Leviticus 15:12

12 And the vessel of earth that the one that has the issue touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be washed with water.

Leviticus 15:12 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 15:12

And the vessel of earth that he toucheth which hath an issue
shall be broken
That it might not be made use of afterwards; which was ordered, that they might be careful what they touched who were in such circumstances: according to Gersom an earthen vessel received no uncleanness but from the middle, though he owns the law does not distinguish between the middle and the outside; wherefore Jarchi is of opinion, that if the back or outside of it was touched, it was unclean, and to be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water;
and after that be used: what should be the reason why an earthen vessel defiled by touching should be broken, and a wooden vessel defiled in the same way should not, but be rinsed and cleansed, when an earthen vessel might as well be rinsed and fit for use as that, is not easy to say; it depended upon the will of the lawgiver: according to Ainsworth, the one may signify the destruction of reprobate persons, the other the cleansing of penitent sinners.

Leviticus 15:12 In-Context

10 And whoever touches any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the evening, and he that bears any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

11 And whoever the one that has the issue touches and has not washed his hands with water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

12 And the vessel of earth that the one that has the issue touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be washed with water.

13 And when the one that has an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days from his purification and wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in living water, and he shall be clean.

14 And on the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony and give them unto the priest;