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“Touch” in the Scriptures

Something happens that is irre-
versible in the case of whoredom
with strange (nokriy) women. We
are not told what this is in any
physical sense. What a man loses
is his life, (the same word as that
translated as “soul”). But to be
complete, one must have body,
soul and spirit, so any one of the-
se is tied in with the other two.
What cannot be undone or forgiv- Judah and Tamar
en might well be the unforgivable
sin.

We cannot eliminate the possibility that there is a transfer of some sort
through bodily contact or body fluids, although this does not appear to be like-
ly in the light of present knowledge available. The word “touch”
(Strong's #5060 naga) is used widely of bodily contact.

1. Israelites are not even to “touch” dead bodies, lepers, certain animals, and
even things belonging to wicked men. Notice Numbers 16:26.

COMMENT: We are not told exactly what happens, but we are told the touch
of them and their property defiles. This is the same word translated as “un-
clean”, and usually this uncleanness was only for a period. Under the Law a
sacrifice for this sin was mandatory.

The matter of whether this applies to non-Semitic foreigners only, part-
Israelite women, and about Israelite women taking non-Israelite men as sexu-
al partners will be considered further down in the lesson under the heading,
“Qualifications”. This is an emotional subject, and we must keep in mind that
emotional arguments prove nothing.

2. Is the word “touch” = “haptomai” in the New Testament used in the same
way as “touch” in the Old Testament? I Corinthians 7:1.

COMMENT: This is about physical contact (including sexual contact). But yes,
it is also used in the normal sense of any bodily contact as well.

3. In the following passage are we told not to “touch” unclean people? II Co-
rinthians 6:17.

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