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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Bible in Basic English

Numbers 19:12

On the third day and on the seventh day he is to make himself clean with the water, and so he will be clean: but if he does not do this on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Defilement;   Mourning;   Sanitation;   Water;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;   Purifications or Baptisms;   Red Heifer, the;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Baptism (Non-Immersionist View);   Stranger and Sojourner (in the Old Testament);   Uncleanness;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Burial;   Hafá¹­arah;   Law, Reading from the;   Red Heifer;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he doesn't purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
King James Version
He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Lexham English Bible
He will purify himself on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. If he does not purify himself on the third day, he will not be clean on the seventh day.
English Standard Version
He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean.
New Century Version
They must wash themselves with the cleansing water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not wash themselves on the third day and the seventh day, they cannot be clean.
New English Translation
He must purify himself with water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and the seventh day, then he will not be clean.
Amplified Bible
'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.
New American Standard Bible
'That one shall purify himself with the water 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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Hee shall purifie himselfe therewith the third day, and the seuenth day he shall be cleane: but if he purifie not himselfe the thirde day, then the seuenth day he shall not be cleane.
Legacy Standard Bible
That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water 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.
Contemporary English Version
But if you wash with the water mixed with the cow's ashes on the third day and again on the seventh day, you will be clean and acceptable for worship. You must wash yourself on those days; if you don't, you will remain unclean.
Complete Jewish Bible
He must purify himself with [these ashes] on the third and seventh days; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.
Darby Translation
He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Easy-to-Read Version
They must wash themselves with the special water on the third day and again on the seventh day. If they don't do this, they will remain unclean.
George Lamsa Translation
He shall purify himself by sprinkling with the water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he does not purify himself by sprinkling on the third day, then on the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Good News Translation
They must purify themselves with the water for purification on the third day and on the seventh day, and then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on both the third and the seventh day, they will not be clean.
Christian Standard Bible®
He is to purify himself with the water on the third day and the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.
Literal Translation
He shall cleanse himself for it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean. And if he does not cleanse himself on the third day, then on the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
the same shall purifie himself herewith, on the thirde daye and on the seuenth daie, and then shall he be cleane. And yf he puryfye not himself on the thirde daye, & on the seuenth daye, the shall he not be cleane.
American Standard Version
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he shall purifie hym selfe with this water the thirde day, & the seuenth day he shalbe cleane: But if he purifie not hym selfe the thirde day, then the seuenth day he shall not be cleane.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day and on the seventh day, and he shall be clean; but if he purify not himself the third day and the seventh day, he shall not be clean.
King James Version (1611)
He shall purifie himselfe with it on the third day, and on the seuenth day he shall be cleane: but if he purifie not himselfe the third day, then the seuenth day he shall not be cleane.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He shall be purified on the third day and the seventh day, and shall be clean; but if he be not purged on the third day and the seventh day, he shall not be clean.
English Revised Version
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Berean Standard Bible
He must purify himself with the water on the third day and the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
schal be spreynt of this watir in the thridde, and in the seuenthe dai; and so he schal be clensid. If he is not spreynt in the thridde dai, he schal not mow be clensid in the seuenthe dai.
Young's Literal Translation
he doth cleanse himself for it on the third day, and on the seventh day he is clean; and if he cleanse not himself on the third day, then on the seventh day he is not clean.
Update Bible Version
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day, and he shall be clean: but if he does not purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
Webster's Bible Translation
He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he shall not purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
World English Bible
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he doesn't purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
New King James Version
He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; 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.
New Living Translation
They must purify themselves on the third and seventh days with the water of purification; then they will be purified. But if they do not do this on the third and seventh days, they will continue to be unclean even after the seventh day.
New Life Bible
He must clean himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day. Then he will be clean. But if he does not clean himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will be unclean.
New Revised Standard
They shall purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean; but if they do not purify themselves on the third day and on the seventh day, they will not become clean.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He, shall cleanse himself from sin therewith on the third day, then on the seventh day, shall he be clean, - but if he cleanse not himself from sin on the third day, then on the seventh day, shall he not be clean,
Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall be sprinkled with this water on the third day, and on the seventh, and so shall be cleansed. If he were not sprinkled on the third day, he cannot be cleansed on the seventh.
Revised Standard Version
he shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean; but if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water 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.

Contextual Overview

11 Anyone touching a dead body will be unclean for seven days: 12 On the third day and on the seventh day he is to make himself clean with the water, and so he will be clean: but if he does not do this on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. 13 Anyone touching the body of a dead man without making himself clean in this way, makes the House of the Lord unclean; and that man will be cut off from Israel: because the water was not put on him, he will be unclean; his unclean condition is unchanged. 14 This is the law when death comes to a man in his tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, will be unclean for seven days. 15 And every open vessel without a cover fixed on it will be unclean. 16 And anyone touching one who has been put to death with the sword in the open country, or the body of one who has come to his end by a natural death, or a man's bone, or the resting-place of a dead body, will be unclean for seven days. 17 And for the unclean, they are to take the dust of the burning of the sin-offering, and put flowing water on it in a vessel: 18 And a clean person is to take hyssop and put it in the water, shaking it over the tent, and all the vessels, and the people who were there, and over him by whom the bone, or the body of one who has been put to death with the sword, or the body of one who has come to his end by a natural death, or the resting-place was touched. 19 Let the clean person do this to the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he is to make him clean; and after washing his clothing and bathing himself in water, he will be clean in the evening. 20 But the man who, being unclean, does not make himself clean in this way, will be cut off from the meeting of the people, because he has made the holy place of the Lord unclean: the water has not been put on him, he is unclean.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

