Bodily Discharges and Ritual Uncleanness

15:1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 15:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 15:3 Now this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge – whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, he is unclean. All the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness. 15:4 “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and any furniture he sits on will be unclean. 15:5 Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:6 The one who sits on the furniture the man with a discharge sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:7 The one who touches the body of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:8 If the man with a discharge spits on a person who is ceremonially clean, that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:9 Any means of riding the man with a discharge rides on will be unclean. 15:10 Anyone who touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:11 Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:12 A clay vessel which the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed in water. 15:13 “‘When the man with the discharge becomes clean from his discharge he is to count off for himself seven days for his purification, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in fresh water, and be clean. 15:14 Then on the eighth day he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and he is to present himself before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and give them to the priest, 15:15 and the priest is to make one of them a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for his discharge. 15:16 “‘When a man has a seminal emission, he must bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening, 15:17 and he must wash in water any clothing or leather that has semen on it, and it will be unclean until evening. 15:18 When a man has sexual intercourse with a woman and there is a seminal emission, they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 15:19 “‘When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. 15:20 Anything she lies on during her menstruation will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. 15:21 Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:22 Anyone who touches any furniture she sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:23 If there is something on the bed or on the furniture she sits on, when he touches it he will be unclean until evening, 15:24 and if a man actually has sexual intercourse with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him, then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean. 15:25 “‘When a woman’s discharge of blood flows many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it flows beyond the time of her menstruation, all the days of her discharge of impurity will be like the days of her menstruation – she is unclean. 15:26 Any bed she lies on all the days of her discharge will be to her like the bed of her menstruation, any furniture she sits on will be unclean like the impurity of her menstruation, 15:27 and anyone who touches them will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 15:28 “‘If she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean. 15:29 Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and she must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 15:30 and the priest is to make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for her before the Lord from her discharge of impurity. 15:31 “‘Thus you are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst. 15:32 This is the law of the one with a discharge: the one who has a seminal emission and becomes unclean by it, 15:33 the one who is sick in her menstruation, the one with a discharge, whether male or female, and a man who has sexual intercourse with an unclean woman.’”

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Leviticus 15 teaches that certain bodily discharges make a person ritually unclean. That uncleanness can spread by touch to people, bedding, furniture, and vessels. The chapter also gives God’s way for cleansing: washing, waiting, and in longer cases a sacrifice. The final warning says Israel must stay apart from impurity so the tabernacle is not defiled and the people do not die in God’s holy presence.

The Lord speaks these laws to Moses and Aaron for the whole people of Israel. The chapter first describes a man with a discharge. His condition makes him unclean, and anything he touches can become unclean too. People who touch him or what he has touched must wash, and they remain unclean until evening. Some items, like a clay vessel, must be broken.

When the discharge ends, the man must wait seven days, wash, and on the eighth day bring birds for a sin offering and a burnt offering. The priest makes atonement for him before the Lord. The chapter then speaks about semen, which also brings temporary uncleanness, including in normal marital relations. It also speaks about a woman’s menstruation and about abnormal bleeding. In those cases too, uncleanness spreads by contact, and cleansing follows the same pattern.

The main point is not that the body or marriage is evil. The chapter is about ritual fitness for the holy presence of God. Uncleanness is a serious matter because Israel’s tabernacle is in their midst. God provides a way for cleansing, but his people must respect the holiness of his dwelling.

• God gave these laws to Israel through Moses and Aaron.
• Certain bodily discharges made a person ritually unclean.
• Uncleanness could spread by contact to beds, seats, clothing, vessels, and people.
• Washing and waiting until evening were common ways uncleanness was removed.
• In longer cases, the person had to wait seven days and bring birds for sacrifice.
• Sexual intercourse is not treated here as sinful, but it did create temporary ritual uncleanness.
• The chapter includes both male and female cases, including menstruation and abnormal bleeding.
• Israel had to stay apart from impurity so the tabernacle would not be defiled.
• The purpose of the law was to protect the holy presence of the Lord among his people.

• Speak to the Israelites.
• Wash clothes and bathe in water.
• Be unclean until evening.
• Count off seven days for purification when the discharge ends.
• On the eighth day bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons.
• The priest is to make atonement before the Lord.
• Do not defile God’s tabernacle by remaining in impurity.
• Stay apart from impurity so you do not die in God’s holy presence.

This chapter belongs to the Mosaic covenant, where Israel lived as a holy people with the tabernacle among them. It shows that God is holy and that access to him requires cleansing and mediation. It also fits the wider biblical pattern that outward ritual impurity points to the deeper human need for true cleansing. The later Bible continues this theme and shows that God himself must provide the fuller cleansing his people need.

Believers should take God’s holiness seriously and not treat sin, impurity, or worship carelessly. This chapter also warns us not to confuse ritual uncleanness with moral guilt in every case. It reminds us that the Lord cares about the details of life and that his presence is not to be treated lightly. At the same time, we should remember that these laws were given to Israel under Moses and are not a direct church purity code.

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