Numbers 19:7

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Then the cohen is to wash his clothes and himself in water, after which he may re-enter the camp; but the cohen will remain unclean until evening.

Berean Standard Bible:

Then 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.

American Standard Version:

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 with Strong’s Numbers:

Then the priest^{H3548} shall wash^{H3526} his clothes^{H899}, and he shall bathe^{H7364} his flesh^{H1320} in water^{H4325}, and afterward^{H310} he shall come^{H935} into the camp^{H4264}, and the priest^{H3548} shall be unclean^{H2930} until the even^{H6153}.

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Commentary for Numbers 19:7

Numbers 19:7 is part of the instructions given to the Israelites regarding the ritual for purification after contact with a dead body, which rendered a person ritually unclean. This verse specifically addresses the role of the priest in this process.

**Themes:**
1. **Ritual Purity:** The verse emphasizes the importance of purity laws in ancient Israelite society, which were essential for maintaining the sanctity of the community and the tabernacle (later the temple).
2. **Priestly Duties:** It outlines the responsibilities of the priests in facilitating purification, highlighting their role as mediators between the people and God.
3. **Cleansing and Transition:** The washing of clothes and bathing represent a transition from a state of impurity to purity, symbolizing spiritual and ritual renewal.
4. **Temporal Uncleanliness:** The priest himself becomes unclean until evening, indicating that even those who officiate rituals are subject to the laws of purity.

**Historical Context:**
- **Time Period:** The events described in the Book of Numbers occur during the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness, after the Exodus from Egypt and before the conquest of Canaan.
- **Cultural Practices:** The detailed purity laws reflect the religious and cultural practices of the ancient Near East, where contact with the dead was commonly associated with ritual impurity.
- **Priestly Code:** Numbers 19 is part of the Priestly source in the Pentateuch, which contains extensive legal and cultic material, often focusing on the role of priests and the sanctity of sacred spaces.
- **Sacrificial System:** The broader context of this chapter involves the use of the ashes of a red heifer for purification, a unique sacrifice in the Israelite sacrificial system that is distinct from other offerings.

In summary, Numbers 19:7 reflects the intricate system of ritual purity in ancient Israel, the special status and duties of the priesthood, and the careful attention to maintaining the sanctity of the community in accordance with God's commandments as understood by the Priestly writers.

*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: H3548
   There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כֹּהֵן
   Transliteration: kôhên
   Pronunciation: ko-hane'
   Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3526
   There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כָּבַס
   Transliteration: kâbaç
   Pronunciation: kaw-bas'
   Description: a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the fulling process) or figurative; fuller, wash(-ing).
   
3. Strong's Number: H899
   There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֶּגֶד
   Transliteration: beged
   Pronunciation: behg'-ed
   Description: from בָּגַד; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage; apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, [idiom] very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.
   
4. Strong's Number: H7364
   There are 71 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָחַץ
   Transliteration: râchats
   Pronunciation: raw-khats'
   Description: a primitive root; to lave (the whole or a part of a thing); bathe (self), wash (self).
   
5. Strong's Number: H1320
   There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּשָׂר
   Transliteration: bâsâr
   Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
   Description: from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.
   
6. Strong's Number: H4325
   There are 525 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מַיִם
   Transliteration: mayim
   Pronunciation: mah'-yim
   Description: dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
   
7. Strong's Number: H310
   There are 766 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אַחַר
   Transliteration: ʼachar
   Pronunciation: akh-ar'
   Description: from אָחַר; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses); after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.
   
8. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
9. Strong's Number: H4264
   There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מַחֲנֶה
   Transliteration: machăneh
   Pronunciation: makh-an-eh'
   Description: from חָנָה; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts); army, band, battle, camp, company, drove, host, tents.
   
10. 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.
    
11. 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.