Leviticus 15:1-18

1 God spoke to Moses and Aaron,
2 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: When a man has a discharge from his genitals, the discharge is unclean.
3 Whether it comes from a seepage or an obstruction he is unclean. He is unclean all the days his body has a seepage or an obstruction.
4 "Every bed on which he lies is ritually unclean, everything on which he sits is unclean.
5 If someone touches his bed or sits on anything he's sat on, or touches the man with the discharge, he has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.
8 "If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening.
9 Every saddle on which the man with the discharge rides is unclean.
10 Whoever touches anything that has been under him becomes unclean until evening. Anyone who carries such an object must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening.
11 If the one with the discharge touches someone without first rinsing his hands with water, the one touched must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening.
12 "If a pottery container is touched by someone with a discharge, you must break it; a wooden article is to be rinsed in water.
13 "When a person with a discharge is cleansed from it, he is to count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe in running water. Then he is clean.
14 On the eighth day he is to take two doves or two pigeons and come before God at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest.
15 The priest then offers one as an Absolution-Offering and one as a Whole-Burnt-Offering and makes atonement for him in the presence of God because of his discharge.
16 "When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water; he remains unclean until evening.
17 Every piece of clothing and everything made of leather which gets semen on it must be washed with water; it remains unclean until evening.
18 When a man sleeps with a woman and has an emission of semen, both are to wash in water; they remain unclean until 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.

Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.