Leviticus 15:4

4 Every bed on which he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything on which he sits shall be unclean.

Leviticus 15:4 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 15:4

Every bed whereon he lieth that hath the issue is unclean
Which he constantly makes use of; so the Targum of Jonathan, which is peculiar to him, and appointed and appropriated for him to lie upon. Jarchi says, every bed that is fit to lie upon, thou is appropriated to another service; but, he adds meaning is, which he shall lie upon (or continue to lie upon); for it is not said, which he hath laid upon, but which he lieth upon, and is used by him continually; according to the Misnah F21, a man that has an issue defiles a bed five ways, so as to defile a man, and to defile garments; standing, sitting, lying, hanging, and leaning:

and everything whereon he sitteth shall be unclean;
which is appropriated to sit upon; and so the Targum, as before, what is his proper peculiar seat, what he is used to sit upon, and is fit for that purpose: and it is observed by some Jewish writers F23 that a vessel that is not fit to sit upon is excluded, as if a man was to turn up a bushel, or any other measure, to sit upon it; see ( Titus 1:15 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Zabim, c. 2. sect. 4.
F23 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Niddah, c. 6. sect. 3.

Leviticus 15:4 In-Context

2 "Say to the people of Israel, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.
3 And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped from discharge, it is uncleanness in him.
4 Every bed on which he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything on which he sits shall be unclean.
5 And any one who touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
6 And whoever sits on anything on which he who has the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.