New King James Version
Numbers 8:7
7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
Numbers 8:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
- New International Version (NIV)To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean.
Context of Numbers 8:7
5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 8Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. 9And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel.
Read all of Numbers 8Numbers 8:7 word by word
וְכֹֽה־תַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְטַֽהֲרָ֔ם הַזֵּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֵ֣י חַטָּ֑את וְהֶעֱבִ֤ירוּ תַ֙עַר֙ עַל־כָּל־בְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְכִבְּס֥וּ בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם וְהִטֶּהָֽרוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And thus shalt thou doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- unto them, to cleanseטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
- them: Sprinkleנָזָהnâzâh · to sprinkleH5137
- waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- of purifyingחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sin: punishmentH2403
- upon them, and let them shaveעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- upon them, and let them shaveתַּ֫עַרta‛ar · razorH8593
- all their fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- and let them washכָּבַסkâbas · to washH3526
- their clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
Cross-references for Numbers 8:7
- Leviticus 8:6Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
- Leviticus 14:7And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.
- Isaiah 52:15So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.
- Ezekiel 36:25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
- Hebrews 9:10concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
- Numbers 19:9Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.
- Psalms 51:7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
- Hebrews 9:13For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
- Leviticus 14:8He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.
- Numbers 19:7Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening.
- Numbers 31:20Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
- Genesis 35:2And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
- Exodus 19:10Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.
- Leviticus 15:6He who sits on anything on which he who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
- Leviticus 16:28Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
- Psalms 51:2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
Commentaries on Numbers 8:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Sprinkle water of purifying - חטאת מי mey chattath, water of sin, or water of the sin-offering. As this purifying water was made by the ashes of the red heifer, cedar-wood, hyssop, and scarlet; and the heifer herself was sacrificed, and her blood sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle, Numbers 19:3-6; she may be considered as a proper sacrifice for sin, and consequently the water thus prepared be termed the water of the sin-offering. As the ashes…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5-22Verses 5-22 The Levites could only undertake their duties Numbers 3:44-51. The distinction between the “consecration” of the priests Numbers 8:21 of the Levites is marked. These rites of purification are similar to those incumbent on the priests of Egypt. Numbers 8:7 Water of purifying - literally, “sin water:” i. e. water to cleanse from sin; no doubt taken from the laver of the sanctuary, which was used by the priests for purification before they went…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-26Verses 5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The ceremony to make the Levites ceremonially clean involved sprinkling with water, shaving all hair, and wearing clean clothes. This was similar to ceremonies for cleansing from ceremonial impurity. water of purification: This phrase appears only here. The sprinkling symbolized washing away sin and had symbolic importance similar to later Jewish washings and Christian baptism. This water might have been the same as the mixture with ashes from the red…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-226-7. Take the Levites ... and cleanse them--This passage describes the consecration of the Levites. Although the tribe was to be devoted to the divine service, their hereditary descent alone was not a sufficient qualification for entering on the duties of the sacred office. They were to be set apart by a special ceremony, which, however, was much simpler than that appointed for the priests; neither washing nor anointing, nor investiture with official…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 8:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 8
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries