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The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:
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“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When any man has a discharge from his body, he is unclean because of his discharge.
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This is the uncleanness of his discharge: whether his body lets the discharge flow, or whether his body holds it back so that it does not discharge, it is his uncleanness.
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Every bed on which the man with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean.
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Anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Whoever sits on anything on which the man with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Whoever touches the body of the man with the discharge shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Every saddle on which the man with the discharge rides shall be unclean.
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Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. Whoever carries it shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches, without first rinsing his hands in water, shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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If the man touches an earthen vessel, it shall be broken; and every wooden utensil shall be washed with water.
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When the man with the discharge is cleansed of his discharge, he shall count seven days for his cleansing, then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water, and he shall be clean.
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On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest.
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The priest shall offer them, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. In this way the priest shall make atonement for the man before the LORD because of his discharge.
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If a man’s semen is emitted, he shall bathe his whole body in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Every garment and every skin on which the discharge of semen falls must be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.
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If a man lies with a woman and there is a discharge of semen, both of them shall wash themselves with water, and they shall be unclean until the evening.
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When a woman has a discharge, and her discharge is blood from her body, she shall remain in her impurity for seven days, and everyone who touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
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Everything on which she lies during her impurity shall be unclean. Everything on which she sits shall also be unclean.
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Everyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Everyone who touches any object on which she sits shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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If he touches anything on the bed or on the object on which she sits, he shall be unclean until the evening.
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If a man lies with her, and her impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean for seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall also be unclean.
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If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge longer than the time of her impurity, then all the days of her unclean discharge she shall be as in the days of her impurity; she is unclean.
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Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and every object on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her impurity.
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Whoever touches those things shall be unclean, and he shall wash his clothes, bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
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On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
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The priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. In this way the priest shall make atonement for the person before the LORD because of her unclean discharge.
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Thus you shall keep the Israelites separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling My tabernacle that is among them.”
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This is the law for the man who has a discharge, or for one from whom semen flows, so that he becomes unclean,
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and for the woman who is unclean because of her monthly impurity, and for anyone, whether male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with an unclean woman.
💧🩸⚖️ Summary of Leviticus 15 – Uncleanness from Bodily Fluids
Leviticus 15 contains regulations concerning ritual uncleanness resulting from bodily discharges, from both men and women. Though the subject is biological, God teaches it seriously because it concerns the holiness, health, and worship life of His people.
1. Discharges from Men (verses 1–18)
- Abnormal discharge from a man’s genital organ (possibly infection or a venereal disease):
The man is considered unclean, as is anything he touches or sits on.
He must be washed and kept apart until he is healed and undergoes the rite of cleansing.
- Emission of semen (normal):
After marital relations or a nocturnal emission → still temporarily unclean.
He must bathe and wait until evening to be clean again.
🧼 This teaches the importance of personal and spiritual cleanliness, even in natural matters.
2. Discharges from Women (verses 19–30)
- Menstruation:
The woman is unclean for 7 days; anyone who touches her or her seat is also unclean.
After the period of menstruation → no offering is needed, only bathing.
- Bleeding outside menstruation (an abnormal condition, such as chronic bleeding):
As long as the blood continues to flow, the woman remains unclean.
After she is healed → she must wait 7 days and offer a sacrifice on the 8th day.
📖 This is the condition of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and was healed by Jesus in Mark 5:25–34.
3. The Purification Offering (verses 29–30)
- After the period of uncleanness ends:
The person offers 2 birds (1 burnt offering, 1 sin offering).
The priest makes atonement for that person before the Lord.
4. Closing – The Purpose of This Law (verses 31–33)
“Thus you shall separate the Israelites from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness, when they defile My tabernacle…” (verse 31)
⚠️ The Lord desires that His people keep holiness so they do not defile His presence.
📖 Main Teaching
- The Lord cares about the bodies and health of His people—holiness is not only spiritual.
- Every aspect of life, including the biological and sexual, is subject to God’s will.
- Uncleanness can spread symbolically—it requires awareness and caution.
- Husband and wife relations are not sin, but they still require a time of separation from formal worship.
- The importance of restoration, through time, cleansing, and offering.
✨ Spiritual Meaning
- Jesus touched and healed the unclean woman (Mark 5)—showing that He came not only to cleanse physically, but to restore dignity.
