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Numbers 31:24 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְכִבַּסְתֶּ֧ם בִּגְדֵיכֶ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י וּטְהַרְתֶּ֑ם וְאַחַ֖ר תָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־ הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ פ

BSAOn the seventhshᵉbîyʻîy [special day of completion] dayyôwm you are to washkâbaç [ritually] your clothesbeged [garments, covering] and you will be cleanṭâhêr [ceremonially, pure, free from defilement] After thatʼachar [following, subsequent to] you may enterbôwʼ [come into, approach] the campmachăneh [gathered group, Israelite encampment]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 31
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 24 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Ha.ma.cha.Neh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 31:24quick helps
In a sentenceThe Israelites are instructed to wash their clothes on the seventh day to ensure they are clean before entering the camp.
Who is speakingThe LORD gives instructions to Moses regarding purification rituals.
Where we areThis verse is part of the laws concerning purification after battle.
The hard wordכָּבַס
Take awayPurification is essential before rejoining the community.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them › clause verbכָּבַס The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Numbers 31:24

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Purification After Battlegenerated

23everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water.
24On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”
25The LORD said to Moses,
26“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast.

Numbers 31:24 is part of a larger section detailing the purification rituals required after battle. The Israelites are commanded to wash their clothes on the seventh day, a day symbolizing completion and rest, before they can re-enter the camp. This emphasizes the importance of ritual cleanliness in maintaining the sanctity of the community.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 19:19The man who is ceremonially clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. After he purifies the unclean person on the seventh day, the one being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and that evening he will be clean.
2Leviticus 11:25and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
3Leviticus 14:9On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.
4Leviticus 15:13When the man has been cleansed from his discharge, he must count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe himself in fresh water, and he shall be clean.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.Numbers 19:19 Leviticus 11:25 Leviticus 14:9 Leviticus 15:13

The Key Word כָּבַס, ve.khi.bas.Temgenerated

The verb כָּבַס (kabac) means to wash, specifically by treading or stamping, as a fuller would do. This term is used in both literal and figurative contexts, indicating the act of cleaning garments or people.

The parsing indicates a sequential perfect form, which suggests a completed action that is expected to have been performed by the second person masculine plural — in this case, the people being addressed. The emphasis on ritual washing highlights the importance of cleanliness in the community.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb כָּבַס governs the sentence, with several phrases hanging off it: a noun phrase for the object (your clothes), a prepositional phrase indicating the time (on the seventh day), and a second verb phrase indicating the result (you will be clean). The structure emphasizes the sequential nature of the actions.

The order of the phrases highlights the importance of the day of washing, marking it as a significant time for purification before re-entering the camp.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates כָּבַס as πλυνεῖσθε (pluneisthe), which carries the same meaning of washing but may imply a broader or more general sense of cleansing.

This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the ritual context, emphasizing the act of washing as a necessary step toward purification.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 31:24 instructs the Israelites to wash their clothes on the seventh day to be clean before entering the camp. This washing is part of the purification process after battle, highlighting the importance of being ceremonially clean to rejoin the community.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why is washing clothes significant in this context?

Washing clothes is a ritual act that symbolizes purification and readiness to re-enter the community after a period of separation due to battle.

What does the seventh day represent?

The seventh day is a special day of completion, often associated with rest and the fulfillment of God's commands.

What happens if one does not wash their clothes?

Failing to wash their clothes would mean not being ceremonially clean, which would prevent them from entering the camp and participating in communal life.

How does this verse connect to other purification laws?

This verse connects to other laws regarding purification found in Leviticus and Numbers, emphasizing the need for cleanliness in both physical and spiritual contexts.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I apply the principle of ritual cleanliness in my own life today?
  2. What are some areas in my life where I need to seek purification or cleansing?
  3. How does understanding the significance of the seventh day enhance my appreciation for rest and completion?
  4. In what ways can I support others in their journey toward spiritual cleanliness?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 31:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day,.... As the leper did, Leviticus 14:9: and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp; into the camp of Israel, into the camp of

Read John Gill on Numbers 31 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 31 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19–24. The purification necessary after contact with the dead. Moses bids all who are defiled to remain outside the camp for seven days and perform the requisite ritual of purification.

