Leviticus 11:36

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.

King James Version
Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

Lexham English Bible
Surely a spring or a cistern collecting water shall be clean, but that which touches their dead body shall become unclean.

New Century Version
"‘A spring or well that collects water will stay clean, but anyone who touches the dead body of any unclean animal will become unclean.

New English Translation
However, a spring or a cistern which collects water will be clean, but one who touches their carcass will be unclean.

Amplified Bible
'Nevertheless a spring or a cistern (reservoir) collecting water shall be clean; but whoever touches one of these carcasses shall be unclean.

New American Standard Bible
'Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet the fountaines and welles where there is plentie of water shalbe cleane: but that which toucheth their carkeises shalbe vncleane.

Legacy Standard Bible
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean.

Contemporary English Version
A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean.

Complete Jewish Bible
although a spring or cistern for collecting water remains clean. But anyone who touches one of their carcasses will become unclean.

Darby Translation
Nevertheless, a spring or a well, a quantity of water, shall be clean. But he that toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

Easy-to-Read Version
"A spring or a well that collects water will remain clean, but anyone who touches the dead bodies of any unclean animal in that water will become unclean.

English Standard Version
Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean.

George Lamsa Translation
Nevertheless a fountain or a cistern and the pools of water shall be clean; but whosoever touches their carcasses shall be unclean.

Good News Translation
but a spring or a cistern remains clean, although anything else that touches their dead bodies is unclean.

Christian Standard Bible®
A spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but someone who touches a carcass in it will become unclean.

Literal Translation
But a fountain or a well, a collection of water, shall be clean; only that touching the dead body is unclean.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles the fountaynes, welles, & poundes of water are cleane. But who so euer toucheth their carcases, is vncleane.

American Standard Version
Nevertheless a fountain or a pit wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

Bible in Basic English
But at the same time a fountain or a place where water is stored for use will be clean; but anyone touching their dead bodies will be unclean.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelater, yet the fountaynes, and welles, and collection of waters, shalbe cleane styll: but that which toucheth their carkasses, shalbe vncleane.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Nevertheless a fountain or a cistern wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean; but he who toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

King James Version (1611)
Neuerthelesse, a fountaine or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shalbe cleane: but that which toucheth their carkasse shalbe vncleane.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Only if the water be of fountains of water, or a pool, or confluence of water, it shall be clean; but he that touches their carcases shall be unclean.

English Revised Version
Nevertheless a fountain or a pit wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

Berean Standard Bible
Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli wellis and cisternes, and al the congregacioun of watris, schal be clene. He that touchith her bodi deed bi it silf, schal be defoulid.

Young's Literal Translation
`Only -- a fountain or pit, a collection of water, is clean, but that which is coming against their carcase is unclean;

Update Bible Version
Nevertheless a fountain or a pit wherein is a gathering of water shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.

Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless, a fountain or pit, [in which there is] plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

World English Bible
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.

New King James Version
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.

New Living Translation
"However, if the carcass of such an animal falls into a spring or a cistern, the water will still be clean. But anyone who touches the carcass will be defiled.

New Life Bible
But a well or a place holding water will be clean. But whoever touches a dead body will be unclean.

New Revised Standard
But a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, while whatever touches the carcass in it shall be unclean.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Notwithstanding, a fountain or cistern wherein is a gathering of waters shall be clean, - but, he that toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But fountains and cisterns, and all gatherings together of waters shall be clean. He that toucheth their carcasses shall be defiled.

Revised Standard Version
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean; but whatever touches their carcass shall be unclean.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Nevertheless a spring or a cistern collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean.

Contextual Overview

²⁰"All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. But you can eat some of these, namely, those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground: all locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers. But all the other flying insects that have four legs you are to detest. ²⁴"You will make yourselves ritually unclean until evening if you touch their carcasses. If you pick up one of their carcasses you must wash your clothes and you'll be unclean until evening. ²⁶ "Every animal that has a split hoof that's not completely divided, or that doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you; if you touch the carcass of any of them you become unclean. ²⁷"Every four-footed animal that goes on its paws is unclean for you; if you touch its carcass you are unclean until evening. If you pick up its carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening. They are unclean for you. ²⁹"Among the creatures that crawl on the ground, the following are unclean for you: weasel, rat, all lizards, gecko, monitor lizard, wall lizard, skink, chameleon. Among the crawling creatures, these are unclean for you. If you touch them when they are dead, you are ritually unclean until evening. When one of them dies and falls on something, that becomes unclean no matter what it's used for, whether it's made of wood, cloth, hide, or sackcloth. Put it in the water—it's unclean until evening, and then it's clean. If one of these dead creatures falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot is unclean and you must break the pot. Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean. Anything that one of these carcasses falls on is unclean—an oven or cooking pot must be broken up; they're unclean and must be treated as unclean. A spring, though, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but if you touch one of these carcasses you're ritually unclean. If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, you must treat it as unclean. ³⁹"If an animal that you are permitted to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass is ritually unclean until evening. If you eat some of the carcass you must wash your clothes and you are unclean until evening. If you pick up the carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening. ⁴¹"Creatures that crawl on the ground are detestable and not to be eaten. Don't eat creatures that crawl on the ground, whether on their belly or on all fours or on many feet—they are detestable. Don't make yourselves unclean or be defiled by them, because I am your God .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a fountain: Zechariah 13:1, John 4:14

wherein there is plenty of water: Heb. a gathering together of waters

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless, a fountain or pit, [wherein there is] plenty of water,.... Or, "a fountain or pit, a collection of waters", the copulative being wanting, as some observe, Aben Ezra takes notice of; or it may be by way of apposition, and so may explain what fountain or pit is meant, even such an one where there is a large continence of water, into which, if any carcass of a creeping thing fell, or any part of it, yet it

shall be clean: and fit for use, either because of the abundance of water in it, which could not be affected with the fall of such a creature into it as where there is but a small quantity; or rather this exception was made, because pools of water were of considerable value in these countries, and frequently in use for bathings, c. and therefore for the good of men, and that they might not suffer so great a loss by such an accident, they are declared notwithstanding to be clean and free for use: hence you may learn, says Jarchi, that he that dips in them is pure from his uncleanness that a man might lawfully make use of them for a bath on account of any uncleanness, notwithstanding the carcass of a creeping thing had fallen into it; as a mouse, or rat, or any such creature:

but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean; not the waters which touch the carcass, as Aben Ezra interprets it, for then the whole would be defiled, and unfit for use; but either the man that touched the carcass, laid hold upon it to pluck it out of the fountain or pit, or that which he made use of to get it out, or both these, were unclean in a ceremonial sense: the Targum of Jonathan is,

"but he that toucheth their carcasses in the midst of these waters shall be unclean.''

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 36. A fountain or pit, c. — This must either refer to running water, the stream of which soon carries off all impurities, or to large reservoirs where the water soon purifies itself the water in either which touched the unclean thing, being considered as impure, the rest of the water being clean.