Leviticus 11:36
in Leviticus 11Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Nevertheless a fountain or a pit wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.
KJV
Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.
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This verse in Leviticus 11
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA fountain or pit, etc. - This must either refer to running water, the stream of which soon carries off all impurities, or to large reservoirs where the water soon purifies itself; the water in either which touched the unclean thing, being considered as impure, the rest of the water being clean.
This site's exposition
a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water
on Leviticus 11:36-38
Two exemptions run against the rule just given. A spring or a cistern holding a body of water stays clean when a carcase touches it, and dry seed kept for sowing stays clean, while the same seed defiles once water has been put on it. The Hebrew phrase behind plenty of water is mikveh mayim, a gathering of water, and the Mishnah tractate Mikvaot, compiled around 200 AD, takes its name and its law of immersion pools from this verse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Of this no reason can be given, but the will of the law-giver and his merciful condescension to men's necessities, water being scarce in those countries; and for the same reason God would have the ceremonial law of sacrifices, give place to the law of mercy.
Nevertheless, a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water,....
All this was designed to exercise them to a constant care and exactness in their obedience, and to teach us, who by Christ are delivered from these burdensome observances, not to be less circumspect in the more weighty matters of the law.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֣ךְ | ʾakh | nevertheless | H389 → | 161 times |
| מַעְיָ֥ן | ma'yan | a spring | H4599 → | |
| וּב֛וֹר | uvor | and a cistern | H953 → | |
| מִקְוֵה־ | mikveh- | a reservoir of | H4723 → | |
| מַ֖יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| יִהְיֶ֣ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| טָה֑וֹר | tahor | pure | H2889 → | 94 times |
| וְנֹגֵ֥עַ | venogea' | and [one who] touches | H5060 → | 150 times |
| בְּנִבְלָתָ֖ם | benivlatam | <in> carcass their | H5038 → | 48 times |
| יִטְמָֽא׃ | yitma' | he will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
אַ֣ךְnevertheless
ʾakhH389 →161 times
מַעְיָ֥ןa spring
ma'yanH4599 →
וּב֛וֹרand a cistern
uvorH953 →
מִקְוֵה־a reservoir of
mikveh-H4723 →
מַ֖יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
יִהְיֶ֣הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
טָה֑וֹרpure
tahorH2889 →94 times
וְנֹגֵ֥עַand [one who] touches
venogea'H5060 →150 times
בְּנִבְלָתָ֖ם<in> carcass their
benivlatamH5038 →48 times
יִטְמָֽא׃he will be unclean
yitma'H2930 →162 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 4:14But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
it leads to
- John 7:38–39
Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”
- John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.
- Isaiah 49:10
They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
- Revelation 7:16
‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’
- Ephesians 1:13–14
And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
- John 7:38–39
Through
Zechariah 13:1“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
it leads to
- John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
- Psalms 51:2
Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
- John 1:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.