Read Cambridge on Numbers 31 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

24. Wash your clothes — According to the law. Numbers 19:19.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 31 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be ceremonially clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.’”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean; and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Ye shall wash also your clothes the seuenth day, and ye shalbe cleane: and afterward ye shall come into the Hoste.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And ye shall wash your garments on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean; and afterwards ye may come into the camp.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and ye have washed your garments on the seventh day, and have been clean, and afterwards ye come in unto the camp.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and you have washed your garments on the seventh day and have been clean, and afterward you come into the camp.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and after that may ye come into the camp.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and then you will become clean. Afterward you may come into Israel's camp.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And you shall wash your garments the seventh day, and being purified, you shall afterwards enter into the camp.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Wash your clothes on the seventh day and you will be clean. Then you can enter the camp.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And on the seventh day, after washing your clothing, you will be clean, and then you may come into the tent-circle.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וְandclauseverbכִבַּסְתֶּ֧םyou.will.washnoun phrase · objectבִּגְדֵיclothesכֶ֛םyourprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּonnoun phrasethenoun phraseיּ֥וֹםdaynumeral phraseהַ(the)שְּׁבִיעִ֖יseventhוּandclauseverbטְהַרְתֶּ֑םyou.will.be.pureוְandclauseadverbialאַחַ֖רafterverbתָּבֹ֥אוּyou.will.comeprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtonoun phraseהַֽtheמַּחֲנֶֽהcamp

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew closely, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, indicating a similar understanding of the text.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וְכִבַּסְתֶּ֧ם בִּגְדֵיכֶ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י וּטְהַרְתֶּ֑ם וְאַחַ֖ר תָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־ הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְכִבַּסְתֶּ֧םπλυνεῖσθεבִּגְדֵיכֶ֛םἱμάτιαבַּיּ֥וֹםἡμέρᾳהַשְּׁבִיעִ֖יἑβδόμῃוּטְהַרְתֶּ֑םκαθαρισθήσεσθεוְאַחַ֖רμετὰתָּבֹ֥אוּεἰσελεύσεσθεאֶל־εἰςהַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ פπαρεμβολήν

9 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

וכבסתם בגדיכם ביום השׁביעי וטהרתם ואחר תבאו אל המחנה

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q27a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וכבסתם] [בגדי׳כמה] [ביום] [השביעי] [וטהרתם] [ואחר] [תבואו] אל המחנה

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Numbers 31:24כָּבַסand you wiland you will waכָּבַסבֶּ֫גֶדclothes youclothes yourבֶּ֫גֶדיוֹםon the dayon the dayיוֹםשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִיטָהֵרand you wiland you will beטָהֵראַחַרand afterand afterאַחַרבּוֹאyou will coyou will comeבּוֹאאֶלtotoאֶלמַחֲנֶהthe campthe campמַחֲנֶהבָּגַדto act treto act treacherבָּגַדשִׁבְעִיםseventyseventyשִׁבְעִיםאָחַרto delayto delayאָחַרחָנָהto campto campחָנָהכָּבַסto washto washכָּבַסרָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץבֶּ֫גֶדtreacherytreacheryבֶּ֫גֶדקָרַעto tearto tearקָרַעשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתמִקְרָאassemblyassemblyמִקְרָאפָּשָׂהto spreadto spreadפָּשָׂהטֻמְאָהuncleannesuncleannessטֻמְאָהרָדַףto pursueto pursueרָדַףזָנָהto fornicato fornicateזָנָהשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫ה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Numbers 31:24

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
וְכִבַּסְתֶּ֧םve.khi.bas.Tem and you will wash H3526 Verb · Piel · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
51× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To wash means to clean something, often by trampling or stamping on it with the feet, as seen in the process of washing clothes.
Amplified meaning
ritually
Tyndale gloss
to wash
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כָּבַס (kabac) means to wash, specifically by treading, and is associated with the work of a fuller. It can refer to both literal washing of garments or people and figurative uses. The entries note various forms, including participles and different verb stems, indicating actions like washing and being washed.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כָּבַס] 51 vb. (tread), wash

Qal highway of fuller’s (= treader’s, washer’s) field

Pi.

wash garments (i.e. by treading)

wash person

Pu. be washed, of garment

Hothp. after the plague is washed out

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3526 כָּבַס (tread), wash

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3526 kabac kaw-bas'

a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by

stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the

fulling process) or figurative:--fuller, wash(-ing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּבַס (ka.vas) — Washer's.

