Numbers 19:21

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;

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.

Amplified Bible
'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.

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.

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 He that toucheth the dead, even any human person, shall be unclean seven days. ¹² 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, ¹³ Whoso-ever toucheth the dead the person of the human being that dieth and doth not cleanse himself from sin, the habitation of Yahweh, hath he made unclean; that person therefore shall be cut off out of Israel, - because, the water of separation, was not dashed upon him, unclean, shall he be, his uncleanness is yet upon him. ¹⁴ This, is the law - When, a human being, shall die in a tent, every one who goeth into the tent and every one who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. ¹⁵ And, in the case of every open vessel, on which no cover is fastened, unclean, it is. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ And they shall take, for him that is un-clean, of the ashes of the burning of the sin-bearer, - and living water shall be put thereon in a vessel, ¹⁸ Then shall a man that is clean take hyssop, and dip in the water, and sprinkle upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons who were there, - and upon him that touched the bone or him who had been slain, or him who had died of himself or the grave; ¹⁹ and the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean, on the third day, and on the seventh day, - so shall he cleanse himself from sin, on the seventh day, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe in water and be clean in the evening. ²⁰ But in the ease of the man who shall be unclean and shall not cleanse himself from sin, that person shall be cut off, out of the midst of the convocation, - for, the sanctuary of Yahweh, hath he made unclean, the water of separation, hath not been dashed upon him unclean, he is.

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
Shall it not, if thou do right, be lifted up? But if thou do not right, at the entrance a sin-bearer is lying, - Unto thee, moreover, shall be his longing, though, thou, rule over him.

Genesis 12:2
That I may make thee into a great nation, And bless thee and make great thy name, And become thou a blessing;

Genesis 18:24
Peradventure there are fifty righteous, in the midst of the city, Wilt thou really sweep away, and not spare the place, for the sake of the fifty righteous which are therein?

Genesis 19:8
Behold, I pray you, I, have two daughters who have not known man, I must needs now bring, them, forth unto you, and do ye to them, as may be good in your eyes, - Only to these men, ye may do nothing; for on this account, have they come under the shade of my roof.

Genesis 19:9
And they said, Stand back, And they said, This one, by himself, hath come in to sojourn and must always be acting the judge, Now, will we do more wickedly to thee, than to them. So they pressed sere upon the man - upon Lot - exceedingly, and drew near to break open the door.

Genesis 19:15
But as soon as, the dawn had sprung up, the messengers hastened Lot saying, - Arise! take thy wife and thy two daughters that are at hand, lest thou be swept away in the punishment of the city.

Genesis 19:16
And he lingered - so the men laid hold of his hand and of the hand of his wife and of the hand of his two daughters, in the tenderness of Yahweh towards him, - and they brought him out and led him forth outside the city.

Psalms 34:15
The eyes of Yahweh, are towards the righteous, And, his ears, towards their cry for help:

Psalms 102:17
Hath turned towards the prayer of the destitute, And not despised their prayer,

Psalms 145:19
The desire of them who revere him, will he fulfil, and, their cry, will he hear, 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.