Leviticus 11 28

Leviticus 11:28 kjv

And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:28 nkjv

Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you.

Leviticus 11:28 niv

Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you.

Leviticus 11:28 esv

and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.

Leviticus 11:28 nlt

If you pick up its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening. These animals are unclean for you.

Leviticus 11 verses

Leviticus 11 28 Meaning

Leviticus 11:28 decrees that anyone who carries the carcass of a specified unclean land animal must wash their clothes and will remain ritually unclean until evening. This law serves as a vital component of Israel's purity codes, delineating sources of ritual defilement through contact with death and highlighting the necessity for purification to maintain a state acceptable for communion within the holy community and before God. It establishes that death, particularly from naturally deceased or non-ritually slaughtered animals, is a source of impurity requiring ritual cleansing.

Leviticus 11 28 Context

Leviticus chapter 11 details extensive dietary and purity laws concerning various animals. It establishes which animals are clean for consumption and which are unclean, prohibiting their consumption. Beyond eating, the chapter also specifies that mere contact with the carcasses of unclean animals (or even clean animals that die naturally) renders a person ritually impure. Verse 28 falls within the section addressing various "creeping things" or land animals that are deemed unclean. These laws served to distinguish Israel from the surrounding pagan nations, reinforcing their unique identity as a holy nation set apart for Yahweh. They impressed upon the people the sanctity of life and the inherent defilement associated with death, underscoring the vital principle of separation between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean, which was essential for maintaining their relationship with a holy God.

Leviticus 11 28 Word analysis

• And he that beareth (וְהַנֹּשֵׂא - vehannōśēʼ):
  • "beareth" (נָשָׂא - nasa'): To lift, carry, bear. This signifies direct physical contact involving an act of transporting or handling the carcass. It implies a more sustained and deliberate contact than a mere touch, thus often requiring additional measures of cleansing (washing clothes, not just bathing).
  • Significance: This active carrying signifies a more direct and intentional involvement with the source of impurity, underscoring the pervasive nature of ritual defilement.
• the carcass (נִבְלָתָם - nivlatām):
  • "carcass" (נְבֵלָה - nevelah): A dead body, especially an animal that has died naturally or was not slaughtered ritually (thus, its blood might still be in it, or it signifies natural decay).
  • Significance: Death, in the ancient Near East, often conveyed ritual impurity because it was seen as the opposite of life, which flows from God. For Israel, life was sacred, and death, particularly through natural means, was a stark reminder of humanity's fallen state and the separation from the source of life. Polemically, this stood against cultures that might deify animals or ignore defilement from death, emphasizing God's unique order.
• of them:
  • Refers to the unclean land animals previously described in Leviticus 11, specifically those with paws that walk on four feet (Lev 11:27).
  • Significance: This highlights the specific categories of animals whose dead bodies cause defilement.
• shall wash (יְכַבֵּס - yekabbēs):
  • "wash" (כָּבַס - kavas): To wash clothes by treading or fulling. It is a thorough cleansing of garments.
  • Significance: This command indicates that the defilement permeated not just the person but also their garments, signifying a broader impact of the uncleanness. It necessitates specific action for restoration to purity.
• his clothes (בְּגָדָיו - bəḡāḏāyw):
  • Garments worn by the individual.
  • Significance: Emphasizes that outward articles worn by a person could also absorb impurity, further extending the sphere of defilement. This often involved the washing of clothes AND bathing of the body for complete purification, though for certain light contact, washing clothes alone was prescribed, or only bathing, or both for heavier defilement. In this verse, washing clothes implies an existing bathing requirement or a standalone sufficient action depending on the degree/source of impurity as outlined in the broader chapter.
• and be unclean (וְטָמֵא - veṭāmēʼ):
  • "unclean" (טָמֵא - tameʼ): Ritually impure, ceremonially defiled. Not necessarily morally sinful, but in a state unsuitable for participating in sacred acts or communal worship.
  • Significance: This state requires separation or careful conduct to avoid defiling others or holy objects.
• until the even (עַד הָעָרֶב - ʻaḏ hāʻārev):
  • "even" (עֶרֶב - erev): Sunset, marking the end of one day and the beginning of another in the Hebrew calendar.
  • Significance: This specifies the duration of the uncleanness. Once the sun set, assuming the required purification steps (like washing clothes) were performed, the person would return to a state of ritual purity. This temporary nature underscored that these defilements were ceremonial, not permanent moral stains, and easily reversible through prescribed rituals, symbolizing God's gracious provision for His people's return to communion.
• it is unclean unto you (טָמֵא הִוא לָכֶם - ṭāmēʼ hîʼ lāḵem):
  • Literally, "it (referring to the carcass or the act of defilement) is unclean to you."
  • Significance: This phrase reiterates and emphasizes the inherent impurity of such contact, solidifying the divine decree. It stresses the standard of purity that God demands from His people, a constant reminder of His holiness and their need for separation.

Leviticus 11 28 Bonus section

The repetitive nature of such purification laws throughout Leviticus reinforced for Israel the constant vigilance required to maintain holiness. It taught them that life belongs to God, and any interaction with death, whether human or animal, outside of a sacrificial context, conveyed impurity, reflecting a theological truth about the fall and the impact of sin (which ultimately leads to death). While seemingly arbitrary rules, these ceremonial laws were pedagogical, illustrating abstract spiritual concepts in concrete terms: the need for divine grace, the temporary separation from God caused by impurity, and the means He provided for restoration. In the New Testament, these laws are understood as shadows pointing to the reality of Christ, whose sacrifice ultimately provides a complete and eternal cleansing, purging not merely the flesh from ritual defilement, but the conscience from the stain of sin, making continuous outward rituals obsolete for spiritual purity.

Leviticus 11 28 Commentary

Leviticus 11:28 succinctly captures a core principle of Mosaic Law: the pervasive nature of ritual defilement caused by contact with death, and the required actions for purification. Carrying the carcass of an unclean animal rendered an individual ritually defiled, meaning they were temporarily set apart from full participation in the communal life of Israel, especially sacred acts. The defilement required not only personal bathing (implied from the general laws or applied in conjunction with other specific regulations in the chapter) but specifically the washing of one's clothes, indicating the thoroughness needed for purification. The uncleanness was not permanent but lasted "until the even," signifying a daily cycle of purification that taught dependence on prescribed acts for restoration. This temporary and remediable defilement symbolically underscored God's holiness and His demand for a people set apart. It provided a tangible, daily lesson for Israel to differentiate between the clean and unclean, ultimately pointing towards a deeper spiritual purity, as later understood and fulfilled through the atoning work of Christ.