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

NUMBERS 19:22KJV
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Numbers 19:22 (KJV)

What does Numbers 19:22 mean?

Numbers 19:22 says that anything touched by someone who is ritually unclean also becomes unclean, and anyone who then touches it will be unclean until evening. This rule extends the state of ritual impurity from person to object to another person, showing how easily uncleanness could spread in ancient Israelite life.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses and the Israelites about the laws of ritual purity, specifically in the context of contact with death and the use of the water of purification. The verse highlights the seriousness of ritual impurity and the need for careful attention to these laws in daily life, especially for those involved in worship or community activities.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 19:22

  • "Unclean" (טָמֵא, tame) is used here for both the person and the objects affected, emphasizing a state of ritual impurity rather than physical dirtiness.
  • "Toucheth" (נָגַע, naga) means to physically touch or come into contact with, showing that even indirect contact with impurity is significant.
  • "Soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) is often translated as "person" or "life," so the verse is not just about the body but the whole person being affected.
  • "Even" (עָרֶב, erev) refers to evening, marking the end of the period of uncleanness and the time when purification is complete.

Why Numbers 19:22 matters

  • Numbers 19:22 clarifies that ritual impurity was not just a personal issue but could be passed on through contact, affecting community life and worship.
  • The verse underscores the importance of boundaries and carefulness in maintaining ritual purity, especially in a society where communal worship was central.
  • This rule connects to the broader passage about purification from contact with death, showing how the laws were designed to protect the community from spreading impurity and to preserve holiness.

Where else these words appear

“unclean” Hebrew H2931 · used in 78 verses

  • Leviticus 5:2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
  • Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
  • Deuteronomy 14:8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.

“even” Hebrew H6153 · used in 130 verses

  • Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
  • Leviticus 15:18 The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.
  • 1 Kings 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

“toucheth” Hebrew H5060 · used in 142 verses

  • Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
  • Numbers 19:18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
  • Psalms 73:14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

“unclean” Hebrew H2930 · used in 142 verses

  • Genesis 34:5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
  • Leviticus 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day;(for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.