Numbers 19:7
in Numbers 19Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean until evening.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
KJV
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
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This verse in Numbers 19
Commentary
5 notes on this verseShall be unclean - Partly to teach us the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, in which the priest himself was defiled by some parts of his work, and partly to shew that Christ himself, though he had no sin of his own, yet was reputed by men, and judged by God, as a sinful person, by reason of our sins which were laid upon him.
This site's exposition
Then the priest must wash his clothes
on Numbers 19:7-8
The priest who has just made the means of cleansing must wash his clothes and bathe, and stays unclean until evening, as does the man who burned her. Henry states the reversal plainly, and Wesley reads it of the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, the priest defiled by his own work. The chapter gives no account of why the clean are made unclean in making a cleansing.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And because being defiled by this work he could not come near the tabernacle, it was sufficient for him to turn and look towards it. This signified his presenting this blood before the Lord by way of atonement for his and the people's sins, and his expectation of acceptance and pardon only from God, and from his mercy-seat in the tabernacle.
Then the priest shall wash his clothes,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the priest shall be unclean until the even--The ceremonies prescribed show the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, while they typify the condition of Christ when expiating our sins (2Co 5:21).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִבֶּ֨ס | vekhibes | and he will wash | H3526 → | 51 times |
| בְּגָדָ֜יו | begadav | clothes his | H899 → | 217 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֗ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְרָחַ֤ץ | verachatz | and he will wash | H7364 → | 72 times |
| בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ | besaro | body his | H1320 → | 270 times |
| בַּמַּ֔יִם | bamayim | with <the> water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְאַחַ֖ר | veachar | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יָב֣וֹא | yavo' | he will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה | hamachaneh | the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| וְטָמֵ֥א | vetame' | and he will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֖ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָעָֽרֶב׃ | haarev | the evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
וְכִבֶּ֨סand he will wash
vekhibesH3526 →51 times
בְּגָדָ֜יוclothes his
begadavH899 →217 times
הַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וְרָחַ֤ץand he will wash
verachatzH7364 →72 times
בְּשָׂרוֹ֙body his
besaroH1320 →270 times
בַּמַּ֔יִםwith <the> water
bamayimH4325 →581 times
וְאַחַ֖רand after
veacharH310 →715 times
יָב֣וֹאhe will come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑הthe camp
hamachanehH4264 →215 times
וְטָמֵ֥אand he will be unclean
vetame'H2930 →162 times
הַכֹּהֵ֖ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הָעָֽרֶב׃the evening
haarevH6153 →134 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
Leviticus 11:25and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
it leads to
- Leviticus 15:5
Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 31:24
On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”
- Leviticus 11:40
Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.
- Leviticus 14:8
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…
- Leviticus 15:5
Through
Leviticus 11:40Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.
it leads to
- Leviticus 22:8
He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.
- Ezekiel 44:31
The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.
- Deuteronomy 14:21
You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are…
- Leviticus 22:8
Through
Leviticus 15:5Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
it leads to
- Leviticus 11:25
and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Leviticus 11:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Numbers
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.