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Contemporary English Version

Numbers 35:33

I, the Lord , live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Homicide;   Punishment;   The Topic Concordance - Defilement;   Earth;   Execution;   Violence;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Murder;   Sins, National;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Murder;   Punishments;   Refuge, Cities of;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Blood;   Execution;   Life;   Sacrifice;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Feasts and Festivals of Israel;   Kill, Killing;   Kinsman-Redeemer;   Murder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - City;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Blood;   Gibeonites;   Murder;   Pentateuch;   Slave;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Avenger;   Bloodguilt;   Capital Punishment;   Cities of Refuge;   Clean, Cleanness;   Crimes and Punishments;   High Priest;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Kin;   Numbers, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Atonement;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Levi;   Refuge;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Blood;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Assassination;   Atonement;   Cleanse;   Defile;   Godless;   Shed;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Avenger of Blood;   Blood-Money;   Jubilees, Book of;   Priestly Code;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
So you shall not pollute the land in which you are: for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him who shed it.
King James Version
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Lexham English Bible
So you will not pollute the land in which you are; because blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is poured out on it except with the blood of the one who poured it out.
English Standard Version
You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
New Century Version
"‘Don't let murder spoil your land. The only way to remove the sin of killing an innocent person is for the murderer to be put to death.
New English Translation
"You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it.
Amplified Bible
'So you shall not pollute and defile the land in which you live; for [the shedding of innocent] blood pollutes and defiles the land. No atonement (expiation) can be made for the land for the [innocent] blood shed in it, except by the blood (execution) of him who shed it.
New American Standard Bible
'So you shall not defile the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye shall dwell: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Legacy Standard Bible
So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land, and no propitiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
Complete Jewish Bible
In this way you will not defile the land in which you are living. For blood defiles the land, and in this land no atonement can be made for the blood shed in it except the blood of him who shed it.
Darby Translation
And ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and there can be no atonement made for the land, for the blood that hath been shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Don't let your land be polluted with innocent blood. If a person murders someone, the only payment for that crime is that the murderer must be killed! There is no other payment that will free the land from that crime.
George Lamsa Translation
So you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land; and the land in which blood is shed cannot be cleansed except by the shedding of the blood of him who shed it.
Good News Translation
If you did this, you would defile the land where you are living. Murder defiles the land, and except by the death of the murderer there is no way to perform the ritual of purification for the land where someone has been murdered.
Christian Standard Bible®
“Do not defile the land where you live, for bloodshed defiles the land, and there can be no atonement for the land because of the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the person who shed it.
Literal Translation
And you shall not pollute the land in which you are , for blood pollutes the land. And no ransom is to be taken for the land for blood which is shed in it, except for the blood of him who sheds it;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And defyle not ye ye londe wherin ye dwell. For who so is giltye of bloude, defyleth the londe: and the londe can not be reconcyled from the bloude that is shed therin, but onely thorow the bloude of him that shed it.
American Standard Version
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Bible in Basic English
So do not make the land where you are living unholy: for blood makes the land unholy: and there is no way of making the land free from the blood which has come on it, but only by the death of him who was the cause of it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So ye shall not pollute the lande whiche ye shall dwell in, for blood defileth the lande: and the lande can not be clensed of the blood that is shed therin, but by the blood of hym that shed blood.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
King James Version (1611)
So ye shall not pollute the lande wherein ye are: for blood, it defileth the land: and the land cannot bee cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So shall ye not pollute with murder the land in which ye dwell; for this blood pollutes the land, and the land shall not be purged from the blood shed upon it, but by the blood of him that shed it.
English Revised Version
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood, it polluteth the land: and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which is defoulid bi the blood of innocent men; and it may not be clensid in other maner, no but bi the blood of hym, that schedde the blood of anothir man.
Young's Literal Translation
`And ye profane not the land which ye [are] in, for blood profaneth the land; as to the land, it is not pardoned for blood which is shed in it except by the blood of him who sheddeth it;
Update Bible Version
So you shall not pollute the land wherein you are: for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Webster's Bible Translation
So ye shall not pollute the land in which ye [are]: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him that shed it.
World English Bible
So you shall not pollute the land in which you are: for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him who shed it.
New King James Version
So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
New Living Translation
This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.
New Life Bible
You must not make the land where you live unclean. The land is not holy when people are killed. And only the blood of him who is guilty can pay to make the land free from the blood that has fallen on it.
New Revised Standard
You shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So shall ye not pollute the land wherein ye are, for blood, doth pollute the land, and for the land, no propitiatory-covering can be made, as touching blood, that is shed therein, save with the blood of him that shed it;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Defile not the land of your habitation, which is stained with the blood of the innocent: neither can it otherwise be expiated, but by his blood that hath shed the blood of another.
Revised Standard Version
You shall not thus pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
THE MESSAGE
"Don't pollute the land in which you live. Murder pollutes the land. The land can't be cleaned up of the blood of murder except through the blood of the murderer.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

