30 Bible Verses about Defilement

Most Relevant Verses

Matthew 15:11

not that which goes into the mouth defiles the man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.

Matthew 15:18

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.

Mark 7:15

there is nothing from outside the man that entering into him can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are what defile the man.

1 Corinthians 3:17

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy that one; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Matthew 15:20

these are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

Leviticus 18:24

Do not defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these things the Gentiles which I cast out before you have defiled themselves;

Revelation 14:4

These are those who are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These are redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Daniel 1:8

And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Ezekiel 5:11

Therefore, as I live, said the Lord GOD, surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy contaminations and with all thine abominations, therefore I will also destroy thee; neither shall my eye forgive, neither will I have mercy.

Mark 7:18

And he said unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not understand that anything from outside that enters into the man cannot defile him?

Leviticus 18:25

and the land became defiled; therefore, I visited its iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomited out her inhabitants.

Leviticus 18:28

And will the land not vomit you out also for having contaminated it, as it vomited out the Gentiles that were before you?

Mark 7:23

all these evil things come out from within and defile the man.

Isaiah 24:5

The earth is also become bankrupt under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, falsified the order, broken the everlasting covenant.

1 Timothy 1:10

for fornicators, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,

2 Peter 2:20

Certainly, if having separated themselves from the contaminations of the world, by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they again entangle themselves therein and are overcome, their latter end is made worse for them than the beginnings.

Numbers 35:34

Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the sons of Israel.

Micah 2:10

Arise and depart, for this is not your rest because it is polluted; it has become corrupted and with a great corruption.

Deuteronomy 24:4

her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she is defiled, for that is abomination before the LORD; and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance.

From Thematic Bible


Defilement » Of sin

Ezekiel 22:4

In thy blood that thou hast shed thou hast sinned and hast defiled thyself with thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near and art come even unto thy years; therefore I have given thee in reproach unto the Gentiles, and in shame unto all the countries.

Isaiah 59:3

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips pronounce lies; your tongue speaks evil.

Isaiah 24:5

The earth is also become bankrupt under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, falsified the order, broken the everlasting covenant.

Ezekiel 28:18

Thou hast defiled thy sanctuary by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy trafficking; therefore I brought forth fire from the midst of thee, which has consumed thee, and I brought thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all those that behold thee.

Ezekiel 43:8

In their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their post by my post, and a wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed; therefore I have consumed them in my anger.

Defilement » Who defiles the land

Isaiah 24:5

The earth is also become bankrupt under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, falsified the order, broken the everlasting covenant.

Genesis 6:11-13

The earth corrupted itself before God, and the earth filled itself with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Numbers 35:30-33

Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. read more.
So ye shall not pollute the land where ye are, for this blood shall defile the land; and the land cannot be reconciled of the blood that is shed therein except by the blood of the one that shed it.

Psalm 106:37-39

Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Jeremiah 16:16-21

Behold, I send many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after, will I send many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. For my eyes are upon all their ways, which they have not hid from me, neither does their iniquity hide from the presence of my eyes. But first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled my land with the carcasses of their abominations, and they have filled my inheritance with abominable things. read more.
O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the time of the affliction; Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things in which there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself? But they shall not be gods. Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know this time; I will cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.

More verses: Ezekiel 36:16-18

Defilement » What defiles a man

James 3:6

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Matthew 15:10-11

And calling the multitude unto him, he said unto them, Hear and understand: not that which goes into the mouth defiles the man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.

Mark 7:14-23

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you and understand; there is nothing from outside the man that entering into him can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are what defile the man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. read more.
And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he said unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not understand that anything from outside that enters into the man cannot defile him? Because it enters not into his heart, but into the belly, and the man goes out to the privy and purges all foods. For he had said that it is what comes out of the man that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, come forth the evil thoughts, the adulteries, the fornications, the murders, the thefts, the covetousness, the wickedness, the deceit, the lasciviousness, the evil eye, the slander, the pride, the unwiseness: all these evil things come out from within and defile the man.

