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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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THE MESSAGE

Numbers 19:16

"Anyone out in the open field who touches a corpse, whether dead from violent or natural causes, or a human bone or a grave is unclean for seven days. For this unclean person, take some ashes from the burned Absolution-Offering and add some fresh water to it in a bowl. Find a ritually clean man to dip a sprig of hyssop into the water and sprinkle the tent and all its furnishings, the persons who were in the tent, the one who touched the bones of the person who was killed or died a natural death, and whoever may have touched a grave. Then he is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day he is considered cleansed. The cleansed person must then scrub his clothes and take a bath; by evening he is clean. But if an unclean person does not go through these cleansing procedures, he must be excommunicated from the community; he has desecrated the Sanctuary of God . The Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him and he is ritually unclean. This is the standing rule for these cases. "The man who sprinkles the Water-of-Cleansing has to scrub his clothes; anyone else who touched the Water-of-Cleansing is also ritually unclean until evening.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Burial;   Defilement;   Mourning;   Sanitation;   Water;   Thompson Chain Reference - Burying Places;   Dead, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Burial;   Dead, the;   Defilement;   Red Heifer, the;   Sword, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ashes;   Burial;   Clean and Unclean;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Funeral;   Uncleanness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Clean, Unclean;   Funeral;   Grave;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Carcase;   Grave;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Field;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Colours;   Numbers, Book of;   Red Heifer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Burial;   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;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bone;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Body;   Uncleanness;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Agrarian law;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ancestor Worship;   Hafá¹­arah;   Law, Reading from the;   Mishnah;   Ohalot;   Red Heifer;   Tiberias;   Tombs;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
King James Version
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Lexham English Bible
Anyone in the open field who touches one who has been slain, or a corpse, or a bone of a person, or a burial site, he will be unclean for seven days.
English Standard Version
Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
New Century Version
If anyone is outside and touches someone who was killed by a sword or who died a natural death, or if anyone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be unclean for seven days.
New English Translation
And whoever touches the body of someone killed with a sword in the open fields, or the body of someone who died of natural causes, or a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean seven days.
Amplified Bible
'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.
New American Standard Bible
'Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been killed with a sword or one who has died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also whosoeuer toucheth one that is slaine with a sworde in the fielde, or a dead person, or a bone of a dead man, or a graue, shall be vncleane seuen dayes.
Legacy Standard Bible
Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.
Contemporary English Version
If you touch the body of someone who was killed or who died of old age, or if you touch a human bone or a grave, you will be unclean for seven days.
Complete Jewish Bible
Also whoever is in an open field and touches a corpse, whether of someone killed by a weapon or of someone who died naturally, or the bone of a person, or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
Darby Translation
And every one that toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead person, or the bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Easy-to-Read Version
If there is a dead body out in a field, whether the person died in battle or for some other reason, whoever touches that dead body, or its bones, or even its grave will be unclean for seven days.
George Lamsa Translation
And whosoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body or a bone of a man or a grave shall be unclean seven days.
Good News Translation
If any touch a person who has been killed or has died a natural death outdoors or if any touch a human bone or a grave, they become unclean for seven days.
Christian Standard Bible®
Anyone in the open field who touches a person who has been killed by the sword or has died, or who even touches a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
Literal Translation
And whoever in the open field touches one that has been pierced with a sword, or one that has died of himself, or the bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And who so euer toucheth one yt is slayne wt the swerde vpon ye felde, or eny other deed, or a deed mans bone, or a graue, ye same is vncleane seue dayes.
American Standard Version
And whosoever in the open field toucheth one that is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And whosoeuer toucheth one that is slayne with a sworde in the fieldes, or a dead person, or a bone of a dead man, or a graue, shalbe vncleane seuen dayes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And whosoever in the open field toucheth one that is slain with a sword, or one that dieth of himself, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
King James Version (1611)
And whosoeuer toucheth one that is slaine with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a graue, shall be vncleane seuen dayes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And every one who shall touch a man slain by violence, or a corpse, or human bone, or sepulchre, shall be unclean seven days.
English Revised Version
And whosoever in the open field toucheth one that is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Berean Standard Bible
Anyone in the open field who touches someone who has been killed by the sword or has died of natural causes, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If ony man touchith the deed bodi of man slayn in the feeld, ether deed bi hym silf, ether a boon, ether the sepulcre `of hym, he schal be vncleene bi seuene daies.
Young's Literal Translation
`And every one who cometh, on the face of the field, against the pierced of a sword, or against the dead, or against a bone of man, or against a grave, is unclean seven days;
Update Bible Version
And whoever in the open field touches one that is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Webster's Bible Translation
And whoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
World English Bible
Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
New King James Version
Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
New Living Translation
And if someone in an open field touches the corpse of someone who was killed with a sword or who died a natural death, or if someone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be defiled for seven days.
New Life Bible
Anyone in an open field who touches one who has been killed with a sword, or who has died, or who touches a bone of a man, or a grave will be unclean for seven days.
New Revised Standard
Whoever in the open field touches one who has been killed by a sword, or who has died naturally, or a human bone, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, whosoever toucheth on the face of the field, one slain with a sword, or one who hath died, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If any man in the field touch the corpse of a man that was slain, or that died of himself, or his bone, or his grave, he shall be unclean seven days.
Revised Standard Version
Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.

