But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
Parallel translations
- KJV But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.
- BSB but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.
- ESV but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
- NKJV But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes unclean to you.
- NASB But if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
- NLT But if the seed is wet when the carcass falls on it, the seed will be defiled.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
But if the seed has been wetted, a carcass makes it unclean. Moisture made the seed susceptible to defilement.
Overview
Once water is put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, the seed becomes unclean. The contrast with the previous verse reveals the consistent principle that moisture transmits defilement. Such precision trained Israel in discernment, attentive to how impurity spreads, a vigilance the New Testament applies to guarding the heart (Mark 7:20-23).
Cross-references & the web
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Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 11:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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