Leviticus 15

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.
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.
21 Anyone who touches her bed will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.
22 Anyone 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.
23 Whether 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.
26 Any 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.
27 Anyone 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.
29 On 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.
30 The 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,[b] which is among them.’ ”
32 These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen,
33 for 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.

Leviticus 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

Laws concerning ceremonial uncleanness.

- 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 28

  • 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
  • 20. S ver 24; Leviticus 12:2
  • 21. ver 27
  • 22. ver 19; Leviticus 12:2; Leviticus 18:19; Leviticus 20:18; Ezekiel 18:6
  • 23. Matthew 9:20; Mark 5:25; Luke 8:43
  • 24. Leviticus 14:22
  • 25. Leviticus 5:10; Leviticus 14:20,31; Leviticus 18:19; 2 Samuel 11:4; Mark 5:25; Luke 8:43
  • 26. Leviticus 20:3; Numbers 5:3; Numbers 19:13,20; 2 Samuel 15:25; 2 Kings 21:7; Psalms 33:14; Psalms 74:7; Psalms 76:2; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 23:38
  • 27. S ver 2
  • 28. ver 19,24,25

Footnotes 2

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

Chapter Summary

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.

Leviticus 15 Commentaries

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