Contextual Overview

11"Anyone who touches a dead body is ritually unclean for seven days. He must purify himself with the Water-of-Cleansing on the third day; on the seventh day he will be clean. But if he doesn't follow the procedures for the third and seventh days, he won't be clean. Anyone who touches the dead body of anyone and doesn't get cleansed desecrates God 's Dwelling and is to be excommunicated. For as long as the Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he remains ritually unclean. 14"This is the rule for someone who dies in his tent: Anyone who enters the tent or is already in the tent is ritually unclean for seven days, and every open container without a lid is unclean. 16"Anyone out in the open field who touches a corpse, whether dead from violent or natural causes, or a human bone or a grave is unclean for seven days. For this unclean person, take some ashes from the burned Absolution-Offering and add some fresh water to it in a bowl. Find a ritually clean man to dip a sprig of hyssop into the water and sprinkle the tent and all its furnishings, the persons who were in the tent, the one who touched the bones of the person who was killed or died a natural death, and whoever may have touched a grave. Then he is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day he is considered cleansed. The cleansed person must then scrub his clothes and take a bath; by evening he is clean. But if an unclean person does not go through these cleansing procedures, he must be excommunicated from the community; he has desecrated the Sanctuary of God . The Water-of-Cleansing has not been sprinkled on him and he is ritually unclean. This is the standing rule for these cases. "The man who sprinkles the Water-of-Cleansing has to scrub his clothes; anyone else who touched the Water-of-Cleansing is also ritually unclean until evening. 22 "Anything the ritually unclean man touches becomes unclean, and the person who touches what he touched is unclean until evening."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

toucheth: Numbers 19:11, Numbers 31:19

a bone: Ezekiel 39:11-16

a grave: Matthew 23:27, Luke 11:44

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:39 - General Leviticus 21:1 - There Numbers 9:6 - defiled 1 Samuel 20:26 - he is not clean 2 Kings 23:14 - the bones of men Isaiah 65:4 - remain Lamentations 4:14 - so that men could not touch Ezekiel 16:5 - but thou Ezekiel 39:12 - cleanse Luke 8:27 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
Before they went to bed men from all over the city of Sodom, young and old, descended on the house from all sides and boxed them in. They yelled to Lot, "Where are the men who are staying with you for the night? Bring them out so we can have our sport with them!"
Genesis 19:10
But the two men reached out and pulled Lot inside the house, locking the door. Then they struck blind the men who were trying to break down the door, both leaders and followers, leaving them groping in the dark.
Genesis 19:15
At break of day, the angels pushed Lot to get going, "Hurry. Get your wife and two daughters out of here before it's too late and you're caught in the punishment of the city."
Genesis 19:16
Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters— God was so merciful to them!—and dragged them to safety outside the city. When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain—run for the hills or you'll be swept away."
Genesis 19:18
But Lot protested, "No, masters, you can't mean it! I know that you've taken a liking to me and have done me an immense favor in saving my life, but I can't run for the mountains—who knows what terrible thing might happen to me in the mountains and leave me for dead. Look over there—that town is close enough to get to. It's a small town, hardly anything to it. Let me escape there and save my life—it's a mere wide place in the road."
Genesis 19:36
Both daughters became pregnant by their father, Lot. The older daughter had a son and named him Moab, the ancestor of the present-day Moabites. The younger daughter had a son and named him Ben-Ammi, the ancestor of the present-day Ammonites.
Numbers 14:18
God , slow to get angry and huge in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin; Still, never just whitewashing sin. But extending the fallout of parents' sins to children into the third, even the fourth generation.
Joshua 6:22
Joshua ordered the two men who had spied out the land, "Enter the house of the harlot and rescue the woman and everyone connected with her, just as you promised her." So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, and brothers—everyone connected with her. They got the whole family out and gave them a place outside the camp of Israel. But they burned down the city and everything in it, except for the gold and silver and the bronze and iron vessels—all that they put in the treasury of God 's house.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to God —he is good and his love never quits. Say, "Save us, Savior God, round us up and get us out of these godless places, So we can give thanks to your holy Name, and bask in your life of praise." Blessed be God , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then everybody said, "Yes! Amen!" and "Praise God !"
Psalms 34:12
Who out there has a lust for life? Can't wait each day to come upon beauty?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields,.... That is killed by another, that dies a violent death, either by the sword or other means; one that touched such an one was unclean, or that touched the sword with which he was slain, as the Targum of Jonathan adds: "or a dead body": that dies a natural death, or suddenly, or in any way:

or a bone off a man; dug out of a grave, and lying by itself:

or a grave; the Targum adds, either the covering or side of a grave:

shall be unclean seven days; all which has respect to the defiling nature of sin, which is the cause of death and the grave.

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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