shall wash his clothes: and he that toucheth the water of separation, shall be vncleane vntill Euen.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall be to you a perpetual statute; and he that sprinkles the water of sprinkling shall wash his garments; and he that touches the water of sprinkling shall be unclean until evening.
English Revised Version
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them: and he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
Berean Standard Bible
This is a permanent statute for the people: The one who sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
This comaundement schal be a lawful thing euerlastynge. Also he that schal sprenge the watris schal waische his clothis; ech man that touchith the watris of clensyng, schal be vncleene `til to euentid.
Young's Literal Translation
`And it hath been to them for a statute age-during, that he who is sprinkling the water of separation doth wash his garments, and he who is coming against the water of separation is unclean till the evening,
Update Bible Version
And it shall be a perpetual statute to them: and he that sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he that touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be a perpetual statute to them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until the evening.
World English Bible
It shall be a perpetual statute to them: and he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until even.
New King James Version
It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening.
New Living Translation
This is a permanent law for the people. Those who sprinkle the water of purification must afterward wash their clothes, and anyone who then touches the water used for purification will remain defiled until evening.
New Life Bible
It will be a Law forever for them. He who puts the water on to be made clean must wash his clothes. And he who touches the water used to be made clean will be unclean until evening.
New Revised Standard
It shall be a perpetual statute for them. The one who sprinkles the water for cleansing shall wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water for cleansing shall be unclean until evening.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So shall it be unto them for statute age-abiding, - and, he that sprinkleth the water of separation, shall wash his clothes, and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until the evening;
Douay-Rheims Bible
This precept shall be an ordinance for ever. He also that sprinkled the water, shall wash his garments. Every one that shall touch the waters of expiation, shall be unclean until the evening.
Revised Standard Version
And it shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'So it shall be a perpetual statute for them. And he who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

Contextual Overview

11'The one who touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean for seven days. 12'That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water [made with the ashes of the burned heifer] on the third day and on the seventh day, and then he will be clean; but if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. 13'Whoever touches a corpse, the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from Israel [that is, excluded from the atonement made for them]. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him. 14'This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be [ceremonially] unclean for seven days. 15'Every open container [in the tent], which has no covering tied down on it, is unclean. 16'Also, anyone in the open field who touches one who has been killed with a sword or who has died [of natural causes], or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days. 17'Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for the purification from sin, and running water shall be added to them in a container. 18'A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the people who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one who was killed or the one who died [naturally] or the grave. 19'Then the clean person shall sprinkle [the water for purification] on the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day, and on the seventh day the unclean man shall purify himself, and wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be [ceremonially] clean at evening. 20'But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water for purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 11:25, Leviticus 11:40, Leviticus 16:26-28, Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 9:10, Hebrews 9:13, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 27:21 - a statute for ever Leviticus 3:17 - a perpetual Leviticus 14:46 - shall be unclean Leviticus 17:15 - both wash Numbers 19:9 - a water of separation

Cross-References

Genesis 4:7
"If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it."
Genesis 12:2
And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
Genesis 18:24
"Suppose there are fifty righteous [people] within the city; will You really sweep it away and not spare it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?
Genesis 19:8
"See here, I have two daughters who have not known a man [intimately]; please let me bring them out to you [instead], and you can do as you please with them; only do nothing to these men, because they have in fact come under the shelter of my roof [for protection]."
Genesis 19:9
But they said, "Get out of the way!" And they said, "This man (Lot) came [as an outsider] to live here temporarily, and now he is acting like a judge. Now we will treat you worse than your visitors!" So they rushed forward and pressed violently against Lot and came close to breaking down the door [of his house].
Genesis 19:15
When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot [to hurry], saying, "Get up! Take your wife and two daughters who are here [and go], or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city."
Genesis 19:16
But Lot hesitated and lingered. The men took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the LORD was merciful to him [for Abraham's sake]; and they brought him out, and left him outside the city [with his family].
Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous [those with moral courage and spiritual integrity] And His ears are open to their cry.
Psalms 102:17
He has regarded the prayer of the destitute, And has not despised their prayer.
Psalms 145:19
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them,.... To the children of Israel, throughout their generations, unto the coming of the Messiah, when the ceremonial law, which stood in divers washings and purifications, was abolished:

that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; the priest that sprinkled, according to the Targum of Jonathan, or any other person that did it; so that the same purifying water, which made an unclean person clean, defiled a clean one; for though it was purifying, it had uncleanness in it; having the ashes not only of the cow itself, but of its skin, blood, and dung; and so a lye made of ashes is impure in itself, and yet serves to scour cloth: Ainsworth thinks this signifies the imperfection and insufficiency of legal rites, which, in their greatest virtue, only sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, and left the purifier himself in uncleanness he had not before; by consideration of which, the people might be led to Christ, and his Spirit, for cleansing, Hebrews 9:13 but it rather signifies, that the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin, and answers to this purifying water, that its cleansing virtue is owing to Christ being made sin for his people; and that some may be instruments of directing souls to the blood of Christ for cleansing, and yet be defiled themselves: it does not appear that this man, thus unclean, was to have the water of purification sprinkled on him, but was only to wash his clothes; see Revelation 7:14

and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even: but was not clean until he had washed, as Aben Ezra observes, though not expressed; for if one that only sprinkled it had need to be washed, much more one that touched it, and which was unavoidable, if, when he mixed the water and ashes together, he stirred them with his finger, Revelation 7:14- :, though Maimonides t understands this of sprinkling and touching the water when there was no necessity for it, when a person was not employed in doing the duty of this law.

t Hilchot Parah Adumah, c. 15. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

One practical effect of attaching defilement to a dead body, and to all that touched it, etc., would be to insure early burial, and to correct a practice not uncommon in the East, of leaving the deal to be devoured by the wild beasts.


 
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