Numbers 19:22

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And whatsoever the unclean [person] toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth [it] shall be unclean until even.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Anything the unclean person touches will be unclean, and anyone who touches him will be unclean until evening."

Berean Standard Bible:

Anything the unclean person touches will become unclean, and anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.”

American Standard Version:

And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And whatsoever the unclean^{H2931} person toucheth^{H5060} shall be unclean^{H2930}; and the soul^{H5315} that toucheth^{H5060} it shall be unclean^{H2930} until even^{H6153}.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Numbers 19:22

1. **Themes:**
- **Ritual Purity and Cleanliness:** The verse emphasizes the importance of ritual purity in the Israelite community. Contact with an unclean person or object could transmit impurity, which had to be addressed through specific purification rituals.
- **Contagion of Impurity:** It illustrates the concept of impurity as contagious, spreading from one person or object to another through touch.
- **Social Order and Holiness:** Maintaining purity was crucial for the community's holiness and for the proper functioning of society, ensuring that the tabernacle and the presence of God among the people were not defiled.

2. **Historical Context:**
- **Time of Writing:** The Book of Numbers is part of the Pentateuch, traditionally attributed to Moses, and is thought to have been written during the 2nd millennium BCE, though its final form may reflect later editorial activity.
- **Legislative Period:** The laws and regulations, including those on purity, were given to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings after the Exodus from Egypt, as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
- **Cultic Practice:** The instructions for purification are part of a larger set of priestly laws aimed at regulating the religious and social life of the Israelites. These laws were designed to distinguish the Israelites from other nations and to maintain their covenant relationship with God.
- **The Red Cow Ritual:** Numbers 19 outlines the ritual of the red cow, used for purification from corpse impurity, which was considered a severe form of uncleanness. The verse in question (Numbers 19:22) is part of the detailed instructions for this ritual.

In summary, Numbers 19:22 reflects the ancient Israelite preoccupation with ritual purity, which was integral to their religious identity and practice. The verse is situated within a broader legal framework that governed the community's interactions with the sacred and sought to order their communal life in a way that honored God's holiness.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H2931
   There are 78 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: טָמֵא
   Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
   Pronunciation: taw-may'
   Description: from טָמֵא; foul in a religious sense; defiled, [phrase] infamous, polluted(-tion), unclean.
   
2. Strong's Number: H5060
   There are 142 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָגַע
   Transliteration: nâgaʻ
   Pronunciation: naw-gah'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.); beat, ([idiom] be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.
   
3. Strong's Number: H2930
   There are 142 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: טָמֵא
   Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
   Pronunciation: taw-may'
   Description: a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated); defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5315
   There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
   Transliteration: nephesh
   Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
   Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it.
   
5. Strong's Number: H6153
   There are 130 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עֶרֶב
   Transliteration: ʻereb
   Pronunciation: eh'-reb
   Description: from עָרַב; dusk; [phrase] day, even(-ing, tide), night.