God’s Word Translation
Numbers 35:33
33“You must not pollute the land where you live. Murder is what pollutes the land. The land where a murder was committed can never make peace with the Lord except through the death of the murderer.
Numbers 35:33 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- English Standard Version (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.
- New King James Version (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.
Context of Numbers 35:33
31“Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death. 32“An accused murderer who has fled to a city of refuge must never go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. Don’t accept a cash payment to allow him to do this. “You must not pollute the land where you live. Murder is what pollutes the land. The land where a murder was committed can never make peace with the Lord except through the death of the murderer. 34Never make the land where you and I live unclean. I, the Lord, live among the Israelites.”
Read all of Numbers 35Numbers 35:33 word by word
וְלֹֽא־תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתֶּם֙ בָּ֔הּ כִּ֣י הַדָּ֔ם ה֥וּא יַחֲנִ֖יף אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלָאָ֣רֶץ לֹֽא־יְכֻפַּ֗ר לַדָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שֻׁפַּךְ־בָּ֔הּ כִּי־אִ֖ם בְּדַ֥ם שֹׁפְכֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Numbers 35:33
- Leviticus 18:25The land has become unclean. I will punish it for its sins. The land will vomit out those who live in it.
- Deuteronomy 21:1This is what you must do if you find a murder victim lying in a field in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. If no one knows who committed the murder,
- 2 Kings 23:26But the Lord still didn’t turn his hot, burning anger from Judah. After all, Manasseh had done all these things to make him furious.
- 2 Kings 24:4including the innocent blood he had shed. He had a lot of innocent people in Jerusalem killed, and the Lord refused to forgive him.
- Psalms 106:28They joined in worshiping the god Baal while they were at Peor, and they ate what was sacrificed to the dead.
- Isaiah 26:21The Lord is going to come out from his dwelling place to punish those who live on earth for their sins. The earth will uncover the blood shed on it and will no longer cover up its dead bodies.
- Ezekiel 22:24“Son of man, tell the city, ‘You are an unclean land that has not had rain during the day of my anger. You have not been made clean.
- Hosea 4:2There is cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. People break ⌞my laws⌟, and there is one murder after another.
- Micah 4:11But now many nations gather against you. They say, “Let’s dishonor Zion and gloat over it.”
- Matthew 23:31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
- Luke 11:50So the people living now will be charged with the murder of every prophet since the world was made.
Commentaries on Numbers 35:33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 33For blood it defileth the land - The very land was considered as guilty till the blood of the murderer was shed in it. No wonder God is so particularly strict in his laws against murderers, Because he is the author of life, and none have any right to dispose of it but himself. Because life is the time to prepare for the eternal world, and on it the salvation of the soul accordingly depends; therefore it is of infinite consequence to the man that his life…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-34Verses 9-34 To show plainly the abhorrence of murder, and to provide the more effectually for the punishment of the murderer, the nearest relation of the deceased, under the title of avenger of blood, (or the redeemer of blood,) in notorious cases, might pursue, and execute vengeance. A distinction is made, not between sudden anger and malice aforethought, both which are the crime of murder; but between intentionally striking a man with any weapon likely…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 33for bloodshed pollutes the land: If the person who caused a death, whether murder or accidental killing, was not treated as the law commanded, God viewed the land as polluted. Human bloodshed required death as a response (Genesis 4:10–11; 9:6). This rule is different from cases such as Exodus 21:29–30 (see also Leviticus 18:28; Ezekiel 36:17–18; Hosea 4:2–3). This strong warning about murder shows the great value of human life (Exodus 20:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-3429-34. these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations--The law of the blood-avenger, as thus established by divine authority, was a vast improvement on the ancient practice of Goelism. By the appointment of cities of refuge, the manslayer was saved, in the meantime, from the blind and impetuous fury of vindictive relatives; but he might be tried by the local court, and, if proved guilty on sufficient evidence…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 35:33
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 35
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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