Leviticus 15

King James Version

Full text for Leviticus Chapter 15

1¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, [because of] his issue he [is] unclean.

3And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it [is] his uncleanness.

4Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.

5And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

6And he that sitteth on [any] thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

7And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

8And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

9And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.

10And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth [any of] those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

11And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

12And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

14And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:

15And the priest shall offer them, the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD for his issue.

16And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

17And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.

18The woman also with whom man shall lie [with] seed of copulation, they shall [both] bathe [themselves] in water, and be unclean until the even.

19¶ And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

20And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

21And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

22And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

23And if it [be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

24And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

25And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she [shall be] unclean.

26Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

27And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

28But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

29And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

30And the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness.

31Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that [is] among them.

32This [is] the law of him that hath an issue, and [of him] whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;

33And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Leviticus 15 details laws concerning various bodily discharges that cause ritual uncleanness among the Israelites. It outlines regulations for men with a running issue or seminal emission, and for women with menstruation or abnormal blood flow. These conditions render individuals and anything they touch unclean, necessitating specific purification rituals. The chapter emphasizes the importance of these laws to maintain the purity of the community and prevent defilement of the Tabernacle.

Medium Summary

Leviticus 15 establishes detailed regulations regarding ritual uncleanness arising from bodily discharges. It first addresses a man with a "running issue," declaring him and anything he touches or sits upon unclean, requiring others who contact these to wash and bathe. Upon cleansing, the man must observe seven clean days, bathe in running water, and offer a sin offering and a burnt offering. The chapter then covers seminal emission, which causes temporary uncleanness for both man and woman, requiring washing until evening. Furthermore, it prescribes rules for women during menstruation, requiring a seven-day separation and rendering touched items unclean. A woman with a prolonged or abnormal blood flow faces similar uncleanness, necessitating a seven-day purification period and specific offerings. These comprehensive laws were designed to separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, ensuring they did not defile the Tabernacle of the Lord.

Long Summary

Leviticus 15 provides a comprehensive set of divine laws concerning ritual uncleanness derived from various bodily discharges, communicated by the LORD to Moses and Aaron for the children of Israel. The chapter begins by detailing the regulations for a man afflicted with a "running issue" from his flesh, declaring him ritually unclean. This uncleanness extends to any bed or object he lies or sits upon, and anyone touching these items or the man himself becomes unclean until evening, requiring washing and bathing. Even spitting by the unclean man renders another person unclean, necessitating similar purification. Earth vessels touched by him must be broken, while wooden vessels are to be rinsed. For purification, the man must count seven clean days, bathe in running water, and on the eighth day, bring two turtledoves or young pigeons to the priest for a sin offering and a burnt offering to make atonement. The chapter then addresses uncleanness from seminal emission, stipulating that both the man and any woman with whom he lies, along with their garments and skins, become unclean until the evening, requiring bathing. Following this, laws for women's menstruation, or "flowers," are outlined, declaring the woman unclean for seven days and requiring her separation. Anything she lies or sits upon during this period also becomes unclean, and contact with her or her contaminated items renders others unclean until evening. A more severe condition, a woman with a prolonged "issue of her blood," is treated with similar uncleanness rules, extending as long as the discharge persists. Her purification also involves counting seven clean days after cessation of the issue, followed by bringing two turtledoves or pigeons for sin and burnt offerings. The chapter concludes by reiterating the fundamental purpose of these meticulous laws: to ensure the separation of the children of Israel from their uncleanness, thereby preventing them from defiling the Tabernacle of the LORD, which dwelt among them.

Core Concepts

  • Bodily Issues and UncleannessThis chapter defines various bodily discharges, such as a man's running issue, seminal emission, and a woman's menstruation or prolonged blood flow, as sources of ritual uncleanness. These conditions rendered individuals temporarily unfit for participation in sacred activities and required specific purification.
  • Contact ContaminationThe uncleanness associated with these issues was highly transmissible. Anyone touching an unclean person, their bed, seat, or certain contaminated objects became unclean themselves, illustrating the pervasive nature of ritual impurity.
  • Purification RitualsSpecific actions were mandated for cleansing from uncleanness, primarily washing clothes and bathing in water, which typically rendered one clean by evening. For more severe or prolonged issues, a seven-day waiting period and bathing in "running water" were required.
  • Atonement OfferingsFor individuals recovering from prolonged issues (a man's running issue or a woman's abnormal blood flow), specific sacrifices—a sin offering and a burnt offering—were required on the eighth day after their cleansing period. These offerings were presented by the priest at the Tabernacle to make atonement before the LORD.
  • Separation and Tabernacle PurityA key purpose of these laws was to physically and ritually separate the clean from the unclean within the Israelite community. This separation was crucial to prevent the defilement of the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, thereby safeguarding the sanctity of their worship and presence before God.
  • Temporary UncleannessMost forms of uncleanness described in this chapter, such as from seminal emission or touching a menstruating woman's items, were temporary, lasting until the evening after washing. This highlights a distinction between temporary ritual impurity and moral sin.