This name means to wash (by treading)

כָּבַס (ka.vas) — to wash.

1) to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller

1a) (Qal) washer, fuller, treader (participle)

1b) (Piel) to wash (garments, person)

1c) (Pual) to be washed

1d) (Hothpael) to be washed out

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-2mp — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
Hc/Vpq2mp
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
בִּגְדֵיכֶ֛םbig.dei.Khem clothes your H899 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to clothing or a covering, like a garment or robe. It appears in books like Genesis and Exodus, describing what people wore. The word is often translated as 'apparel' or 'raiment'.
Amplified meaning
garments, covering
Tyndale gloss
treachery
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֶּ֫גֶד (beged) has meanings related to both clothing and treachery. It can refer to a garment or covering, as well as deceit or betrayal. The word is built from a root that suggests a duality in its usage, appearing in contexts that range from apparel to treacherous actions, notably in Isaiah 24:16 and Jeremiah 12:1.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֶּ֫גֶד n.[m.] treachery Is 24:16 Je 12:1.

done

בֶּ֫גֶד n.m. garment, covering

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H899a בֶּ֫גֶד treachery H899b בֶּ֫גֶד garment, covering

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

899 beged behg'-ed

from 898; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or

pillage:--apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag,

raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.

see HEBREW for 0898

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — treachery.

treachery, deceit

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — garment.

(CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp2mp
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
בַּיּ֥וֹםbai.Yom on the day H3117 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖יha.she.vi.'I seventh H7637 Particle
98× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for seventh, this term is an ordinal number used to describe something in the seventh position. It appears in the Bible as seventh time.
Amplified meaning
special day of completion
Tyndale gloss
seventh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁבִיעִי (shbiy`iy) is an ordinal adjective meaning 'seventh.' It has masculine and feminine forms, שְׁבִיעִי for masculine and שְׁבִיעִית for feminine. The word is derived from the root meaning associated with the number seven, covering its use as a numerical order.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁבִיעִי m. שְׁבִיעִית f. 97 adj.num.ord. seventh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7637 שְׁבִיעִי m. שְׁבִיעִית f. adj. num. ord. seventh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7637 shbiy`iy sheb-ee-ee'

or shbi iy {sheb-ee-ee'}; ordinal from 7657;

seventh:--seventh (time).

see HEBREW for 07657

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁבִיעִי (she.vi.i) — seventh.

1) seventh

1a) ordinal number

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aomsa
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
וּטְהַרְתֶּ֑םu.te.har.Tem and you will be pure H2891 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to be pure, either physically, morally, or ceremonially. It appears in Leviticus for purification rituals and in Psalm 51 where David asks God to purify his heart. This concept is central to Jewish and Christian ideas of cleanliness and holiness.
Amplified meaning
ceremonially, pure, free from defilement
Tyndale gloss
be pure
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טָהֵר (taher) means to be clean or pure, covering physical, ceremonial, and moral aspects of purity. It can refer to being free from disease, ceremonially clean, or morally innocent. The verb has various forms, including Qal (to be clean), Piel (to cleanse), and Hithpael (to purify oneself). Brown-Driver-Briggs notes a specific instance of miraculous cleansing related to leprosy.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טָהֵר vb. be clean, pure

Qal

be clean, i.e. (miraculously) freed from leprosy by washing in the Jordan

be clean ceremonially

be clean morally

Pi.

cleanse, purify

pronounce clean, ceremonially

perform the ceremony of cleansing

Pu. a land not cleansed

Hithp.

purify oneself

present oneself for purification

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2891 טָהֵר be clean, pure

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2891 taher taw-hare'

a primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by

implication) to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated;

Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy):--be

(make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge,

purify(-ier, self).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טָהֵר (ta.her) — be pure.

