Numbers 35:33 kjv
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Numbers 35:33 nkjv
So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
Numbers 35:33 niv
"?'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Numbers 35:33 esv
You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Numbers 35:33 nlt
This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.
Numbers 35 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:10 | And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to Me from the ground. | Blood cries for justice. |
| Gen 9:5-6 | And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning... "Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed..." | Sanctity of life; blood vengeance principle. |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls... | Blood is life and means for atonement (but not for murder's land defilement). |
| Lev 18:24-28 | “Do not defile yourselves by any of these things... for by all these the nations whom I am driving out before you have become defiled; and the land has become defiled, so that I have punished its iniquity with it, and the land has vomited out its inhabitants. | Land's defilement leads to expulsion. |
| Lev 24:17 | If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death. | Law for capital punishment. |
| Deut 19:10 | ...lest innocent blood be shed in your land which the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, and thus bloodguilt come upon you. | Innocent blood brings guilt upon the land. |
| Deut 21:8-9 | “Forgive, O Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have ransomed, and do not impute innocent blood to Your people Israel.” And the bloodguilt shall be forgiven them. | Ritual atonement for unproven murder, acknowledging land defilement. |
| 2 Sam 21:1 | Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord said, “It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” | Famine due to land's defilement by unpunished bloodshed. |
| 1 Kin 21:19 | ...’Thus says the Lord, “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick up your own blood.”’” | Prophetic judgment involving bloodshed and physical place. |
| 2 Kin 24:3-4 | Surely at the command of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight, because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord was not willing to forgive. | Land defilement (Jerusalem) from bloodshed, leading to judgment. |
| Ps 106:38 | And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was defiled with blood. | Idol worship connected to bloodshed and land defilement. |
| Isa 26:21 | For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain. | Earth itself reveals bloodshed for judgment. |
| Jer 3:2 | “Look up to the bare heights and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the roadsides you have sat for them Like an Arab in the desert, And you have defiled the land With your harlotries and with your wickedness. | Land defilement by spiritual harlotry, echoes moral defilement. |
| Hos 4:2-3 | There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. | Land mourning due to moral corruption and bloodshed. |
| Matt 23:35 | so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah... | Guilt of all innocent bloodshed culminating in one generation. |
| Heb 9:22 | And almost all things are by the law purified with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. | General principle of atonement through blood (distinct from murderer's blood for land). |
| Rev 6:9-10 | When He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?” | Blood crying for vengeance. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” | Christ bears the curse, including the consequences of sin, fulfilling the ultimate cleansing. |
| Col 1:20 | and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross... | Reconciliation through Christ's blood, which has ultimate cleansing power. |
| Num 35:34 | You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the sons of Israel. | Direct consequence: defilement hinders God's dwelling. |
Numbers 35 verses
Numbers 35 33 Meaning
Numbers 35:33 states a profound spiritual and legal principle concerning the land of Israel and the sanctity of life. It declares that bloodshed, specifically murder, defiles the land itself, making it impure and unfit for God's dwelling. This defilement cannot be atoned for by any sacrifice or payment except by the execution of the murderer. This law underscores the extreme gravity of shedding innocent blood, asserting that such an act pollutes the very ground and jeopardizes the community's relationship with God, who resides among them.
Numbers 35 33 Context
Numbers chapter 35 details the provision for the Levitical cities and the cities of refuge within the Promised Land. This chapter establishes the framework for justice in ancient Israel, particularly concerning cases of homicide. Verses 30-32 set specific rules regarding testimony for capital cases and forbid ransom for a murderer or for one who flees to a city of refuge after being convicted of murder. Verse 33 follows directly from these legal pronouncements, providing the profound theological reason why such strictness is necessary: the sanctity of the land and God's holy presence within it. Historically, the Israelites were about to enter Canaan, a land they would inherit. This land, destined to be holy because God would dwell among them, needed to be kept ritually and morally pure. The pervasive Canaanite practices, including child sacrifice and other abominations, were understood to have defiled their own land (Lev 18:24-28). The law in Numbers 35:33 serves as a stark warning and a foundation for maintaining Israel's distinctive purity and avoiding the defilement that led to the expulsion of previous inhabitants.
Numbers 35 33 Word analysis
- Ye shall not pollute (וְלֹא תְטַמֵּא): From the Hebrew root ṭāmé', meaning "to defile, make unclean, profane, pollute." This word is primarily used in a ritual or moral sense, denoting impurity that separates from God's holy presence. It indicates an active state of rendering something ceremonially or morally corrupt, not merely dirty. The direct address "Ye" implies a collective responsibility for maintaining the land's purity.
- the land (אֶת הָאָרֶץ): Refers specifically to the physical territory of Canaan, the Promised Land. In biblical thought, the land is more than mere soil; it is a sacred inheritance from God, closely tied to the covenant and God's dwelling place. Its state reflects the moral and spiritual condition of its inhabitants.
- wherein ye are (אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ): Lit. "in which you are sitting/dwelling." This emphasizes the resident's active role and responsibility for the land they inhabit. It's a land where they would establish families, cultivate, and build community, making their actions directly impactful on its status.
- for blood (כִּי הַדָּם): Here, "blood" (dām) specifically refers to "shed blood," implying violent death, and crucially, the shedding of innocent blood through murder. In ancient Near Eastern thought and the Bible, blood is equated with life (Lev 17:11). The spilling of it, especially unjustly, is seen as a grievous violation of the life principle ordained by God.
