Chapter Fifteen
Regulations Regarding Bodily Discharges
15:1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.
The primary subject of this chapter is about bodily discharges. The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘discharge’ is ‘zôḇ’,[1] a word that can only be found in this chapter (13 times), it is a noun that refers to a flow from a man’s or woman’s genitals. The verb form of the word is ‘zûḇ’,[2] and can be found 42 times in Scripture (14 times in this chapter) which also refers to a flow, but can refer to the flow of other liquids, such as water (see Psalm 78:20; 105:41), and milk and honey (see Exodus 3:8, 17; Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 6:3). These are not discharges from runny noses, various expulsions from the mouth, diarrhea, or tears from eyes. Needless to say, this chapter is not for a young audience, and due to the subject matter, it also has its share of controversy. The central issue is the nature of these discharges. Are they normal routine discharges or are they referring to discharges relating to some form of disease or some other condition? In verse two it states that when a man has a discharge (zûḇ) that it is to be considered unclean, but no other detail is given. Some believe that is a reference to running secretions that relate to gonorrhea or some chronic disease, making the discharge contagious. This may be true as the context of this section does seem to imply unusual conditions, not regular discharges.
In his commentary on Leviticus, Professor Dr. Baruch A. Levine offers this introduction to chapter 15:
Chapter 15 sets forth the procedures required when an Israelite male or female experiences discharges from the sexual organs. Most of the chapter deals with discharges that are the result of illness or infection, not to be confused with the normal menstruation of the female or the seminal emissions of the male. Evidently, the purpose of chapter 15 is to distinguish among physical phenomena that share some of the same symptoms but that are understood differently in terms of their physical and religious significance.
In chapter 15 we observe, perhaps more clearly than elsewhere in Leviticus, the virtual interchangeability of two conditions: illness and impurity. The laws here may refer to illness simply as impurity and to the termination of illness and the regaining of health as the resumption of purity. By classifying illness and disease as forms of impurity, the Israelite priesthood placed them in the realm of religious concern. It was probably thought that impurity was contagious or, to put it another way, that the effects of abnormal discharges—and, to a lesser degree, of normal emissions and menstruation—were contagious. Impure persons were prohibited from entering the sanctuary. In stark contrast, it must be remembered that in all other ancient Near Eastern religions everything that pertained to sexuality had a role in cult and ritual.
All that was associated with the sexual organs was a matter of religious concern in ancient Israel, but one assumes that little was known about treatment for abnormal bodily discharges apart from bathing, laundering clothing, and careful observation of the course taken by the ailment itself. As described in chapter 15, such discharges of the male consisted of pus, or some similar substance, which appeared as a clear liquid running from the penis or as a dense substance that caused stoppage in the penis. Hebrew zov, literally “flowing,” is most likely a term for any number of similar infections of the urinary tract or of the internal organs. It is most likely not to be identified with gonorrhea, as some have suggested. The abnormal vaginal discharges of the female, as described here, consisted of blood and persisted beyond, or outside, the menstrual period “for many days,” as the text states. Most likely, these discharges were related to uterine disorders. Like menstruation itself, they are also called zov.[3]
15:3 And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is blocked up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. 4 Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. 5 And anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 6 And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 7 And whoever touches the body of the one with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 8 And if the one with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 9 And any saddle on which the one with the discharge rides shall be unclean. 10 And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries such things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 11 Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 12 And an earthenware vessel that the one with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
Regardless of whether the discharge is flowing, or is blocked as a result of the discharge, it is a form of uncleanness to the man. Since the uncleanness is associated with the person, anything they touch is at risk of being considered unclean. If he lies in a bed, it is also to be considered unclean. If he sits on something, like a chair, it is also unclean. Anyone who touches the person, touches his bed, or sits in the same location, needs to wash their clothes and bathe in water and will remain unclean until evening. If the person with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person needs to wash their clothes and bathe in water and will remain unclean until evening. If he rode an animal, the saddle he rode on is to be considered unclean. Anyone who touches anything that was under the unclean man is to be considered unclean until evening. If someone were to carry any of these items, they would need to wash their clothes and bathe in water and remain unclean until evening. If the unclean person touches a clean person without having rinsed his hands in water, the person that he touched will need to wash their clothes and bathe in water and remain unclean until evening. If the man with the discharge touches an earthenware vessel, it is to be broken and every vessel of wood is to be rinsed in water.
