Leviticus 15:1-18

Discharges Causing Uncleanness

1 The 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.
3 Whether 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.
5 Anyone who touches his bed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.
6 Whoever 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,
10 and 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.
14 On 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.
15 The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering[a] 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.
17 Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening.
18 When 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.

Leviticus 15:1-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 15

This chapter treats of uncleanness by issues in men and women; in men, a running issue, Le 15:1-3, which defiles him, and everything he touches, or that touches him or them, Le 15:4-12; the cleansing from which is directed to, Le 15:13-15; and seed flowing from him, Le 15:16-18; in women, their ordinary courses, Le 15:19-24; or extraordinary ones, Le 15:25-27; and the law for the cleansing of them, Le 15:28-31; and a recapitulation of the whole, Le 15:32,33.

Cross References 19

  • 1. ver 16,32; Leviticus 22:4; Numbers 5:2; 2 Samuel 3:29; Matthew 9:20
  • 2. S Leviticus 11:25
  • 3. Leviticus 14:8
  • 4. S Leviticus 11:24
  • 5. ver 19; Leviticus 22:5
  • 6. ver 16; Leviticus 22:4
  • 7. Numbers 12:14
  • 8. Numbers 19:10
  • 9. S Leviticus 6:28
  • 10. S Leviticus 11:32
  • 11. S Leviticus 8:33
  • 12. ver 5
  • 13. Leviticus 14:22
  • 14. Leviticus 5:7
  • 15. Leviticus 14:31
  • 16. S Leviticus 14:18,19
  • 17. S ver 2; Leviticus 22:4; Deuteronomy 23:10
  • 18. ver 5; Deuteronomy 23:11
  • 19. 1 Samuel 21:4

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or "purification offering" ; also in verse 30
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