2 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When any H376 man H376 hath a running issue H2100 out of his flesh, H1320 because of his issue H2101 he is unclean. H2931
3 And this shall be his uncleanness H2932 in his issue: H2101 whether his flesh H1320 run H7325 with his issue, H2101 or his flesh H1320 be stopped H2856 from his issue, H2101 it is his uncleanness. H2932
4 Every bed, H4904 whereon he lieth H7901 that hath the issue, H2100 is unclean: H2930 and every thing, H3627 whereon he sitteth, H3427 shall be unclean. H2930
5 And whosoever H376 toucheth H5060 his bed H4904 shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
6 And he that sitteth H3427 on any thing H3627 whereon he sat H3427 that hath the issue H2100 shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
7 And he that toucheth H5060 the flesh H1320 of him that hath the issue H2100 shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
8 And if he that hath the issue H2100 spit H7556 upon him that is clean; H2889 then he shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
9 And what saddle H4817 soever he rideth H7392 upon that hath the issue H2100 shall be unclean. H2930
10 And whosoever toucheth H5060 any thing that was under him shall be unclean H2930 until the even: H6153 and he that beareth H5375 any of those things shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
11 And whomsoever he toucheth H5060 that hath the issue, H2100 and hath not rinsed H7857 his hands H3027 in water, H4325 he shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
12 And the vessel H3627 of earth, H2789 that he toucheth H5060 which hath the issue, H2100 shall be broken: H7665 and every vessel H3627 of wood H6086 shall be rinsed H7857 in water. H4325
13 And when he that hath an issue H2100 is cleansed H2891 of his issue; H2101 then he shall number H5608 to himself seven H7651 days H3117 for his cleansing, H2893 and wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 his flesh H1320 in running H2416 water, H4325 and shall be clean. H2891
14 And on the eighth H8066 day H3117 he shall take H3947 to him two H8147 turtledoves, H8449 or two H8147 young H1121 pigeons, H3123 and come H935 before H6440 the LORD H3068 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and give H5414 them unto the priest: H3548
15 And the priest H3548 shall offer H6213 them, the one H259 for a sin offering, H2403 and the other H259 for a burnt offering; H5930 and the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for him before H6440 the LORD H3068 for his issue. H2101
16 And if any man's H376 seed H2233 of copulation H7902 go out H3318 from him, then he shall wash H7364 all his flesh H1320 in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
17 And every garment, H899 and every skin, H5785 whereon is the seed H2233 of copulation, H7902 shall be washed H3526 with water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
18 The woman H802 also with whom man H376 shall lie H7901 with seed H2233 of copulation, H7902 they shall both bathe H7364 themselves in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
19 And if a woman H802 have an issue, H2100 and her issue H2101 in her flesh H1320 be blood, H1818 she shall be put apart H5079 seven H7651 days: H3117 and whosoever toucheth H5060 her shall be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
20 And every thing that she lieth H7901 upon in her separation H5079 shall be unclean: H2930 every thing also that she sitteth H3427 upon shall be unclean. H2930
21 And whosoever toucheth H5060 her bed H4904 shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
22 And whosoever toucheth H5060 any thing H3627 that she sat H3427 upon shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
23 And if it be on her bed, H4904 or on any thing H3627 whereon she sitteth, H3427 when he toucheth H5060 it, he shall be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
24 And if any man H376 lie H7901 with her at all, H7901 and her flowers H5079 be upon him, he shall be unclean H2930 seven H7651 days; H3117 and all the bed H4904 whereon he lieth H7901 shall be unclean. H2930
25 And if a woman H802 have H2100 an issue H2101 of her blood H1818 many H7227 days H3117 out H3808 of the time H6256 of her separation, H5079 or if it run H2100 beyond the time H5921 of her separation; H5079 all the days H3117 of the issue H2101 of her uncleanness H2932 shall be as the days H3117 of her separation: H5079 she shall be unclean. H2931
26 Every bed H4904 whereon she lieth H7901 all the days H3117 of her issue H2101 shall be unto her as the bed H4904 of her separation: H5079 and whatsoever H3627 she sitteth H3427 upon shall be unclean, H2931 as the uncleanness H2932 of her separation. H5079
27 And whosoever toucheth H5060 those things shall be unclean, H2930 and shall wash H3526 his clothes, H899 and bathe H7364 himself in water, H4325 and be unclean H2930 until the even. H6153
28 But if she be cleansed H2891 of her issue, H2101 then she shall number H5608 to herself seven H7651 days, H3117 and after H310 that she shall be clean. H2891
29 And on the eighth H8066 day H3117 she shall take H3947 unto her two H8147 turtles, H8449 or two H8147 young H1121 pigeons, H3123 and bring H935 them unto the priest, H3548 to the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150
30 And the priest H3548 shall offer H6213 the one H259 for a sin offering, H2403 and the other H259 for a burnt offering; H5930 and the priest H3548 shall make an atonement H3722 for her before H6440 the LORD H3068 for the issue H2101 of her uncleanness. H2932
31 Thus shall ye separate H5144 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from their uncleanness; H2932 that they die H4191 not in their uncleanness, H2932 when they defile H2930 my tabernacle H4908 that is among H8432 them.
