Leviticus 11 36

Leviticus 11:36 kjv

Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

Leviticus 11:36 nkjv

Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.

Leviticus 11:36 niv

A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean.

Leviticus 11:36 esv

Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean.

Leviticus 11:36 nlt

"However, if the carcass of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who touches the carcass will be defiled.

Leviticus 11 verses

Leviticus 11 36 Meaning

Leviticus 11:36 provides an exception to the defilement caused by the carcasses of unclean creeping things. It declares that flowing water, like a fountain, or a large collection of water, such as a cistern or well, does not become ritually unclean if an unclean carcass falls into it. However, any object that directly touches the carcass within that clean water source does become unclean. This highlights the inherent purifying quality or sustained purity of abundant, dynamic water sources compared to stagnant or limited quantities, while reaffirming the defiling nature of the carcass itself.

Leviticus 11 36 Context

Leviticus chapter 11 details the laws concerning clean and unclean animals, differentiating what is permissible to eat from what is forbidden, and how various contacts with animal carcasses (especially the creeping things) cause ritual defilement. This particular verse, Leviticus 11:36, is nestled within a section (Lev 11:29-38) that specifies how different items become unclean through contact with the carcasses of unclean creeping things. While many items (like garments, vessels, food) readily become defiled, this verse provides a specific exception for dynamic water sources, which, due to their abundance and flowing nature, are regarded as intrinsically pure and capable of shedding superficial defilement, unlike a static container like an earthenware pot (Lev 11:33). This distinction underscores the nuanced approach of God's purity laws, ensuring the practical availability of clean water for survival and ritual purification in an arid land, while upholding the strict principle of contact defilement.

Historically and culturally, water was immensely valuable in ancient Israel, a predominantly arid land. Purity laws were not arbitrary; they often had hygienic benefits, but primarily served a theological purpose: to separate Israel as a holy people set apart for Yahweh. Distinguishing between clean and unclean foods and contact prevented mingling with the idolatrous practices and beliefs of surrounding nations. The principle here might subtly polemicize against the idea that natural elements like springs or large water sources could be intrinsically corrupted or defiled beyond use by the presence of a dead thing, contrasting with potential pagan beliefs that might associate defilement with the water spirit itself. Instead, defilement is external and transferable, with clean water sources retaining their purifying capacity.

Leviticus 11 36 Word Analysis

• Nevertheless (אַךְ - ’akh): An emphatic particle, often meaning "but," "only," or "surely." It signals an exception or a strong distinction from the preceding general rule. Here, it introduces a crucial exemption to the pervasive nature of impurity.
• a fountain (מַעְיָן - ma'yan): Refers to a natural spring, a source of continuously flowing, "living" water. The active, fresh nature of the water is key to its resilience against defilement.
• or a cistern (בּוֹר - bor): A pit or reservoir dug into the ground to collect and store water, typically rainwater or diverted spring water. While often containing collected water, the addition of "in which there is plenty of water" links it to large, sufficient quantities. This bor differs from mere collected puddle water.
• in which there is plenty of water (מִקְוֵה־מַיִם - miqveh-mayim): Literally, "a collection/gathering of water." This is the essential phrase that defines the water source. It signifies a significant body of water, implying sufficiency and often a degree of natural renewal, setting it apart from smaller vessels or static quantities. This is the root term for the mikveh, the ritual immersion pool. The purity of miqveh-mayim makes it suitable for ritual purification.
• shall be clean (יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר - yiheyeh taher): The verb hayah (to be) in imperfect tense, expressing a continuous state, and taher (clean, pure). It means it remains pure or becomes pure from any initial defilement; its purity is maintained despite the defiling object within it.
• but (וְכֹל - v'khol): "And all" or "but whatever." Introduces the counterpoint, specifying what does become unclean within the clean water source.
• whatever touches (אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע - asher yiga'): "That which touches." Emphasizes direct physical contact. The defilement is not propagated by the water itself, but by the physical object making contact with the defiling carcass.
• their carcass (בְּנִבְלָתָם - b'nivlatam): "Their carcass," referring to the dead bodies of the creeping things mentioned earlier in Leviticus 11 (vv. 29-31). These carcasses are inherently potent sources of ritual impurity (tumah).
• shall be unclean (יִהְיֶה טָמֵא - yiheyeh tame'): Becomes ritually defiled (tame'). This is the state that requires purification, prohibiting access to holy things or the tabernacle.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "A fountain or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean": This phrase highlights a divine principle concerning the self-cleansing or inherent purity of large, often dynamic, water sources. Unlike smaller vessels which fully absorb impurity, these greater bodies of water are designed by God to resist becoming contaminated by what falls into them. This principle ensures the continued availability of ritually pure water essential for various purification rites. It hints at the idea of living water having unique properties both physical and symbolic in God's eyes.
• "but whatever touches their carcass shall be unclean": This clarifies that while the water source itself remains pure, the contagious nature of defilement from the carcass is not negated. Any object that establishes direct contact with the carcass (rather than simply being in the water where the carcass is) within that clean water does transfer impurity. This reinforces the potent defiling quality of dead unclean things and places the responsibility for purity on the object in direct contact, not the life-giving medium of the water.