Contextual Overview

9 The Lord then told Moses 10 to tell the people of Israel: After you have crossed the Jordan River and are settled in Canaan, 11 choose Safe Towns, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. 12 If the victim's relatives think it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of these Safe Towns for protection and not be killed before a trial is held. 13 There are to be six of these Safe Towns, 14 three on each side of the Jordan River. 15 They will be places of protection for anyone who lives in Israel and accidentally kills someone. 16The Lord said: Suppose you hit someone with a piece of iron or a large stone or a dangerous wooden tool. If that person dies, then you are a murderer and must be put to death 19 by one of the victim's relatives. He will take revenge for his relative's death as soon as he finds you. 20Or suppose you get angry and kill someone by pushing or hitting or by throwing something. You are a murderer and must be put to death by one of the victim's relatives.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

it defileth: Leviticus 18:25, Deuteronomy 21:1-8, Deuteronomy 21:23, 2 Kings 23:26, 2 Kings 24:4, Psalms 106:28, Isaiah 26:21, Ezekiel 22:24-27, Hosea 4:2, Hosea 4:3, Micah 4:11, Matthew 23:31-35, Luke 11:50, Luke 11:51

the land cannot be cleansed: Heb. there can be no expiation for the land

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 19:13 - but thou Deuteronomy 21:8 - lay not 2 Samuel 3:28 - guiltless 2 Samuel 14:9 - and the king 1 Kings 2:6 - let 1 Kings 2:31 - that thou 2 Kings 14:5 - that he slew 2 Kings 21:16 - Manasseh 2 Chronicles 33:25 - slew 2 Chronicles 34:5 - cleansed Psalms 106:38 - the land Isaiah 24:5 - defiled Jeremiah 2:7 - ye defiled Jeremiah 16:18 - they have defiled Jeremiah 26:15 - ye shall Jeremiah 26:19 - Thus Lamentations 4:14 - they have polluted Ezekiel 36:17 - they defiled Matthew 23:35 - upon Matthew 27:25 - His

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are,.... The land of Canaan, as it had been by the old inhabitants of it, by idolatry, adultery, and murder:

for blood it defileth the land: the shedding of innocent blood defiles a nation, and the inhabitants of it, brings guilt thereon, and subjects to punishment:

and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it; or "there can be no expiation" b, or "atonement made" for it in any other way; the blood of the murderer is required at his hands, and nothing short of it will satisfy law and justice, see Genesis 9:6.

b לא יכפר "non posset expiatio", Junius Tremellius, Piscator to the same sense Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 35:33. For blood it defileth the land — The very land was considered as guilty till the blood of the murderer was shed in it. No wonder God is so particularly strict in his laws against murderers,

1. Because he is the author of life, and none have any right to dispose of it but himself.

2. Because life is the time to prepare for the eternal world, and on it the salvation of the soul accordingly depends; therefore it is of infinite consequence to the man that his life be lengthened out to the utmost limits assigned by Divine Providence. As he who takes a man's life away before his time may be the murderer of his soul as well as of his body, the severest laws should be enacted against this, both to punish and prevent the crime.

THE Mosaic cities of refuge have in general been considered, not merely as civil institutions, but as types or representations of infinitely better things; and in this light St. Paul seems to have considered them and the altar of God, which was a place of general refuge, as it is pretty evident that he had them in view when writing the following words: "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, (his oath and promise), in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have FLED for REFUGE to lay HOLD upon the HOPE set before us," Hebrews 6:17-18. Independently of this, it was a very wise political institute; and while the patriarchal law on this point continued in force, this law had a direct tendency to cool and moderate the spirit of revenge, to secure the proper accomplishment of the ends of justice, and to make way for every claim of mercy and equity. But this is not peculiar to the ordinance of the cities of refuge; every institution of God is distinguished in the same way, having his own glory, in the present and eternal welfare of man, immediately in view.


 
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