32 This is the law H8451 of him that hath an issue, H2100 and of him whose seed H2233 H7902 goeth H3318 from him, and is defiled H2930 therewith;
33 And of her that is sick H1739 of her flowers, H5079 and of him that hath H2100 an issue, H2101 of the man, H2145 and of the woman, H5347 and of him H376 that lieth H7901 with her that is unclean. H2931
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 15
Commentary on Leviticus 15 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Uncleanness of Secretions. - These include (1) a running issue from a man (Leviticus 15:2-15); (2) involuntary emission of seed (Leviticus 15:16, Leviticus 15:17), and the emission of seed in sexual intercourse (Leviticus 15:18); (3) the monthly period of a woman (Leviticus 15:19-24); (4) a diseased issue of blood from a woman (Leviticus 15:25-30). They consist, therefore, of two diseased and two natural secretions from the organs of generation.
The running issue from a man is not described with sufficient clearness for us to be able to determine with certainty what disease is referred to: “if a man becomes flowing out of his flesh, he is unclean in his flux.” That even here the term flesh is not a euphemism for the organ of generation, as is frequently assumed, is evident from Leviticus 15:13, “he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water,” when compared with Leviticus 16:23-24, Leviticus 16:28, etc., where flesh cannot possibly have any such meaning. The “flesh” is the body as in Leviticus 15:7, “whoever touches the flesh of him that hath the issue,” as compared with Leviticus 15:19, “whosoever toucheth her.” At the same time, the agreement between the law relating to the man with an issue and that concerning the woman with an issue (Leviticus 15:19, “her issue in her flesh”) points unmistakeably to a secretion from the sexual organs. Only the seat of the disease is not more closely defined. The issue of the man is not a hemorrhoidal disease, for nothing is said about a flow of blood; still less is it a syphilitic suppuration ( gonorrhaea virulenta ), for the occurrence of this at all in antiquity is very questionable; but it is either a diseased flow of semen ( gonorrhaea ), i.e., an involuntary flow drop by drop arising from weakness of the organ, as Jerome and the Rabbins assume, or more probably, simply blenorrhaea urethrae , a discharge of mucus arising from a catarrhal affection of the mucous membrane of the urethra ( urethritis ). The participle זב יהיה is expressive of continued duration. In Leviticus 15:3 the uncleanness is still more closely defined: “whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh closes before his issue,” i.e., whether the member lets the matter flow out or by closing retains it, “it is his uncleanness,” i.e., in the latter case as well as the former it is uncleanness to him, he is unclean. For the “closing” is only a temporary obstruction, brought about by some particular circumstance.
Every bed upon which he lay, and everything upon which he sat, was defiled in consequence; also every one who touched his bed (Leviticus 15:5), or sat upon it (Leviticus 15:6), or touched his flesh, i.e., his body (Leviticus 15:7), was unclean, and had to bathe himself and wash his clothes in consequence.
The conveyance in which such a man rode was also unclean, as well as everything under him; and whoever touched them was defiled till the evening, and the person who carried them was to wash his clothes and bathe himself.
This also applied to every one whom the man with an issue might touch, without first rinsing his hands in water.
Vessels that he had touched were to be broken to pieces if they were of earthenware, and rinsed with water if they were of wood, for the reasons explained in Leviticus 11:33 and Leviticus 6:21.
