Leviticus 15
World English Bible
WEB1Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean. 3This shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body has stopped from his discharge, it is his uncleanness. 4“‘Every bed on which he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything he sits on shall be unclean. 5Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 6He who sits on anything on which the man who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 7“‘He who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 8“‘If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 9“‘Whatever saddle he who has the discharge rides on shall be unclean. 10Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. He who carries those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 11“‘Whomever he who has the discharge touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 12“‘The earthen vessel, which he who has the discharge touches, shall be broken; and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. 13“‘When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. 14“‘On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest. 15The priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh for his discharge. 16“‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening. 17Every garment and every skin which the semen is on shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening. 18If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening. 19“‘If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days. Whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 20“‘Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. 21Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 22Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 23If it is on the bed, or on anything she sits on, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening. 24“‘If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed he lies on shall be unclean. 25“‘If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period, all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period. She is unclean. 26Every bed she lies on all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period. Everything she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period. 27Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 28“‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. 30The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the uncleanness of her discharge. 31“‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.’” 32This is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen, so that he is unclean by it; 33and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean.
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
Leviticus Chapter 15 addresses the laws concerning bodily discharges, which are significant in the context of ritual purity for the Israelites. The chapter begins by detailing the regulations for a man with a bodily discharge, describing how such a condition renders him unclean. This includes any discharge from his body, which is considered a source of impurity. The text emphasizes the importance of cleanliness and the need for the individual to wash their clothes and bathe in water to regain their purity. This reflects the broader theme of holiness that permeates the book of Leviticus, as God calls His people to be set apart and to maintain a standard of purity in their lives (#purity, #holiness).
The chapter continues with instructions for women regarding their menstrual cycle and any abnormal discharges. Similar to the regulations for men, a woman experiencing these conditions is also deemed unclean and must follow specific purification rituals. The chapter concludes with a reminder that these laws are meant to keep the people of Israel aware of their holiness before God. The repeated emphasis on washing and waiting until evening before being considered clean again underscores the seriousness of maintaining a pure community. Overall, Leviticus 15 serves as a reminder of the importance of physical and spiritual cleanliness in the life of the covenant community, pointing to the need for redemption and the ultimate cleansing found in Christ (#Leviticus, #purification).
Topics in this chapter
- Holiness
- Purity
- Cleansing
- Atonement
- Separation
- Community
- Forgiveness
- Moses
- Purity Laws
- Reconciliation
- Ritual Cleanliness
- Ritual Purity
- Sanctification
- Aaron
- Ceremonial Law
- Christ's Sacrifice
- Cleanliness
- Community Care
- Community Health
- Covenant Community
- Daily Life in the Bible
- Discharge
- Ethical Living
- Grace
- Health and Hygiene in the Bible
- High Priest
- Holistic Wellbeing
- Honoring God
- Integrity
- Israelite Camp
- Law
- Lawgiver
- Leviticus
- Love Your Neighbor
- Mediator
- Moral Purity
- Physical and Spiritual
- Purification
- Responsibility
- Restoration
- Rituals
- Sacrifice
- Set Apart
- Sexual Purity
- Sin
- Spiritual Cleansing
- Spiritual Growth
- Spiritual Health
- Tradition
- Unclean
- Uncleanness
- Worship Preparation
Related chapters
- Leviticus 11CleanlinessSpiritual HealthUnclean
- Numbers 5Community HealthPurity LawsIsraelite Camp
- Leviticus 13Community HealthPurity LawsLeviticus
- Hebrews 9Christ's SacrificeCleansingMediator
- Leviticus 14Spiritual CleansingLeviticusMoral Purity
- Numbers 19UncleannessRitual PurityIsraelite Camp
- Leviticus 12Ceremonial LawUncleanLawgiver
- Leviticus 16Christ's SacrificeCleansingAaron
- Leviticus 22Ritual PurityUncleanCovenant Community
- Leviticus 20Sexual PurityCovenant CommunitySet Apart
- Hebrews 10Christ's SacrificeSet ApartHigh Priest
- Leviticus 21Spiritual HealthUncleanSet Apart
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