Numbers 35:34 kjv
Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
Numbers 35:34 nkjv
Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.' "
Numbers 35:34 niv
Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.'?"
Numbers 35:34 esv
You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel."
Numbers 35:34 nlt
You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel."
Numbers 35 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:10 | "The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground." | Abel's blood cries out for justice. |
| Gen 9:6 | "Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed..." | Foundation of capital punishment for murder. |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood..." | Highlights the sanctity and vital essence of blood. |
| Lev 18:25 | "The land became defiled; therefore I punished its iniquity..." | Land can be defiled by sins, including bloodshed. |
| Lev 18:28 | "...so that the land will not vomit you out if you defile it..." | Consequences of land defilement leading to expulsion. |
| Lev 20:22 | "You shall therefore keep all My statutes... lest the land vomit you out." | Repetition of the land's expulsion of defilers. |
| Deut 19:10 | "so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land..." | Avoidance of bloodguilt through justice. |
| Deut 19:11-13 | Laws regarding the murderer who must die, not to be pitied. | Explicit command to put murderers to death to remove bloodguilt. |
| 1 Sam 26:9 | "...who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" | Consequence of shedding innocent blood, divine judgment. |
| 2 Sam 21:1 | "There was a famine in the days of David... 'It is for Saul and for his bloodthirsty house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.'" | National calamity due to unpunished bloodguilt. |
| 1 Kgs 2:31-33 | Solomon punishes Joab for innocent blood to remove guilt. | Rulers are responsible for purging bloodguilt from the land. |
| 2 Kgs 24:3-4 | "Surely at the command of the Lord this came upon Judah... for the innocent blood that Manasseh had shed..." | Exile as a consequence of national bloodguilt. |
| Psa 106:38 | "They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters... And the land was polluted with blood." | Direct correlation between shedding innocent blood and land pollution. |
| Isa 1:15 | "...Your hands are full of blood." | Divine rejection of worship due to bloodshed. |
| Isa 26:21 | "...and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it..." | The earth will reveal hidden bloodguilt. |
| Ezek 7:23 | "For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city full of violence." | Condemnation for violence and bloodshed leading to judgment. |
| Hab 2:17 | "For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you... because of human blood..." | Judgment against violence and bloodshed. |
| Matt 23:35 | "so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth..." | New Testament reiteration of accumulating bloodguilt. |
| Rom 13:4 | "...he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God's minister, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil." | Role of civil authority in administering justice, including capital punishment. |
| Rev 18:24 | "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth." | Heavenly perspective on the blood of the innocent and divine vengeance. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." | General principle of blood for atonement, contrasting with Numb 35:34's specific application. |
Numbers 35 verses
Numbers 35 34 Meaning
Numbers 35:34 underscores the profound sanctity of the land of Israel as the dwelling place of God. The verse mandates that the Israelite community must not defile their land through the shedding of innocent blood. It states unequivocally that such an act of murder inherently pollutes the land, and there is no ritual or sacrifice that can cleanse this defilement except for the punitive execution of the murderer, whose own blood alone can atone for the bloodguilt brought upon the land. This establishes a divine principle linking justice for human life directly to the spiritual purity and covenantal standing of the community within the land God gave them.
Numbers 35 34 Context
Numbers 35 concerns the final instructions regarding the settlement of the Israelites in Canaan. Specifically, it details the establishment of cities of refuge, a provision for accidental manslaughter to prevent immediate retaliation by a "blood avenger." Within this chapter, laws differentiating between premeditated murder and unintentional killing are given, with clear stipulations for judgment and consequence. Verse 34 is the climactic statement concerning murder: if the crime is determined to be premeditated, the murderer must be executed. This specific verse emphasizes that the very act of innocent bloodshed profoundly pollutes the land, and the only means to "atone" for this unique defilement of the land itself is the death of the murderer. It solidifies the community's responsibility to purge evil from their midst, particularly in the sacred land promised by God, to maintain its holiness and prevent God's wrath or their expulsion.
Numbers 35 34 Word analysis
- You: Refers collectively to the people of Israel, highlighting their corporate responsibility for the holiness of the land and for executing justice within it.