15:13 “And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean. 14 And on the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come before the LORD to the entrance of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest. 15 And the priest shall use them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD for his discharge.
When the person who has the discharge is cleansed (Hebrew word ‘yiṭ·hǎr’,[4] a verb meaning to make pure or make clean) then they are to wait seven days before becoming ceremonially clean. At that time, they are to wash their clothes and bathe in fresh water (see commentary under Leviticus 14:1-9 regarding the fresh water). On the next day they are to bring either two turtledoves or two pigeons to the entrance of the Tabernacle before YHWH and give them to a priest. One bird is to serve as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, making atonement for their discharge before YHWH.
15:16 “If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening. 17 And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. 18 If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening.
This chapter also includes regulations regarding normal seminal emissions of a man and the regular menstruation cycle of a woman (verses 19-24). If a man experiences an emission of semen, he is to bathe his whole body in water and remain unclean until evening. If the semen comes in contact with any garment or anything made from animal skin (leather), those items will need to be washed with water and considered unclean until evening. If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both the man and woman are to bathe in water and remain unclean until evening.
15:19 “When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 20 And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean. 21 And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 22 And whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 23 Whether it is the bed or anything on which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening. 24 And if any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.
When a woman has a discharge of blood, she shall be in her “menstrual impurity” (Hebrew word ‘nid·dāṯ’,[5] a noun meaning impurity, can also be used to refer to something as being polluted or detestable) period, for seven days. During that time if anyone touches her will be considered unclean until that evening. Everything that she lies on or sits on is also to be considered unclean and if anyone touches those items, they will become unclean and must bathe themselves and wash their clothes and remain unclean until evening. The odd syntax of verse 23 seems to imply that touching the woman during this time renders the man unclean until evening, but if a man has sexual intercourse with her (verse 24), he is then unclean for seven days and that every bed he lies on is to be considered unclean as well.
15:25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. 27 And whoever 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, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting. 30 And the priest shall use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge.
If a woman has abnormal vaginal discharges of blood, not during her normal menstrual cycle, or if she has a longer period of discharge of blood during menstruation, she is to be considered unclean, just as she would be during her days of impurity. Every bed on which she lies and every location on which she sits shall be considered unclean if the discharge continues. Anybody who touches these things shall be unclean and will need to bathe themselves and wash their clothes and remain unclean until evening. If she is cleansed of her discharge, they are to count seven days before becoming ceremonially clean. On the eighth day she is to bring either two turtledoves or two pigeons to a priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. One of the birds is to be used as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. The priest shall then make atonement for her before YHWH.
15:31 “Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.”
This verse expresses the importance of the need to take these regulations seriously. The people of Israel need to make a concerted effort to remain ceremonially clean. Approaching the Tabernacle while unclean would defile the location, and here God warns death to that person would be the result.
15:32 This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; 33 also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean.
These two verses conclude the section regarding normal and abnormal bodily discharges of both men and women. The word translated here as ‘unwell’ is the Hebrew word ‘dā·wāh’,[6] referring to being faint, sick, or becoming weak, most often associated with a woman’s menstrual period.
Considerations
As long as a person was unclean, they could not participate in any of the God-ordained festivals, nor could they approach the Tabernacle for any reason. This chapter identifies a woman’s vaginal flow of blood as something that makes her unclean as long as the condition continues. If the condition persisted, the person would soon be an outcast as her uncleanness could easily affect others. This is the setting of the story recorded in the New Testament about a woman who suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years. “And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8:41-48, see also Matthew 9:18-22; Mark 5:22-34) The woman in this story had been unclean and therefore persona non grata in her own community for twelve years. Jesus would have known her infliction and knowing her faith, He healed her before any contact was made (see Considerations under Leviticus 14:21-32). The statement about being touched by someone in a crowd was a way to call her out and to let it be recognized that He healed her, as those around Him were probably aware of her and her condition.
It is interesting to note that the child Jesus would soon be bringing back to life (see Luke 8:49-56) was a twelve-year old girl and that the women that was healed had suffered for twelve years. While every detail is important in the Bible, sometimes the text does not give sufficient details for any definite conclusion. Some have speculated that the woman and Jairus were married, and that the girl was their daughter. Due to the lack of anything specific, it must be treated as only speculation.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 2101.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 2100.
[3] Levine, B. A. (1989). Leviticus (pp. 92–93). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 2891.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 5079.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 1739.