When he was cleansed, i.e., recovered from his issue, he was to wait seven days with regard to his purification, and then wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water, and be clean. On the eighth day he was to bring two turtle-doves or young pigeons, in order that the priest might prepare one as a sin-offering and the other as a burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him before the Lord for his issue.
Involuntary emission of seed . - This defiled for the whole of the day, not only the man himself, but any garment or skin upon which any of it had come, and required for purification that the whole body should be bathed, and the polluted things washed.
Sexual connection . “If a man lie with a woman with the emission of seed, both shall be unclean till the evening, and bathe themselves in water.” Consequently it was not the concubitus as such which defiled, as many erroneously suppose, but the emission of seed in the coitus . This explains the law and custom, of abstaining from conjugal intercourse during the preparation for acts of divine worship, or the performance of the same (Exodus 19:5; 1 Samuel 21:5-6; 2 Samuel 11:4), in which many other nations resembled the Israelites. (For proofs see Leyrer's article in Herzog's Cyclopaedia, and Knobel in loco , though the latter is wrong in supposing that conjugal intercourse itself defiled.)
The menses of a woman . - “If a woman have an issue, (if) blood is her issue in her flesh, she shall be seven days in her uncleanness.” As the discharge does not last as a rule more than four or five days, the period of seven days was fixed on account of the significance of the number seven. In this condition she rendered every one who touched her unclean (Leviticus 15:19), everything upon which she lay or sat (Leviticus 15:20), every one who touched her bed or whatever she sat upon (Leviticus 15:21, Leviticus 15:22), also any one who touched the blood upon her bed or seat (Leviticus 15:23, where הוּא and בּו are to be referred to דּם ); and they remained unclean till the evening, when they had to wash their clothes and bathe themselves.
If a man lay with her and her uncleanness came upon him, he became unclean for seven days, and the bed upon which he lay became unclean as well. The meaning cannot be merely if he lie upon the same bed with her, but if he have conjugal intercourse, as is evident from Leviticus 20:18 and Numbers 5:13 (cf. Genesis 26:10; Genesis 34:2; Genesis 35:22; 1 Samuel 2:22). It cannot be adduced as an objection to this explanation, which is the only admissible one, that according to Leviticus 18:19 and Leviticus 20:18 intercourse with a woman during her menses was an accursed crime, to be punished by extermination. For the law in Leviticus 20:18 refers partly to conjugal intercourse during the hemorrhage of a woman after child-birth, as the similarity of the words in Leviticus 20:18 and Leviticus 12:7 ( דּמיה מקור ) clearly proves, and to the case of a man attempting cohabitation with a woman during her menstruation. The verse before us, on the contrary, refers simply to the possibility of menstruation commencing during the act of conjugal intercourse, when the man would be involuntarily defiled through the unexpected uncleanness of the woman.
Diseased issue from a woman . - If an issue of blood in a woman flowed many days away from (not in) the time of her monthly uncleanness, or if it flowed beyond her monthly uncleanness, she was to be unclean as long as her unclean issue continued, just as in the days of her monthly uncleanness, and she defiled her couch as well as everything upon which she sat, as in the other case, also every one who touched either her or these things.
After the issue had ceased, she was to purify herself like the man with an issue, as described in Leviticus 15:13-15. - Obedience to these commands is urged in Leviticus 15:31 : “Cause that the children of Israel free themselves from their uncleanness, that they die not through their uncleanness, by defiling My dwelling in the midst of them.” הזּיר , Hiphil , to cause that a person keeps aloof from anything, or loosens himself from it, from נזר , Niphal to separate one's self, signifies here deliverance from the state of uncleanness, purification from it. Continuance in it was followed by death, not merely in the particular instance in which an unclean man ventured to enter the sanctuary, but as a general fact, because uncleanness as irreconcilable with the calling of Israel to be a holy nation, in the midst of which Jehovah the Holy One had His dwelling-place (Leviticus 11:44), and continuance in uncleanness without the prescribed purification was a disregard of the holiness of Jehovah, and involved rebellion against Him and His ordinances of grace.
Concluding formula . The words, “ him that lieth with her that is unclean, ” are more general than the expression, “lie with her,” in Leviticus 15:24, and involve not only intercourse with an unclean woman, but lying by her side upon one and the same bed.