Numbers 8:7

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 King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Numbers 8:7

5Then the Lord said to Moses, 6“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. 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. 8Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering. 9Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

Numbers 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 he presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
• Leviticus 14:7The priest will then sprinkle the blood of the dead bird seven times on the person being purified of the skin disease. When the priest has purified the person, he will release the live bird in the open field to fly away.
• Isaiah 52:15And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.
• Ezekiel 36:25“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.
• Hebrews 9:10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
• Numbers 19:9Then someone who is ceremonially clean will gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them in a purified place outside the camp. They will be kept there for the community of Israel to use in the water for the purification ceremony. This ceremony is performed for the removal of sin.
• Psalms 51:7Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
• Hebrews 9:13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.
• Leviticus 14:8“The persons being purified must then wash their clothes, shave off all their hair, and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean and may return to the camp. However, they must remain outside their tents for seven days.
• Numbers 19:7“Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Afterward he may return to the camp, though he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening.
• Numbers 31:20Purify all your clothing, too, and everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood.”
• Genesis 35:2So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.
• Exodus 19:10Then the Lord told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing.
• Leviticus 15:6If you sit where the man with the discharge has sat, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.
• Leviticus 16:28The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before returning to the camp.
• Psalms 51:2Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify 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

• Levites
• Purification
• Sprinkling

In the dictionaries

• Bend
• Nail
• Razor
• Sinai
• Wait
• Water of purification
• Agrapha
• Apocrypha
• Baptism (lutheran Doctrine)
• Baptism (non-Immersionist View)

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