Defilement » Caused by » Touching carcass of an unclean thing

Leviticus 5:2-13

Likewise the person who touches any unclean thing, whether it is a carcase of an unclean beast or a carcase of unclean animal or the carcase of an unclean serpent, even if it is hidden from him, he shall be unclean and guilty. Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever uncleanness it is that a man shall be defiled with, and it is hid from him, if afterward he should know of it, then he shall be guilty. Also the person who swears, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it is that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it is hid from him, when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. read more.
And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he has sinned; and he shall bring for his guilt unto the LORD for his sin, which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb, or a kid of the goats, for his sin; and the priest shall reconcile him from his sin. And if he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for the guilt of his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons unto the LORD, one for his sin and the other for a burnt offering. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin first and wring off its head from its neck but shall not divide it asunder; and he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar; it is sin. And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and thus shall the priest reconcile him for his sin in which he has sinned, and he shall have forgiveness. But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for his sin; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon, for it is sin. Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and incense it on the altar upon the other offerings on fire unto the LORD; it is sin. Thus shall the priest reconcile him from his sin in which he has sinned in one of these things, and he shall have forgiveness; and that which remains shall be the priest's, as with a present.

Leviticus 11:8

Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcase you shall not touch: they are unclean to you.

Leviticus 11:24-28

And for these ye shall be unclean: whoever touches their carcase shall be unclean until the evening. And whoever bears any part of their carcase shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. The carcasses of every animal which divides the hoof and is not clovenfooted, nor chews the cud, are unclean unto you; everyone that touches them shall be unclean. read more.
And of all the animals that go on all four, any that walk upon their paws are unclean unto you; whoever touches their carcase shall be unclean until the evening. And he that bears their carcase shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:31-38

These are unclean to you among all the animals; whoever touches them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. And everything upon which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it be any vessel of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever instrument with which work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; and thus it shall be cleansed. And every earthen vessel into which any of them falls, whatever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break the vessel. read more.
All food which may be eaten upon which shall come water from any such vessel shall be unclean; and any drink that may be drunk shall be unclean in every such vessel. And everything upon which any part of their carcase falls shall be unclean: the oven or the chimney shall be broken down, for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you. Nevertheless a fountain or cistern where water is collected shall be clean; but that which touches their carcase shall be unclean. And if any part of their carcase falls upon any sown seed which is sown, it shall be clean. But if any water is put upon the seed and any part of their carcase falls thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

Leviticus 14:46-57

Moreover he that enters into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening. And he that sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes, and he that eats in the house shall wash his clothes. But if the priest shall come in and look upon it, and see that the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean because the plague is healed. read more.
Then to remove the sin from the house he shall take two birds and cedar wood and scarlet and hyssop, and he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over living water, and he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet and the living bird and dip them all in the blood of the slain bird and in the living water and sprinkle the house seven times. And he shall remove the sin from the house with the blood of the bird and with the living water and with the living bird and with the cedar wood and with the hyssop and with the scarlet. Then he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields; and thus shall he reconcile the house, and it shall be clean. This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy and scall and for the leprosy of a garment and of a house and for a rising and for a scab and for a bright spot, to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

Defilement » Ceremonial, abolished under the gospel

Acts 10:15

And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, That which God has cleansed, do not call common.

Colossians 2:20-22

For if ye are dead with the Christ to the elements of the world, why, as though living unto the world, do ye decree rites, touch not; taste not; handle not? Which all perish with the using, because they are the commandments and doctrines of men,

Defilement » Ceremonial

John 18:28

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment, and it was early; and they themselves did not go into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover.

Leviticus 11:43

Ye shall not defile your souls with any reptile that creeps, neither shall ye contaminate yourselves with them, that ye should be unclean with them.

