“And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.”
And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, shall purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he and his captives — those who shed blood in war incur ritual impurity (through contact with death), requiring a seven-day separation and purification on days three and seven. This addresses the theological tension: the killing was commanded by the LORD, yet blood-contact produces impurity even in justified war. The purification ritual acknowledges that the taking of life, even rightly commanded, separates one from the sanctuary's holiness until cleansing occurs.
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