Unclean Discharges in Men
Study note
When a man had an ongoing bodily discharge, likely referring to an infection, he became ceremonially unclean. Everything he touched, sat on, or lay on became unclean too. Anyone who touched him or these items had to wash their clothes and bathe, remaining unclean until evening. When the discharge stopped, the man waited seven days, washed, and then brought two birds to the priest for offerings. These rules served both a spiritual purpose and a practical health purpose by limiting the spread of infections.
1 The Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron together, saying, And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2 "Give the people of Israel these orders. When a man has a strange body discharge, it makes him unclean." Speak 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.
3 "Whether the discharge keeps flowing or has temporarily stopped, the man is still unclean. Here is how the uncleanness works." And 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.
4 "Any bed the affected man lies on becomes unclean. Anything he sits on becomes unclean." Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5 "Whoever touches his bed must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
6 "Whoever sits on anything the affected man has sat on must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And 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.
7 "Whoever touches the body of the affected man must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And 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.
8 "If the affected man spits on someone who is clean, that person must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And 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.
9 "Any saddle that the affected man rides on becomes unclean." And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.
10 "Whoever touches anything that was underneath the man becomes unclean until sunset. Whoever picks up such an item must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And 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.
11 "If the affected man touches someone else without first rinsing his hands in water, that person must wash their clothes and bathe. That person will be unclean until sunset." And 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.
12 "A clay pot that the affected man touches must be smashed. A wooden item he touches must be rinsed thoroughly with water." And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
13 "Once the man recovers from his discharge, he must count off seven days for his purification. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh, running water. Then he will be clean." And 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.
14 "On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. He must come to the Lord's presence at the Tabernacle entrance and give them to the priest." And 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:
15 "The priest will offer one bird as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest restores the man's relationship with God regarding his discharge." And 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.
Normal Bodily Functions in Men
Study note
Normal bodily emissions made a man unclean until evening. He and anything the emission touched had to be washed with water. A couple was also unclean until evening after relations. These were brief periods of uncleanness that did not require offerings, just washing and waiting. This taught that even normal bodily functions required an awareness of purity before approaching God.
16 "Whenever a man has a seminal emission, he must bathe his entire body in water. He will be unclean until sunset." And 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.
17 "Any clothing or leather that the emission touches must be washed with water. It will be unclean until sunset." And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.
18 "When a man and woman have sexual relations and there is an emission, both of them must bathe in water. They will be unclean until sunset." The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.
Monthly Cycle and Discharges in Women
Study note
A woman during her monthly period was ceremonially unclean for seven days. The same rules about touching and contamination applied as with male discharges. If a woman had bleeding beyond her normal period, she remained unclean until seven days after the bleeding stopped, at which point she brought offerings to the priest. These laws did not suggest that women were morally inferior. Both men and women had laws about bodily discharges, showing equality in how God's holiness standards applied.
19 "When a woman has her regular monthly period, she will be set apart for seven days. Anyone who touches her during this time will be unclean until sunset." 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.
20 "Anything she lies on during this set-apart time becomes unclean. Anything she sits on becomes unclean." And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.
21 "Whoever touches her bed must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
22 "Whoever touches anything she has been sitting on must wash their clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until sunset." And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
23 "It could be her bed or anything she sat on. Whoever touches it will be unclean until sunset." And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.
24 "If a man has sexual contact with her during her monthly period and her blood gets on him, he will be unclean for seven days. Any bed he lies on during that time will also be unclean." And 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.
25 "A woman might bleed for many days outside her normal period. Or her period might last longer than usual. She will be unclean the whole time. She is treated the same as during her regular period." And 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.
26 "Any bed she lies on during this extra time is treated the same as her bed during her regular period. Anything she sits on becomes unclean, just like during her normal period." Every 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.
27 "Whoever touches any of these items becomes unclean. That person must wash their clothes and bathe in water. They will be unclean until sunset." And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
28 "After her discharge stops, she must count off seven days. After that, she will be clean." But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
29 "On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the Tabernacle entrance." And 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.
30 "The priest will offer one bird as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will restore her relationship with God regarding her unclean discharge." And 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.
The Purpose of These Laws
Study note
The chapter ends with the key reason for all these rules: to keep the Israelites separate from their uncleanness so they would not die by making God's Tabernacle unclean. Since God literally dwelt among them in the Tabernacle, physical purity was connected to spiritual safety. These laws taught the seriousness of approaching a holy God and the need for cleanliness in the community where God lived.
31 "You must warn the people of Israel to stay away from things that make them unclean. Otherwise, their uncleanness will contaminate my Tabernacle that stands among them, and they will die." Thus 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.
32 "These are the rules for a man who has a body fluid leak, or for a man who becomes unclean from a release of semen," This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;
33 "These rules are for a woman during her monthly period. They are for a man or woman who has any kind of unusual discharge. They are also for a man who sleeps with a woman during her unclean time." And 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.