Leviticus 15:2

Speak unto the sons of Israel and say unto them, Any man when his seed issues forth out of his flesh, he shall be unclean.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Touching a dead body or a bone

Numbers 9:6

And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day;

Numbers 19:16

And whoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields or a dead body or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

Defilement » Moral, caused by » Making and serving idols

Ezekiel 20:17

With all this, my eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 22:3

Then thou shalt say, Thus hath the Lord GOD said, City that sheds blood in the midst of thyself, that thy time may come, and that has made idols against thyself to defile thyself!

Ezekiel 23:7

Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all those that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all whom she fell in love; with all their idols she defiled herself.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Eating unclean things

Leviticus 11:8

Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcase you shall not touch: they are unclean to you.

Acts 10:11

and saw the heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth,

Defilement » of priests

Leviticus 16:26

And he that took the he goat to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh with water and afterward come into the camp.

Leviticus 16:28

And he that burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

Numbers 19:7-10

Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening. Likewise he that burns her shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his flesh in water and shall be unclean until the evening. And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the sons of Israel for the water of separation; it is sin. read more.
And he that gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; and it shall be unto the sons of Israel and unto the stranger that sojourns among them for a perpetual statute.

Ezekiel 44:25-26

And they shall come near no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that has had no husband, they may defile themselves. And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.

Defilement » priests » Specially required to avoid

Leviticus 21:1-6

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and tell them to not be defiled for the dead among his people. But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother and for his father and for his son and for his daughter and for his brother and for his virgin sister, that is near unto him, who has had no husband; for her he may be defiled. read more.
He shall not defile himself for the prince among his people, to profane himself. They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. They shall be holy unto their God and not profane the name of their God; for the offerings of the LORD made by fire and the bread of their God they do offer; therefore, they shall be holy.

Leviticus 21:11-12

neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or for his mother; neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the LORD.

Defilement » Not defiling

Leviticus 18:24-30

Do not defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these things the Gentiles which I cast out before you have defiled themselves; and the land became defiled; therefore, I visited its iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomited out her inhabitants. Ye shall, therefore, keep my statutes and my rights and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the natural of your own nor any stranger that sojourns among you. read more.
(For all these abominations were done by the men of the land who were before you, and the land was contaminated.) And will the land not vomit you out also for having contaminated it, as it vomited out the Gentiles that were before you? For whoever shall commit any of these abominations, the persons that commit them shall be cut off from among his people. Keep, therefore, my ordinance that ye commit not any one of these abominable laws which were committed before you, and do not defile yourselves in them; I am the LORD your God.

Numbers 35:33-34

So ye shall not pollute the land where ye are, for this blood shall defile the land; and the land cannot be reconciled of the blood that is shed therein except by the blood of the one that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the sons of Israel.

Defilement » Things liable to ceremonial » The land

Deuteronomy 21:23

his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt without fail bury him that same day (for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land not be defiled, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance.

Leviticus 18:25

and the land became defiled; therefore, I visited its iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomited out her inhabitants.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Touching a dead beast

Leviticus 5:2

Likewise the person who touches any unclean thing, whether it is a carcase of an unclean beast or a carcase of unclean animal or the carcase of an unclean serpent, even if it is hidden from him, he shall be unclean and guilty.

Leviticus 11:24-28

And for these ye shall be unclean: whoever touches their carcase shall be unclean until the evening. And whoever bears any part of their carcase shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. The carcasses of every animal which divides the hoof and is not clovenfooted, nor chews the cud, are unclean unto you; everyone that touches them shall be unclean. read more.
And of all the animals that go on all four, any that walk upon their paws are unclean unto you; whoever touches their carcase shall be unclean until the evening. And he that bears their carcase shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean unto you.

Defilement » priests » Not to eat holy things while under

Leviticus 22:2

Speak unto Aaron and to his sons that they abstain from the holy things of the sons of Israel and that they not profane my holy name in those things which they sanctify unto me. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 22:4-6

Whatever man of the seed of Aaron who is a leper or has a running issue shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. And whosoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead or a man whose seed has gone out from him or the man who has touched any reptile, by which he shall be unclean, or a man of whom he shall become unclean, according to whatever uncleanness he has, the person who has touched any such shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the holy things until he has washed his flesh with water.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Having a leprosy

Leviticus 13:3

and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh, and if the hair in the plague is turned white and the plague looks deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy; and the priest shall recognize him and pronounce him unclean.