- it defileth (הוּא יְחַנֵּף): From the root chānef, meaning "to profane, pollute, violate." This is a strong word, signifying not just a superficial defilement but a deep corruption. While similar in meaning to ṭāmé', chānef often carries a connotation of hypocrisy, moral corruption, or sacrilege, suggesting a more profound moral violation against God's order.
- the land (אֶת הָאָרֶץ): Again, the land itself is affected. This signifies that the moral evil of murder has tangible, environmental consequences, illustrating a holistic connection between human action, God's holiness, and the created order.
- and no expiation (וְלָאָרֶץ לֹא יְכֻפַּר): "Expiation" (or "atonement") is from kāphar, meaning "to cover, make atonement, cleanse, purge." It implies removing guilt or impurity through a prescribed ritual or act. The verse emphatically states that normal means of atonement—like animal sacrifices which cover ritual sin—are explicitly not applicable here.
- can be made for the land (לֹא יְכֻפַּר): Reinforces the exceptional nature of this crime. The land, having been profaned by murder, cannot simply be purified through typical offerings or ceremonial cleansing. This highlights the unparalleled seriousness of homicide in God's eyes.
- for the land for the blood (כִּי אִם־בְּדַם): The direct repetition of "for the land" before stating the solution emphasizes that the land itself requires satisfaction. "for the blood" indicates that the pollution is caused by, and tied to, the blood that was unjustly shed.
- that is shed therein (מְדַבְּרֹו): This phrase highlights the source of defilement—the act of shedding the blood.
- but by the blood of him (מְדַבְּרֹו): The crucial phrase, emphasizing that the only means to cleanse the land of its pollution from murder is through the shedding of the murderer's own blood. This is a severe form of lex talionis (law of retaliation), applying literally: life for life, blood for blood. This principle acts as the ultimate deterrent and maintains divine justice.
- that shed it (הָאֶמָץ): Refers to the convicted murderer, the individual directly responsible for the unlawful bloodshed.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- Ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: This establishes the Israelites' collective responsibility. Their behavior dictates the purity of the land in which they dwell. It’s a divine mandate against actions that violate the sanctity of the physical and spiritual space.
- for blood it defileth the land: This provides the foundational reason for the preceding command. The act of shedding innocent blood has a profound and inherent defiling power that corrupts the very ground, not just the people. It’s a direct consequence that God has ordained for such a grave sin.
- and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein: This stresses the unique and extreme nature of murder. Unlike other sins for which ritual sacrifices or forms of restitution might suffice, murder demands a specific, irreplaceable act of justice. Normal means of atonement are insufficient to purge the land's defilement.
- but by the blood of him that shed it: This delivers the divine verdict: only the murderer's life (represented by his blood) can cleanse the land of the innocent blood it absorbed. This emphasizes the retributive justice required by God to restore cosmic and legal balance, allowing God's presence to remain.
Numbers 35 33 Bonus section
The concept of the "land vomiting out its inhabitants" found in Leviticus 18:28 illustrates the organic and responsive nature of the land in biblical theology. Numbers 35:33 specifies that this "vomiting" is a consequence of persistent defilement, prominently highlighted by bloodshed. The phrase "blood cries out from the ground" (Gen 4:10) connects directly, portraying the land as an active participant that registers injustice and cries for retribution.
The stringent law against ransom for murderers prevented any class disparity in justice, ensuring that even the wealthy could not buy their way out of a death sentence for murder. This underscored the equal value of all human lives before God's law.
While the New Testament reveals a New Covenant based on Christ's atoning blood, which covers all sin and provides reconciliation, it does not diminish the gravity of shedding innocent blood. Rather, it emphasizes the spiritual defilement of sin, now addressed by the perfect sacrifice of Christ (Heb 9:22), who cleansed us from all unrighteousness. However, for a murderer, the earthly justice remains according to established societal laws, even if Christ offers spiritual forgiveness. The principle of land purity under the Old Covenant anticipates the demand for a spiritually pure community, where actions that corrupt are not tolerated for God to dwell within them (1 Cor 3:16-17).
Numbers 35 33 Commentary
Numbers 35:33 serves as a pivotal theological statement on the sacredness of human life and the purity of the Promised Land. It unveils a profound concept of "land pollution," where the physical environment becomes spiritually corrupted by human sin, particularly murder. This is not merely a metaphor; in biblical understanding, the land itself bears witness to the injustice committed upon it. The chānef and ṭāmé' words used here highlight deep moral defilement, contrasting with the holiness required for God to "dwell in the midst" (Num 35:34).
The stark prohibition against any expiation other than the murderer's blood reveals the unique gravity of this crime. It negates all possibilities of financial restitution or alternative sacrifices that might atone for other sins, setting murder apart as an offense directly against God's order and the very fabric of existence. This emphasizes that human life is supremely valuable, and its unjustified taking demands an unparalleled form of justice.
This law directly combats any societal tendency to minimize murder or grant impunity, serving as the strongest deterrent in ancient Israelite law. It ensured that blood-guilt would not remain on the community, inviting divine judgment, such as famine or expulsion (as seen in later biblical narratives, e.g., 2 Sam 21:1, 2 Kin 24:3-4). The underlying principle is God's perfect justice, which demands proportionate repayment for the greatest violation of life. The Land is holy because God dwells there; thus, the land must be cleansed of innocent blood to maintain God's presence among His people.