Bible Strands

Numbers 31:19

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite warriors following the campaign against Midian, ordering those who have killed or contacted a corpse to remain outside the camp.

The words — The Hebrew terms חֲנ֛וּ (chanu, "encamp") and מִ/ח֥וּץ (mi/chutz, "from outside") command the combatants to maintain a seven-day separation from the camp.

The thread — This seven-day impurity for corpse contact mirrors Numbers 19:11, while the exclusion of the ritually defiled from the camp aligns with Numbers 5:2.

Why it lands — The text mandates purification on the third and seventh days for both the soldiers and their captives before they may reenter the camp.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאַתֶּ֗םve./'a.Temand/ youחֲנ֛וּcha.Nuencampמִח֥וּץmi./Chutzfrom/ [the] outsideלַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖הla./ma.cha.Nehof the/ campשִׁבְעַ֣תshiv.'Atsevenיָמִ֑יםya.Mimdaysכֹּל֩kolanyהֹרֵ֨גho.Reg[one who] has killedנֶ֜פֶשׁNe.feshanyoneוְכֹ֣ל׀ve./Kholand/ anyנֹגֵ֣עַno.Ge.a'[one who] has touchedבֶּֽחָלָ֗לbe./cha.Lal<in> the/ [one] slainתִּֽתְחַטְּא֞וּtit.cha.te.'Uyou will purify yourselvesבַּיּ֤וֹםba/i.Yomon the/ dayהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ha./she.li.Shi<the>/ thirdוּבַיּ֣וֹםu./vai./Yomand/ on the/ dayהַשְּׁבִיעִ֔יha./she.vi.'I<the>/ seventhאַתֶּ֖ם'a.Temyouוּשְׁבִיכֶֽם׃u./she.vi./Khemand/ captive[s]/ your

King James Version

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.

Cross-references