Leviticus 13:11

it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean and shall not shut him up, for he is unclean.

Defilement » priests » To decide in all cases of

Leviticus 13:3

and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh, and if the hair in the plague is turned white and the plague looks deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy; and the priest shall recognize him and pronounce him unclean.

Leviticus 10:10

and this is that ye may discern between the holy and the profane and between the unclean and the clean

Defilement » Things liable to ceremonial » The sanctuary

Leviticus 20:3

And I will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given of his seed unto Molech, contaminating my sanctuary and defiling my holy name.

Zephaniah 3:4

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary; they have falsified the law.

Defilement » Illustrative » Of sin

Matthew 15:11

not that which goes into the mouth defiles the man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.

Matthew 15:18

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.

Defilement » Neglecting purification from, punished by cutting off

Numbers 19:20

But the man that shall be unclean and shall not cause the sin to be removed from himself, that person shall be cut off from among the congregation because he has defiled the tabernacle of the LORD; the water of separation has not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.

Numbers 19:13

Whoever touches the dead body of anyone that is dead and does not remove the sin has defiled the tabernacle of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean, and his uncleanness shall be upon him.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Having an issue, &c

Numbers 5:2

Command the sons of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper and every one that has an issue and anyone who is defiled by the dead.

Leviticus 15:2

Speak unto the sons of Israel and say unto them, Any man when his seed issues forth out of his flesh, he shall be unclean.

Defilement » Caused by » Touching the carcass of any ceremonially unclean animal

Leviticus 17:15-16

And any person that eats that which died of itself or that which was torn by beasts whether it is a natural of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. But if he washes them not, nor bathes his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 11:39-40

And if any animal of which ye may eat dies, he that touches the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the evening; and he that eats of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; likewise he that bears the carcase of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » What defiles the house of God

Jeremiah 19:12-13

Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to its inhabitants and even make this city as Tophet: And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be as the place of Tophet, defiled, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of the heaven and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

Jeremiah 32:34-36

but they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built altars unto Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I did not command them, neither did it come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto this city, of which ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine and by the pestilence;

Defilement » Caused by » Leprosy

Leviticus 13:3

and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh, and if the hair in the plague is turned white and the plague looks deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy; and the priest shall recognize him and pronounce him unclean.

Leviticus 13:44-46

he is a leprous man, he is unclean; the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent and his head uncovered, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days in which the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he shall be unclean; he shall dwell alone; outside the camp shall his habitation be.

Leviticus 22:4-7

Whatever man of the seed of Aaron who is a leper or has a running issue shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. And whosoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead or a man whose seed has gone out from him or the man who has touched any reptile, by which he shall be unclean, or a man of whom he shall become unclean, according to whatever uncleanness he has, the person who has touched any such shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the holy things until he has washed his flesh with water. read more.
And when the sun is down, he shall be clean and shall afterward eat of the holy things, because it is his bread.

Defilement » Laws relating to

Leviticus 11:43

Ye shall not defile your souls with any reptile that creeps, neither shall ye contaminate yourselves with them, that ye should be unclean with them.

Leviticus 7:18-21

And if any of the flesh of his sacrifice of peace is eaten at all on the third day, he that offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him; it shall be an abomination, and the person that eats of it shall bear his iniquity. And the flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire; but every clean person shall eat of this flesh. And the person that eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace, which is of the LORD, being unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people. read more.
Moreover the person that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man or any unclean beast or any abominable unclean thing and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace, which is of the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.