He shall purify: Yithchatta, literally, "he shall sin himself," i.e., not add sin, but take it away, purify. So we say to fleece, and to skin, which do not signify to add a fleece, or a skin, but to take one away. Numbers 19:17, Numbers 19:18, Psalms 51:7, Ezekiel 36:25, Acts 15:9, Revelation 7:14

third day: Numbers 31:19, Exodus 19:11, Exodus 19:15, Leviticus 7:17, Hosea 6:2, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Corinthians 15:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:4 - third Leviticus 8:33 - seven days Leviticus 8:35 - the tabernacle Leviticus 15:13 - seven days Numbers 8:21 - were purified Numbers 19:19 - on the seventh day he John 13:10 - He Hebrews 9:13 - the purifying

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
And the Lord said to Noah, Take all your family and go into the ark, for you only in this generation have I seen to be upright.
Genesis 19:14
And Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were married to his daughters, Come, let us go out of this place, for the Lord is about to send destruction on the town. But his sons-in-law did not take him seriously.
Genesis 19:17
And when they had put them out, he said, Go for your life, without looking back or waiting in the lowland; go quickly to the mountain or you will come to destruction.
Genesis 19:22
Go there quickly, for I am not able to do anything till you have come there. For this reason, the town was named Zoar.
Genesis 19:23
The sun was up when Lot came to Zoar.
Numbers 16:26
And he said to the people, Come away now from the tents of these evil men, without touching anything of theirs, or you may be taken in the punishment of their sins.
Jeremiah 32:39
And I will give them one heart and one way, so that they may go on in the worship of me for ever, for their good and the good of their children after them:
2 Peter 2:7
And kept safe Lot, the upright man, who was deeply troubled by the unclean life of the evil-doers
2 Peter 2:9
The Lord is able to keep the upright safe in the time of testing, and to keep evil-doers under punishment till the day of judging;
Revelation 18:4
And another voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you may have no part in her sins and in her punishments.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He shall purify himself with it,.... That is, with the ashes of the water of purification made of them: and this was to be done first

on the third day; from the time of his touching the dead body. Aben Ezra intimates, that there is a secret or mystery in this and the following number seven; it may respect the third day of Christ's resurrection, who, as he shed his blood for the expiation and purification of sinners, so he rose again the third day for the justification of them:

and on the seventh day he shall be clean; which may denote the perfect state, or sabbath of rest, which remains for the people of God, when all Christ's purified and justified ones shall be clear of all sin, and be the spirits of just men made perfect:

but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean; whoever is not cleansed from his sins by the blood of Christ, shed for the remission of them, and is not justified from them by him that rose from the dead the third day, will never be cleansed in the world to come, or in the eternal sabbath; but it will then be said, "let him that is filthy be filthy still", Revelation 22:11.

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 19:12. He shall purify himself with it — יתחטא בו yithchatta bo, literally, he shall sin himself with it. This Hebrew form of speech is common enough among us in other matters. Thus to fleece, to bark, and to skin, do not signify to add a fleece, another bark, or a skin, but to take one away; therefore, to sin himself, in the Hebrew idiom, is not to add sin, but to take it away, to purify. The verb חטא chata signifies to miss the mark, to sin, to purify from sin, and to make a sin-offering. Genesis 13:13.

THE Hebrews generally sacrificed males, no matter of what colour; but here a heifer, and a heifer of a red colour, is ordered. The reason of these circumstances is not very well known.

"The rabbins, with all their boldness," says Calmet, "who stick at nothing when it is necessary to explain what they do not understand, declare that the cause of this law is entirely unknown; and that Solomon, with all his wisdom, could not find it out."

Several fathers, as well modern as ancient, profess to understand the whole clearly.

1. The red heifer with them signifies the flesh of our Lord, formed out of an earthly substance.

2. Being without spot, c., the infinite holiness of Christ.

3. The sex of the animal, the infirmity of our flesh, with which he clothed himself.

4. The red colour, his passion.

5. Being unyoked, his being righteous in all his conduct, and never under the yoke of sin.

6. Eleazar's sacrificing the heifer instead of Aaron, Numbers 19:3, signifies the change of the priesthood from the family of Aaron, in order that a new and more perfect priesthood might take place.

7. The red heifer being taken without the camp (Numbers 19:3) to be slain, points out the crucifixion of our Lord without the city.

8. The complete consuming of the heifer by fire, the complete offering of the whole body and soul of Christ as a sacrifice to God for the sin of man: for as the heifer was without blemish, the whole might be offered to God and as Christ was immaculate, his whole body and soul were made a sacrifice for sin.

9. As the fire of this sacrifice ascended up to God, so it points out the resurrection and ascension of our blessed Lord.

10. And as the ashes of this victim communicated a legal purity to those who were defiled, so true repentance, signified by those ashes, is necessary for the expiation of the offences committed after baptism. A great part of this is true in itself; but how little evidence is there that all these things were intended in the ordinance of the red heifer? Numbers 8:7.


 
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