Numbers 31:19
New International Version
“Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives.

New Living Translation
And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days.

English Standard Version
Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever of you has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

Berean Standard Bible
All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives.

King James Bible
And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

New King James Version
And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

New American Standard Bible
And as for you, camp outside the camp for seven days; whoever has killed a person and whoever has touched anyone killed, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

NASB 1995
“And you, camp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

NASB 1977
“And you, camp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you, camp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

Amplified Bible
Camp outside the camp for seven days; whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any dead body, purify yourselves and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.

Christian Standard Bible
“You are to remain outside the camp for seven days. All of you and your prisoners who have killed a person or touched the dead are to purify yourselves on the third day and the seventh day.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are to remain outside the camp for seven days. All of you and your prisoners who have killed a person or touched the dead are to purify yourselves on the third day and the seventh day.

American Standard Version
And encamp ye without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.

Contemporary English Version
Then Moses said to the soldiers, "If you killed anyone or touched a dead body, you are unclean and have to stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must go through a ceremony to make yourselves and your captives clean.

English Revised Version
And encamp ye without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Everyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp seven days. You and your prisoners of war must use the ritual water on the third and seventh days in order to take away your sin.

Good News Translation
Now all of you who have killed anyone or have touched a corpse must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and on the seventh day purify yourselves and the women you have captured.

International Standard Version
"Now you are to stay outside the camp for seven days, after which any of you who has killed a person or touched someone who was killed may purify yourselves on the third day. You and your captives will be pure on the seventh day.

Majority Standard Bible
All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives.

NET Bible
"Any of you who has killed anyone or touched any of the dead, remain outside the camp for seven days; purify yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

New Heart English Bible
"Encamp outside of the camp seven days: whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.

Webster's Bible Translation
And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whoever hath killed any person, and whoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

World English Bible
“Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you, encamp at the outside of the camp [for] seven days; any who has slain a person, and any who has come against a pierced one, cleanse yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day—you and your captives;

Young's Literal Translation
'And ye, encamp ye at the outside of the camp seven days -- any who hath slain a person, and any who hath come against a pierced one, ye cleanse yourselves on the third day, and on the seventh day -- ye and your captives;

Smith's Literal Translation
And encamp ye without the camp seven days: every one killing a soul, and every one touching upon the wounded, ye shall be purified in the third day, and in the seventh day, ye and your captivity.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And stay without the camp seven days. He that hath killed a man, or touched one that is killed, shall be purified the third day and the seventh day.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And remain beyond the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed a man, or who has touched one that was killed, shall be purified on the third day and on the seventh day.

New American Bible
“Moreover, remain outside the camp for seven days; every one of you who has killed anyone or touched someone killed will purify yourselves on the third and on the seventh day—both you and your captives.

New Revised Standard Version
Camp outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed any person or touched a corpse, purify yourselves and your captives on the third and on the seventh day.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And as for you, you shall abide outside the camp seven days; whosoever has killed any person and whosoever has touched any slain purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But you dwell outside of the camp seven days; everyone who kills a person and everyone who approaches one killed, sprinkle upon him in the third day and in the seventh day, you and your captives.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And encamp ye without the camp seven days; whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And ye shall encamp outside the great camp seven days; every one who has slain and who touches a dead body, shall be purified on the third day, and ye and your captivity shall purify yourselves on the seventh day.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Vengeance on Midian
18but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man. 19All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. 20And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.”…

Cross References
Leviticus 15:13
When the man has been cleansed from his discharge, he must count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe himself in fresh water, and he shall be clean.

Deuteronomy 23:10-11
If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp and stay outside. / When evening approaches, he must wash with water, and when the sun sets he may return to the camp.

Leviticus 11:25
and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.

Leviticus 14:8-9
The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days. / On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.

Leviticus 17:15
And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.

Leviticus 22:4-6
If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen, / or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be— / the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.

Numbers 19:11-12
Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days. / He must 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 and seventh days, he will not be clean.

Numbers 19:16
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.

1 Samuel 21:4-5
“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.” / David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the bodies of the young men are holy even on common missions. How much more so today!”

2 Samuel 11:4
Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.

2 Chronicles 30:19
who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

Isaiah 52:11
Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

Ezekiel 44:25-27
A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so, / and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself. / And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD.

Matthew 8:4
Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

Mark 1:44
“See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”


Treasury of Scripture

And do you abide without the camp seven days: whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

abide.