Leviticus 22:2-7

Speak unto Aaron and to his sons that they abstain from the holy things of the sons of Israel and that they not profane my holy name in those things which they sanctify unto me. I am the LORD. Say unto them, Any man of all your seed among your generations that goes in unto the holy things, which the children of Israel sanctify unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD. Whatever man of the seed of Aaron who is a leper or has a running issue shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. And whosoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead or a man whose seed has gone out from him read more.
or the man who has touched any reptile, by which he shall be unclean, or a man of whom he shall become unclean, according to whatever uncleanness he has, the person who has touched any such shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the holy things until he has washed his flesh with water. And when the sun is down, he shall be clean and shall afterward eat of the holy things, because it is his bread.

Defilement » Causes of, improperly enlarged by tradition

Mark 7:2

who upon seeing some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they condemned them.

Matthew 15:20

these are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

Defilement » Illustrative » Of unholy doctrines

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy that one; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Defilement » Caused by » Touching the dead

Numbers 19:11-22

He that touches the dead body of any human person shall be unclean seven days. They shall remove the sin from themselves with that water on the third day, and on the seventh day they shall be clean; but if they do not remove the sin from themselves the third day, then the seventh day they shall not be clean. Whoever touches the dead body of anyone that is dead and does not remove the sin has defiled the tabernacle of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean, and his uncleanness shall be upon him. read more.
This is the law when anyone dies in a tent; all that come into the tent and all that are in the tent shall be unclean seven days. And every open vessel which has no lid fastened upon it shall be unclean. And whoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields or a dead body or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. And for the unclean person they shall take of the dust of the heifer that was burnt as sin and put living water over it in a vessel; and a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the stuff and upon the persons that were there and upon the one that touched the bone or the one slain or the one dead or the grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and when he has removed the sin from them the seventh day, he shall then wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and shall be clean in the evening. But the man that shall be unclean and shall not cause the sin to be removed from himself, that person shall be cut off from among the congregation because he has defiled the tabernacle of the LORD; the water of separation has not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean. And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, also he that sprinkles the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that touches the water of separation shall be unclean until evening. And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person that touches it shall be unclean until evening.

Numbers 31:19-20

And ye must abide outside the camp seven days; and whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any dead body ye shall remove the sin from them on the third and on the seventh day, both of yourselves and of your captives. Likewise remove all sin from all your clothing and all that is made of skins and all work of goats' hair and every vessel made of wood.

Defilement » Caused by » Menses

Leviticus 15:19-33

And when the woman has an issue of blood and her issue is in her flesh, she shall be put apart seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. And everything that she lies upon in her separation shall be unclean; everything also that she sits upon shall be unclean. And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself with water and be unclean until the evening. read more.
Also whoever touches any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And if any thing was on the bed or on any thing upon which she sat, he that touches it shall be unclean until the evening. And if any man sleeps with her and her uncleanness comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and any bed upon which he sleeps shall be unclean. And the woman when she has an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation or if it runs beyond the time of her separation, all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. Every bed upon which she sleeps all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation; and whatever she sits upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. Whoever touches these things shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. But when she is clean of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony; and the priest shall offer the one as sin and the other as a burnt offering; and the priest shall reconcile her before the LORD of the issue of her uncleanness. Thus shall ye separate the sons of Israel from their uncleanness; and they shall not die for their uncleanness defiling my tabernacle that is among them. This is the law of the one that has an issue and of him whose seed goes forth from him, causing him to be unclean because of it, and of her that is suffering her menstruation, and of the one that has an issue, male or female, and of the man that lies with an unclean woman.

2 Samuel 11:4

And David sent messengers and took her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her. Then she purified herself from her uncleanness, and she returned unto her house.

Defilement » Those that defile the temple of God

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy that one; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Defilement » Caused by » Childbirth

Leviticus 12:2-8

Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, If a woman has conceived seed and gives birth to a man child, then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her menses shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying thirty-three days; she shall touch no holy thing, nor come to the sanctuary until the days of her purifying are fulfilled. read more.
But if she gives birth to a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, according to her separation, and she shall be purifying herself for sixty-six days from her blood. And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove as sin, unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, unto the priest, who shall offer it before the LORD and reconcile her, and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that has given birth to a male or a female. And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons: the one for the burnt offering and the other as sin; and the priest shall reconcile her, and she shall be clean.

