Hence he is here said to be polluted in his soul, who had an outward uncleanness, as we say in French, Pollu en sa personne. Whosoever then is unclean pollutes by touch only whatever might have been otherwise clean; and the conclusion sufficiently proves that this is the purport of this passage. The words are [טמא-נפש], polluted of soul, or polluted soul. When pollution by a carcase or a dead body is meant, the preposition [ל] is put before [נפש]. See Numbers 5:2; 9:6,7,10. A polluted person seems to be intended here, without any reference to the way in which he became so; and this is sufficient for the purpose of the Prophet. Theodoret takes this sense—ἀκάθαρτόν τινα—“an unclean person.” But most agree with our version; so do Jerome, Dathius, Newcome, Henderson, and others—“the polluted by a dead body.”—Ed. I have said enough of what the design of the Prophet is, but the subject must be more fully explained.