Numbers 5:2
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:

Numbers 19:11
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

1 Chronicles 22:8
But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

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Abide Camp Captives Encamp Killed Outside Purify Seven Seventh Slain Third Touched Yourselves
Numbers 31
1. The Midianites are spoiled, and Balaam slain
13. Moses is angry with the officers, for saving the women alive
19. How the soldiers, with their captives and spoil, are to be purified
25. The proportion in which the prey is to be divided
48. The voluntary offering unto the treasure of the Lord














All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead
This phrase addresses the issue of ritual impurity associated with death, a significant concern in the Israelite community. In the ancient Near Eastern context, contact with death was seen as defiling, necessitating purification. This reflects the broader biblical theme of life and death, where God is associated with life and holiness, and death is a result of sin (Genesis 2:17, Romans 6:23). The requirement for purification underscores the holiness of God and the need for His people to be ceremonially clean.

are to remain outside the camp for seven days
The instruction to remain outside the camp emphasizes the separation required due to impurity. The camp represents the dwelling place of God among His people (Numbers 5:3), and impurity cannot coexist with His holiness. The seven-day period is significant, as the number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in the Bible (Genesis 2:2-3). This period allows for a complete cycle of purification, ensuring that those who are defiled are fully cleansed before re-entering the community.

On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify
The purification process on the third and seventh days involves ritual washing and possibly the use of the ashes of a red heifer mixed with water, as described in Numbers 19:11-12. The third day may symbolize a period of initial cleansing, while the seventh day represents the completion of the purification process. This dual cleansing highlights the thoroughness required to restore purity and the importance of following God's specific instructions for holiness.

both yourselves and your captives
This requirement extends the need for purification beyond the Israelites to include their captives, indicating the universality of God's standards of holiness. It reflects the broader biblical principle that God's laws and expectations apply to all people, not just His chosen nation (Exodus 12:49). This also foreshadows the New Testament teaching that salvation and sanctification through Christ are available to all, Jew and Gentile alike (Galatians 3:28). The inclusion of captives in the purification process may also serve as a type of Christ's redemptive work, where He purifies and redeems all who come to Him, regardless of their background.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Israelites
The people of God who were commanded to purify themselves after battle.

2. Midianites
The people against whom the Israelites waged war, as instructed by God.

3. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who conveyed God's commands regarding purification.

4. Camp of Israel
The dwelling place of the Israelites, which was to remain holy and separate from impurity.

5. Purification Ritual
A process involving a seven-day period and specific actions on the third and seventh days to cleanse from defilement.
Teaching Points
Holiness and Separation
God calls His people to be holy and separate from sin and impurity. This command to purify after contact with death underscores the seriousness of maintaining holiness.

Obedience to God's Commands
The Israelites' adherence to purification laws demonstrates the importance of obedience to God's instructions, even when they may seem burdensome or ritualistic.

Spiritual Cleansing
Just as the Israelites needed physical purification, believers today require spiritual cleansing through repentance and the blood of Christ.

Community Responsibility
The command to purify not only oneself but also the captives highlights the communal aspect of holiness and the responsibility to lead others in righteousness.

Symbolism of Numbers
The use of the third and seventh days in the purification process symbolizes completeness and divine perfection, pointing to the thoroughness required in spiritual cleansing.Verse 19. - Do ye abide without the camp. In this case at any rate the law of לִמְסָר־מַעַל 19:11 sq. was to be strictly enforced. And your captives, i.e., the women and children who were spared. No peculiar rites are here prescribed for the reception of these children of idolaters into the holy nation with which they were to be incorporated beyond the usual lustration with the water of separation. In after times they would have been baptized.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All of you
כֹּל֩ (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

who have killed
הֹרֵ֨ג (hō·rêḡ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

a person
נֶ֜פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

or touched
נֹגֵ֣עַ (nō·ḡê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

the dead
בֶּֽחָלָ֗ל (be·ḥā·lāl)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

are to remain
חֲנ֛וּ (ḥă·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp

outside
מִח֥וּץ (mi·ḥūṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

the camp
לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה (lam·ma·ḥă·neh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

for seven
שִׁבְעַ֣ת (šiḇ·‘aṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

days.
יָמִ֑ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

On the third
הַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ (haš·šə·lî·šî)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell)

day
בַּיּ֤וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

and the seventh
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י (haš·šə·ḇî·‘î)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 7637: Seventh (an ordinal number)

day
וּבַיּ֣וֹם (ū·ḇay·yō·wm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

you are to purify
תִּֽתְחַטְּא֞וּ (tiṯ·ḥaṭ·ṭə·’ū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

[both] yourselves
אַתֶּ֖ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

and your captives.
וּשְׁבִיכֶֽם׃ (ū·šə·ḇî·ḵem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 7628: Exiled, captured, exile, booty


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OT Law: Numbers 31:19 Encamp you outside of the camp seven (Nu Num.)
Numbers 31:18
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