Luke 2:22

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

Defilement » Those that defile themselves

Leviticus 18:24-29

Do not defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these things the Gentiles which I cast out before you have defiled themselves; and the land became defiled; therefore, I visited its iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomited out her inhabitants. Ye shall, therefore, keep my statutes and my rights and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the natural of your own nor any stranger that sojourns among you. read more.
(For all these abominations were done by the men of the land who were before you, and the land was contaminated.) And will the land not vomit you out also for having contaminated it, as it vomited out the Gentiles that were before you? For whoever shall commit any of these abominations, the persons that commit them shall be cut off from among his people.

Defilement » Forbidden to the jews

Leviticus 11:44-45

For I am the LORD your God; ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye defile your souls with any reptile that moves upon the earth. For I am the LORD that causes you to come up out of the land of Egypt to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Defilement » Things liable to ceremonial » Furniture, &c

Leviticus 15:9-10

And any saddle that he that has the issue rides upon shall be unclean. And whoever touches any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the evening, and he that bears any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Touching anything defiled by an issue, &c

Leviticus 15:5-11

And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And he that sits on any thing upon which the one that has the issue sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. Likewise he that touches the flesh of the one that has the issue shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. read more.
And if the one that has the issue spits upon him that is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And any saddle that he that has the issue rides upon shall be unclean. And whoever touches any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the evening, and he that bears any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And whoever the one that has the issue touches and has not washed his hands with water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Mourning for the dead

Leviticus 21:1-3

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and tell them to not be defiled for the dead among his people. But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother and for his father and for his son and for his daughter and for his brother and for his virgin sister, that is near unto him, who has had no husband; for her he may be defiled.

Defilement » Caused by » Gonorrhea

Leviticus 15:1-15

And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Speak unto the sons of Israel and say unto them, Any man when his seed issues forth out of his flesh, he shall be unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh drips because of his issue or his flesh is stopped because of his issue, he shall be unclean. read more.
Every bed on which the one that has the issue lies shall be unclean; and everything upon which he sits shall be unclean. And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And he that sits on any thing upon which the one that has the issue sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. Likewise he that touches the flesh of the one that has the issue shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. And if the one that has the issue spits upon him that is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And any saddle that he that has the issue rides upon shall be unclean. And whoever touches any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the evening, and he that bears any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And whoever the one that has the issue touches and has not washed his hands with water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And the vessel of earth that the one that has the issue touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be washed with water. And when the one that has an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days from his purification and wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in living water, and he shall be clean. And on the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony and give them unto the priest; and the priest shall offer the one as sin and the other as a burnt offering; and the priest shall reconcile him from his issue before the LORD.

Leviticus 22:4

Whatever man of the seed of Aaron who is a leper or has a running issue shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. And whosoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead or a man whose seed has gone out from him

Defilement » Cleansed by legal ablutions

Numbers 19:18-19

and a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the stuff and upon the persons that were there and upon the one that touched the bone or the one slain or the one dead or the grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and when he has removed the sin from them the seventh day, he shall then wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and shall be clean in the evening.

Defilement » Things liable to ceremonial » Garments

Leviticus 13:59

This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp or woof or anything of skins, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.

Defilement » Things liable to ceremonial » Houses

Leviticus 14:44

then the priest shall come in and look; and if the plague appears to have spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house; it is unclean.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Going into a leprous house

Leviticus 14:46

Moreover he that enters into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Eating things that died

Leviticus 17:15

And any person that eats that which died of itself or that which was torn by beasts whether it is a natural of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean.

Defilement » Moral, caused by » Following the sins of the heathen

Leviticus 18:24

Do not defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these things the Gentiles which I cast out before you have defiled themselves;

Defilement » Moral, caused by » Seeking after wizards

Defilement » Moral, caused by » Giving children to molech

Leviticus 20:3

And I will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given of his seed unto Molech, contaminating my sanctuary and defiling my holy name.

