Leviticus 15NIV
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Leviticus15

New International Version

1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any man has an unusual bodily discharge, such a discharge is unclean.

3Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness:

4“‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and anything he sits on will be unclean.

5Anyone who touches his bed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

6Whoever sits on anything that the man with a discharge sat on must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

7“‘Whoever touches the man who has a discharge must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

8“‘If the man with the discharge spits on anyone who is clean, they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

9“‘Everything the man sits on when riding will be unclean,

10and whoever touches any of the things that were under him will be unclean till evening; whoever picks up those things must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

11“‘Anyone the man with a discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

12“‘A clay pot that the man touches must be broken, and any wooden article is to be rinsed with water.

13“‘When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean.

14On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons and come before the Lord to the entrance to the tent of meeting and give them to the priest.

15The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement before the Lord for the man because of his discharge.

16“‘When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening.

17Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening.

18When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

19“‘When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.

20“‘Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean.

21Anyone who touches her bed will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

22Anyone who touches anything she sits on will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

23Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, they will be unclean till evening.

24“‘If a man has sexual relations with her and her monthly flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days; any bed he lies on will be unclean.

25“‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.

26Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period.

27Anyone who touches them will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

28“‘When she is cleansed from her discharge, she must count off seven days, and after that she will be ceremonially clean.

29On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

30The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement for her before the Lord for the uncleanness of her discharge.

31“‘You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.’”

32These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen,

33for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who has sexual relations with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 15.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Laws concerning ceremonial uncleanness. (1-23).

vv1-23

We need not be curious in explaining these laws; but have reason to be thankful that we need fear no defilement, except that of sin, nor need ceremonial and burdensome purifications. These laws remind us that God sees all things, even those which escape the notice of men. The great gospel duties of faith and repentance are here signified, and the great gospel privileges of the application of Christ's blood to our souls for our justification, and his grace for our sanctification.

Cross References

Leviticus 15
v19Mark 5:25thematic

The woman with the twelve-year issue of blood, whose touch healed her defilement under this law.

Supported by JFB

v25Mark 5:25thematic

Direct historical fulfillment of the suffering and isolation caused by the chronic issue described in v25.

Supported by JFB

v25Luke 8:43thematic

A woman with a twelve-year issue of blood, mirroring the exact condition defined in v25.

Supported by JFB

v9Genesis 31:34allusion

Rachel hides the images in the camel's saddle, exploiting the uncleanness associated with her impurity.

Supported by JFB

Deuteronomy law requiring a man with a nightly emission to go outside the camp and wash.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v25Matthew 9:20thematic

New Testament instance of a woman with the long-term issue of blood described here.

Supported by JFB

v2Numbers 5:2thematic

Command to put out of the camp everyone who has a running issue.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Ezekiel 16:26thematic

Uses 'flesh' as a euphemism in a spiritual adultery context, illuminating the terminology here.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Ezekiel 23:20thematic

Another prophetic use of 'flesh' referencing reproductive organs to denote corrupt carnal desire.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v12Leviticus 6:28thematic

Earthen vessels must be broken, and wooden/brazen vessels rinsed when contacting holy or unclean things.

Supported by John Calvin

v18Hebrews 13:4contrast

Contrasts ceremonial defilement with the New Testament declaration that the marriage bed is undefiled.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v19Leviticus 12:2thematic

Parallels the purification laws and separation periods for childbirth and menstrual uncleanness.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v24Leviticus 20:18thematic

Prescribes the judicial penalty for the act of lying with a woman during her uncleanness.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v24Leviticus 18:19thematic

The moral prohibition against lying with a woman during her menstrual impurity.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v31Numbers 19:13thematic

Repeats the severe warning against defiling the Tabernacle of the Lord under penalty of death.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v31Numbers 5:3thematic

Commandment to put unclean persons out of the camp so they do not defile God's dwelling.

Supported by JFB

v22 Samuel 3:29thematic

David's curse on Joab includes the presence of someone with a running issue.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v13Numbers 19:11thematic

Specifies the seven-day period required for standard ceremonial cleansing and purification.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v18Exodus 19:15thematic

Abstinence from the marriage bed commanded before the holy encounter at Mount Sinai.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v181 Samuel 21:4thematic

David's young men kept from women as a condition for receiving holy showbread.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v19Leviticus 15:25thematic

Extends the menstrual separation laws to non-menstrual, chronic issues of blood.

Supported by JFB

v29Leviticus 12:8thematic

The same sacrificial provision of two turtledoves or young pigeons for female purification.

Supported by John Calvin

v14Leviticus 12:8thematic

The same sacrifice of two turtledoves or pigeons offered for the poor.

Supported by John Calvin

v24Hebrews 13:4contrast

Contrasts ceremonial bed defilement with the New Testament declaration that the marriage bed is undefiled.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v24Ezekiel 18:6thematic

Ezekiel defines abstaining from a woman in her separation as a mark of a righteous man.

Supported by Matthew Poole

The preceding section of the chapter laying down the parallel laws for male discharges.

Supported by Matthew Poole