Leviticus15
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean.
3This shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body has stopped from his discharge, it is his uncleanness.
4“‘Every bed on which he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything he sits on shall be unclean.
5Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
6He who sits on anything on which the man who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
7“‘He who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
8“‘If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
9“‘Whatever saddle he who has the discharge rides on shall be unclean.
10Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. He who carries those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
11“‘Whomever he who has the discharge touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
12“‘The earthen vessel, which he who has the discharge touches, shall be broken; and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
13“‘When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.
14“‘On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest.
15The priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh for his discharge.
16“‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening.
17Every garment and every skin which the semen is on shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening.
18If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.
19“‘If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days. Whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
20“‘Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean.
21Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
22Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
23If it is on the bed, or on anything she sits on, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening.
24“‘If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed he lies on shall be unclean.
25“‘If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period, all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period. She is unclean.
26Every bed she lies on all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period. Everything she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period.
27Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
28“‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
29On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
30The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the uncleanness of her discharge.
31“‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.’”
32This is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen, so that he is unclean by it;
33and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 15.
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.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
זוּב: to flow freely (as water), i.e. (specifically) to have a (sexual) flux; figuratively, to waste away; also to overflow
בָּשָׂר: flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman
זוֹב: a seminal or menstrual flux
Cross References
Leviticus 15The woman with the twelve-year issue of blood, whose touch healed her defilement under this law.
Supported by JFB
Direct historical fulfillment of the suffering and isolation caused by the chronic issue described in v25.
Supported by JFB
A woman with a twelve-year issue of blood, mirroring the exact condition defined in v25.
Supported by JFB
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
New Testament instance of a woman with the long-term issue of blood described here.
Supported by JFB
Command to put out of the camp everyone who has a running issue.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Uses 'flesh' as a euphemism in a spiritual adultery context, illuminating the terminology here.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Another prophetic use of 'flesh' referencing reproductive organs to denote corrupt carnal desire.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Earthen vessels must be broken, and wooden/brazen vessels rinsed when contacting holy or unclean things.
Supported by John Calvin
Contrasts ceremonial defilement with the New Testament declaration that the marriage bed is undefiled.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the purification laws and separation periods for childbirth and menstrual uncleanness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prescribes the judicial penalty for the act of lying with a woman during her uncleanness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The moral prohibition against lying with a woman during her menstrual impurity.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Repeats the severe warning against defiling the Tabernacle of the Lord under penalty of death.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Commandment to put unclean persons out of the camp so they do not defile God's dwelling.
Supported by JFB
David's curse on Joab includes the presence of someone with a running issue.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Specifies the seven-day period required for standard ceremonial cleansing and purification.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Abstinence from the marriage bed commanded before the holy encounter at Mount Sinai.
Supported by Matthew Poole
David's young men kept from women as a condition for receiving holy showbread.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Extends the menstrual separation laws to non-menstrual, chronic issues of blood.
Supported by JFB
The same sacrificial provision of two turtledoves or young pigeons for female purification.
Supported by John Calvin
The same sacrifice of two turtledoves or pigeons offered for the poor.
Supported by John Calvin
Contrasts ceremonial bed defilement with the New Testament declaration that the marriage bed is undefiled.
Supported by Matthew Poole
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