Defilement » priests » Punished for eating of the holy things while under

Leviticus 22:3

Say unto them, Any man of all your seed among your generations that goes in unto the holy things, which the children of Israel sanctify unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD.

Defilement » Child-bearing

Leviticus 12:2

Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, If a woman has conceived seed and gives birth to a man child, then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her menses shall she be unclean.

Defilement » Things liable to ceremonial » The person

Leviticus 5:3

Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever uncleanness it is that a man shall be defiled with, and it is hid from him, if afterward he should know of it, then he shall be guilty.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Gathering ashes of the red heifer

Numbers 19:10

And he that gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; and it shall be unto the sons of Israel and unto the stranger that sojourns among them for a perpetual statute.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Being alone with a dead body

Numbers 19:14

This is the law when anyone dies in a tent; all that come into the tent and all that are in the tent shall be unclean seven days.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Touching an unclean person

Numbers 19:22

And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person that touches it shall be unclean until evening.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Touching a grave

Numbers 19:16

And whoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields or a dead body or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

Defilement » Those that are defiled

Titus 1:15-16

For unto the pure all things are pure, but unto those that are defiled and unfaithful, nothing is pure, but even their soul and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and rebellious and reprobate unto every good work.

Defilement » Those under, removed from the camp

Numbers 5:3-4

Both male and female shall ye put out; ye shall put them outside the camp; that they not defile the camp of those among whom I dwell. And the sons of Israel did so and put them outside the camp; as the LORD spoke unto Moses, so did the sons of Israel.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Sacrificing the red heifer

Numbers 19:7

Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Ceremonial caused by » Burning the red heifer

Numbers 19:8

Likewise he that burns her shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his flesh in water and shall be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Moral, caused by » Blood shedding

Isaiah 59:3

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips pronounce lies; your tongue speaks evil.

Defilement » Caused by » Killing in battle

Numbers 31:19-20

And ye must abide outside the camp seven days; and whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any dead body ye shall remove the sin from them on the third and on the seventh day, both of yourselves and of your captives. Likewise remove all sin from all your clothing and all that is made of skins and all work of goats' hair and every vessel made of wood.

Defilement » Caused by » Spermatorrhea

Leviticus 15:16-17

And the man, when his seed shall go forth from him, then shall wash all his flesh in water and be unclean until the evening. And every garment and every skin upon which the seed of a man has come shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Moral, punished

Leviticus 18:24-25

Do not defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these things the Gentiles which I cast out before you have defiled themselves; and the land became defiled; therefore, I visited its iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomited out her inhabitants.

Defilement » Who defiles the flesh

Jude 1:7-8

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, were set forth for an example, having received the judgment of eternal fire. In the same manner these deceived dreamers, defile their flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of higher powers.

Defilement » Contact with sinners falsely supposed to cause

John 18:28

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment, and it was early; and they themselves did not go into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover.

Defilement » Caused by » Copulation

Leviticus 15:17

And every garment and every skin upon which the seed of a man has come shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.

Defilement » Egyptian usage, concerning

Genesis 43:32

And they served for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, who ate with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians may not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Evil » Associations » Results of » Defilement

Topics on Defilement

Defilement, By Sin

Ezekiel 14:11

that the house of Israel may no longer go astray from me, neither be polluted any longer in all their rebellions but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, said the Lord GOD.

Defilement, Ceremonial Causes

Leviticus 20:25

Therefore, ye shall differentiate between clean animals and unclean and between unclean fowls and clean; and ye shall not defile your persons by animals or by fowl or by any manner of living thing that moves on the ground which I have separated from you as unclean.

Defilement, Objects Of

1 Corinthians 8:7

Howbeit there is not in everyone that knowledge, for some with conscience of the idol unto now, eat it as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled.

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Theasaurus: Defilement