Leviticus 11 36 Bonus section

The Hebrew word miqveh-mayim in this verse is highly significant because it forms the basis for the later understanding and requirements of a mikveh (plural: mikva'ot), the Jewish ritual bath. A mikveh must contain a specific minimum volume of water, connected to natural flowing water (e.g., spring water, rain water, or water drawn directly from these sources), reinforcing the idea that it must be "living" or abundant water not defiled by being contained in a transferable vessel. This principle ensures the water itself is perpetually pure, capable of purifying a person or object immersed within it, mirroring the resilience described in Leviticus 11:36.

Furthermore, this passage emphasizes that physical impurities, while impactful in ritual life, do not intrinsically defile the natural world created by God. The water, a symbol of life and renewal throughout Scripture, retains its capacity for purity and purification. This aligns with broader biblical themes where God's creation, while affected by sin (Gen 3), is not inherently evil or permanently corrupted to the point of being unable to reflect His glory or facilitate cleansing. The ultimate spiritual fulfillment of this concept lies in the living water offered by Jesus Christ (John 4:10, John 7:37-38), which purifies the soul from within, leading to eternal life, far surpassing the temporary ceremonial cleansing described in the Mosaic Law.

Leviticus 11 36 Commentary

Leviticus 11:36 provides a critical qualification within the larger framework of Israel's ritual purity laws. It presents an intriguing tension between the defiling power of an unclean carcass and the self-purifying quality of living or abundant water. The core theological insight is that purity in a foundational resource like water is preserved. God establishes rules that make sense for His people's practical life in a hot, arid land, ensuring that essential water sources don't become indefinitely unusable. This distinction teaches that ritual impurity ( tumah ) is not inherent to the elements themselves (water), but a transitive quality. The defilement is localized to direct contact with the source of impurity, the carcass.

This law provided a foundational concept for later Jewish practice, notably the mikveh (ritual bath). A mikveh requires a connection to a natural water source or a specific volume of collected rainwater, maintaining a standard of "living water" for purification, demonstrating its self-purifying capability. The verse implicitly distinguishes between spiritual sin (a moral failing requiring atonement) and ritual impurity (a temporary state requiring prescribed cleansing). Israel was to be a holy nation, separate from the surrounding nations, and these laws helped cultivate an acute awareness of holiness, distinction, and the necessity of purity for drawing near to a holy God.

Practical usage:

• God's Provision: Even in a context of pervasive impurity, God provides a way for essential life resources (like clean water) to remain usable for His people's well-being and worship.
• Principle of Purity: Purity often involves not just removing defilement, but drawing from a clean, living source.
• Contact vs. Medium: Distinguishing between defiling sources (sin, death) and media (God's word, Spirit) that are inherently pure and can cleanse rather than be defiled.