- shall not pollute: (Heb. תְטַמֵּא, tetamme’, from root טָמֵא ṭāmēʾ). A Hiphil verb indicating to cause something to become unclean, to defile. This is a strong, active prohibition. The land, as God’s holy dwelling, is intrinsically pure, and the Israelites are commanded not to introduce anything that corrupts its holiness.
- the land: (Heb. הָאָרֶץ, ha'aretz). This is not just any land but the specific, promised land of Canaan, central to God's covenant with Israel. It is God's own land, sacred by His presence and His promise.
- in which you live: (Heb. אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ, ʾasher attem yoshevim bah). Emphasizes their immediate presence and therefore their direct accountability. The land's state reflects the moral condition of its inhabitants.
- for blood: (Heb. כִּי הַדָּם, ki hadam). "Blood" refers specifically to innocent human blood shed through murder. Blood represents life itself (Lev 17:11), and its unlawful shedding is an attack on the Creator. "For" indicates the reason or explanation for the preceding command.
- pollutes the land: (Heb. יְטַמֵּא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, yettamme’ et ha'aretz, from root טָמֵא ṭāmēʾ). Repetition of the verb emphasizes the powerful defiling effect of innocent bloodshed. It’s an inherent spiritual contamination, not just a moral wrong. The land "absorbs" the blood, making it unclean.
- and no atonement can be made: (Heb. וְלָאָרֶץ לֹא יְכֻפַּר, v’la’aretz lo yekuppar). Literally, "and for the land, it will not be covered." "Atonement" (כָּפַר, kāpar) here refers to covering or purging the defilement from the land, distinct from individual spiritual sin. This highlights the absolute nature of the defilement and its remedy. No ritual offering (e.g., sin offering, burnt offering) can cleanse this specific bloodguilt on the land.
- for the land: Specifies the object of the defilement and the atonement – it's the very ground itself, the sacred space.
- for the blood that is shed in it: (Heb. לַדָּם אֲשֶׁר שֻׁפַּךְ בָּהּ, laddam asher shuppakh bah). Re-emphasizes the source of pollution. Shuppakh (שֻׁפַּךְ) is Pual passive, meaning "that which has been poured out."
- except by the blood of him who shed it: (Heb. כִּי אִם בְּדַם שֹׁפְכוֹ, ki im bedam shofkô). This is the absolute and singular solution. The death of the murderer by execution is not merely punishment but a necessary act of expiation to purge the land of its bloodguilt. It demonstrates the infinite value of human life and God’s strict demand for justice. This form of "atonement" is a specific form of judicial retribution to purify the land.
Numbers 35 34 Bonus section
The "blood crying out" from the ground, first seen in Gen 4:10 with Abel, is a foundational concept reinforced by Numb 35:34. It illustrates that innocent blood has a voice before God, demanding redress. The land itself, being defiled, is a silent witness and victim of injustice, until justice is executed. This is not merely a legalistic statute, but a deeply spiritual and theological principle. The death penalty for murder, in this specific context, is not just about retributive justice but has a sacerdotal function of cleansing the land, allowing God to continue to dwell among His people without being defiled by their unpunished sin. This also speaks to the profound cosmic consequences of human actions, particularly grave moral transgressions like murder, which impact the created order and disrupt divine-human fellowship.
Numbers 35 34 Commentary
Numbers 35:34 serves as a potent theological declaration about the sanctity of life, the holiness of the land, and God's unwavering demand for justice. The concept of the land being "polluted" or "defiled" (root ṭāmēʾ) by innocent bloodshed is not merely symbolic; it signifies a spiritual and moral contamination that renders the land unfit for God's holy presence and threatens the well-being of the community dwelling within it. Unlike other sins for which prescribed sacrifices or rituals could bring atonement, the shedding of innocent blood is uniquely grievous. It demands a specific and non-substitutable remedy: the life of the one who shed it. This highlights God's intrinsic valuation of human life created in His image (Gen 9:6) and underscores that murder is an affront not only to humanity but directly to God. The communal responsibility for enforcing this justice ensures that the people participate in maintaining the sanctity of God's dwelling place. Failure to execute justice would lead to national bloodguilt and ultimately, the land "vomiting out" its inhabitants, as seen later in Israel's history (Lev 18:25-28; 2 Kgs 24:3-4). This principle stresses the absolute imperative of swift, proportionate justice in a God-governed society to preserve both moral order and divine favor.