1) to be clean, be pure

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be clean (physically-of disease)

1a2) to be clean ceremonially

1a3) to purify, be clean morally, made clean

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to cleanse, purify

1b1a) physically

1b1b) ceremonially

1b1c) morally

1b2) to pronounce clean

1b3) to perform the ceremony of cleansing

1c) (Pual) to be cleansed, be pronounced clean

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to purify oneself

1d1a) ceremonially

1d1b) morally

1d2) to present oneself for purification

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2mp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
Hc/Vqq2mp
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
וְאַחַ֖רve.'a.Char and after H310 Conjunction
716× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Achar means backwards or after, used to describe something that happens later or in the rear. It is used in various senses in the Bible, including in 1 Kings 12:18.
Amplified meaning
following, subsequent to
Tyndale gloss
after
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אַחַר (*achar*) primarily denotes the concept of 'after' or 'behind' in both spatial and temporal contexts. It functions as a substantive, adverb, preposition, and conjunction, indicating a following part or time. The related form אַחֲרַי (*acharai*) refers to a person who turns backwards. There is a reference to Proverbs 28:23 in relation to the latter.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part

adv.

of place, behind

of time, afterwards

prep.

of place, behind, after

of time, after

conj. after that.

base

אַחֲרַי adj. Pr 28:23 a man that turneth backwards.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H310a אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part . adv. . of place, behind

. of time, afterwards

. prep. . of place, behind, after

. of time, after

. conj. after that.

H310b אַחֲרַי a man that turneth backwards.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

310 'achar akh-ar'

from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an

adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after

(that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side),

behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from,

hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute,

posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth),

when, with.

see HEBREW for 0309

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַחַר (a.char) — after.

1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time)

1a) as an adverb

1a1) behind (of place)

1a2) afterwards (of time)

1b) as a preposition

1b1) behind, after (of place)

1b2) after (of time)

1b3) besides

1c) as a conjunction

1c) after that

1d) as a substantive

1d1) hinder part

1e) with other prepositions

1e1) from behind

1e2) from following after

אַחֲרַי (a.cha.ray) — backwards.

backwards (of a man that turns backwards)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adv — Conjunction
HC/Acmsa
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
תָּבֹ֥אוּta.Vo.'u you will come H935 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
come into, approach
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVqi2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kum: The translation of many Hebrew and Greek words. In the phrase "The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him" (Jud 14:6,19; 15:14; 1Sa 10:10; 11:6; 16:13), the word is tsaleah; Jud 14:6; 15:14 "came mightily," which is the uniform translation of the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Jud 13:25 "to move," i.e. to disturb or stir up). In Jud 6:34; 1Ch 12:18; 2Ch 24:20, it is labhesh, "to clothe"; the Revised Version, margin "The Spirit .... clothed itself with Gideon" and .... "with Zechariah,"…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR — Preposition
HR
and you will wash clothes your on the day seventh and you will be pure and after you will come to the camp
הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ פHa.ma.cha.Neh the camp H4264 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
215× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a camp or army, like the Israelites' encampments in the wilderness. It can also mean a group of people or animals. The KJV translates it as 'army, band, or camp'.
Amplified meaning
gathered group, Israelite encampment
Tyndale gloss
camp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַחֲנֶה (machaneh) refers to an encampment or camp, encompassing both literal and figurative meanings. It can denote a place where people or troops gather, an army, or a body of individuals. The term is used in various contexts, including military, social, and even celestial gatherings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַחֲנֶה 214 n.m. and f. encampment, camp

camp, place of encampment

camp of armed host

those who encamp

company, body of people

army, host

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4264 מַחֲנֶה encampment, camp . camp, place of encampment

. camp of armed host

. . those who encamp

. company, body of people

. army, host

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4264 machaneh makh-an-eh'

from 2583; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an

army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers,

angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts):--

army, band, battle, camp, company, drove, host, tents.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַחֲנֶה (ma.cha.neh) — camp.

1) encampment, camp

1a) camp, place of encampment

1b) camp of armed host, army camp

1c) those who encamp, company, body of people

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See WAR.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Camp

During their journeys across the wilderness, the twelve tribes formed encampments at the different places where they halted (Ex. 16:13; Num. 2:3). The diagram here given shows the position of the different tribes and the form of the encampment during the wanderings, according to Num. 1:53; 2:2-31; 3:29, 35, 38; 10:13-28.

The area of the camp would be in all about 3 square miles. After the Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then spoken of were exclusively warlike (Josh. 11:5, 7; Judg. 5:19, 21; 7:1; 1 Sam. 29:1; 30:9, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ENCAMPMENT]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of the Israelites around the tabernacle Nu 2; 3

→ See ITINERARY

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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