In the biblical context, defilement refers to a state of impurity or uncleanness that separates individuals from the community and the presence of God. The concept of defilement is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, particularly within the Mosaic Law, where it is associated with various physical, moral, and ceremonial impurities. Those who were considered defiled were often required to be removed from the camp of Israel, symbolizing separation from the holy community and the need for purification before reentry.

Biblical Basis for Removal from the Camp

The removal of defiled individuals from the camp is primarily outlined in the Pentateuch, where specific laws and regulations are given to maintain the holiness of the Israelite community. In Numbers 5:1-4 , the LORD commands Moses to instruct the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, a discharge, or who has become unclean by contact with a corpse:

"The LORD said to Moses, 'Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a discharge or anyone who is unclean because of a dead body. You must send away both male and female; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.' So the Israelites did this, sending such people outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses."

This passage highlights the importance of maintaining the purity of the camp, as it was the dwelling place of God among His people. The presence of defilement within the camp was seen as a threat to the sanctity of the community and the divine presence.

Types of Defilement

1. Physical Defilement: This includes conditions such as leprosy (a term used for various skin diseases), bodily discharges, and contact with dead bodies. Leviticus 13-15 provides detailed instructions on how to handle these situations, emphasizing the need for isolation and purification rituals.

2. Moral Defilement: Sinful actions, such as idolatry, sexual immorality, and other transgressions against God's commandments, were also considered defiling. These actions required repentance and, in some cases, specific offerings or penalties to restore purity.

3. Ceremonial Defilement: Certain activities or contacts rendered individuals ceremonially unclean, necessitating specific rites of purification. For example, touching a dead body required a purification process involving the ashes of a red heifer, as described in Numbers 19.

Purification and Reentry

The process of purification varied depending on the type of defilement. For physical defilements, such as leprosy, the individual had to undergo examination by a priest and, if healed, perform specific sacrifices and washings (Leviticus 14). For those defiled by contact with a corpse, a seven-day purification process was required, involving the sprinkling of water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer (Numbers 19:11-13).

Once the purification process was completed, the individual could be reintegrated into the community. This reintegration symbolized the restoration of both physical and spiritual purity, allowing the person to participate fully in the religious and communal life of Israel.

Theological Significance

The removal of defiled individuals from the camp underscores the holiness of God and the necessity for His people to be pure. It serves as a tangible reminder of the separation between the sacred and the profane, illustrating the need for atonement and reconciliation with God. The laws concerning defilement and purification foreshadow the ultimate purification through Jesus Christ, who, according to the New Testament, cleanses believers from all sin and impurity, allowing them to dwell in the presence of God eternally.Numbers 5:3,4
Both male and female shall you put out, without the camp shall you put them; that they defile not their camps, in the middle whereof I dwell.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 23:14
For the LORD your God walks in the middle of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you; therefore shall your camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in you, and turn away from you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Treatise on the Priesthood. Book vi.
... able to tear his soul away from every defilement, and to ... excuse I should make on
thy behalf to those who find ... able to help, how to profit thee under so great a ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/treatise on the priesthood book 6.htm

Appendix iv. An Abstract of Jewish History from the Reign of ...
... of glass capable of contracting Levitical defilement (Jer ... affairs seemed imminent
when C??sar fell under the daggers ... same fate at the hands of those whom Herod ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix iv an abstract of.htm

Book iii.
... comparison with the grace of Christ, reckoned those things as ... Now if, under the law,
no one is justified, how ... if you are cleansed from all defilement, if you ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book iii.htm

Book ii.
... bathe themselves; for there is a defilement contracted thereby ... their fortune, they
forgot almost all those laws; while we, having been under ten thousand ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/against apion/book ii.htm

The Dialogue against the Luciferians.
... bishop in the same faith causes no defilement to the ... it is that the Church receives
those who come ... Hypatius were Consuls, there was composed, under the pretext ...
/.../the principal works of st jerome/the dialogue against the luciferians.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... But I had also such wickedness as those in my ... out of Christ, in thy sins, and under
the curse of ... thou oughtest not, because the ground, the cause, is removed. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

Epistle Lxiii. Limenius, Bishop of Vercell??, Having Died, the See ...
... a night with that harlot thou hast come under my laws ... except he go forth from the
defilement of this ... Compassionate those who are bound with chains, as though ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/epistle lxiii limenius bishop of.htm

The Tabernacle of the Most High
... The defilement of one stone in rebuilding virtually mars its ... Those that want seats
can buy them ... by the fact that we have immense school rooms under ground, and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the tabernacle of the most.htm

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