Leviticus Chapter 15
Leviticus 15:1–3 — The General Principle Regarding an Abnormal Bodily Discharge
“And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness.’”
The Lord addressed Moses and Aaron concerning ceremonial uncleanness related to bodily discharges. This instruction dealt with abnormal male discharges, likely of a sexual or urinary nature, that indicated disease or infection. Such a man was considered unclean, not in a moral sense but ceremonially, as a symbol of the impurity brought by sickness and sin into human life. The concept reinforced the idea that Israel was to be distinct and pure before God, both spiritually and physically.
The phrase, “When any man has a discharge from his body,” refers to an abnormal fluid emerging from the male sexual organ, likely a result of some illness. This may have been a venereal infection such as gonorrhea, though the text does not specify. The emphasis is not on identifying the medical condition, but on maintaining purity and protecting others from contagion. The passage notes that whether the discharge flowed freely or was blocked, the man was unclean. Both conditions represented uncleanness, illustrating that impurity can manifest in different forms.
The phrase “from his body” is a modest reference to the male organ. Scripture speaks frankly about human sexuality but always with reverence and restraint. God’s Word addresses even private matters in a way that is pure and appropriate, never crude or sensational. The practical purpose of this law was to prevent the spread of disease and to maintain ceremonial holiness among God’s people.
In contrast to the earlier chapters on leprosy, there is no priestly inspection required here. The man himself was responsible for recognizing his condition and observing the law. This reflects a personal accountability before God. The uncleanness restricted him from certain activities and required purification once the condition was healed, but it did not fully exclude him from the camp. Israel’s law taught that holiness was not merely moral or ritual, but that physical conditions symbolized the deeper corruption of sin that separates humanity from God.
Leviticus 15:4–12 — The Spread of the Uncleanness of an Abnormal Bodily Discharge
“Every bed is unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. He who sits on anything on which he who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. And he who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean. Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening. He who carries any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. And whomever the one who has the discharge touches, and has not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. The vessel of earth that he who has the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.”
Here the Lord explains how the uncleanness spreads. Everything associated with the afflicted man — his bed, seat, saddle, and even things he touched — became ceremonially unclean. The principle was simple: uncleanness could be transmitted by contact. Anyone who touched the man or his belongings was rendered unclean until evening, requiring washing and bathing. This emphasizes the contagious nature of impurity and symbolizes how easily sin defiles what it touches.
There are three levels of uncleanness implied in this passage. The first level was the man himself, the direct source of defilement. The second level included objects or people who touched him. The third level extended to others who touched those unclean objects. This illustrates how impurity can spread indirectly, reminding Israel of the pervasive reach of sin. Just as a physical infection contaminates others, so sin corrupts and defiles beyond the initial act.
“If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean,” demonstrates that even saliva could transmit impurity. The law accounted for every possible mode of transmission, teaching that holiness required vigilance. It also reinforced the symbolic principle that when the clean comes into contact with the unclean, it is the clean that becomes defiled. This principle shows the destructive nature of sin: it pollutes and corrupts purity.
Yet, this principle was completely reversed in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the clean Son of God touched the unclean, He did not become defiled; rather, His purity cleansed the defiled. In Luke 5:12–14, when Jesus touched a leper, the man was immediately cleansed, showing divine power to reverse the curse of sin and impurity. “And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.’” The Old Covenant could only declare one unclean or ceremonially cleanse them outwardly, but Christ brought true inner cleansing through His atonement.
The repeated instruction to “wash his clothes and bathe in water” shows that the purification process was symbolic of removal of defilement. The uncleanness only lasted until evening, indicating that these impurities were temporary and ceremonial. Earthen vessels touched by the unclean man were to be broken, because porous materials could not be fully cleansed. Wooden vessels, however, could be washed and reused. This distinction shows that God’s law paid careful attention to hygiene as well as to spiritual symbolism. The laws of cleanliness reminded Israel that God’s people were to be holy, distinct, and pure, both in body and in spirit.
Leviticus 15:13–15 — The Offering Regarding an Abnormal Bodily Discharge
“And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in running water; then he shall be clean. On the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and give them to the priest. Then the priest shall offer them, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD because of his discharge.”
When the man who had a discharge was healed, he was not immediately declared clean. He was required to observe a seven-day period of ceremonial purification. During this time, he was to wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water, symbolizing both physical cleanliness and spiritual renewal. The use of running water rather than stagnant water illustrated the need for a continual source of purity and freshness, reflecting the living and cleansing power that comes from God Himself. Once the seven days were complete, the man was restored to ceremonial cleanness.
On the eighth day, he was to bring an offering to the Lord — two turtledoves or two young pigeons. These small and inexpensive sacrifices were accessible even to the poor, revealing that God’s law was merciful and considerate of all classes. One bird was to be offered as a sin offering, acknowledging the general presence of sin and impurity in fallen humanity. The other was offered as a burnt offering, symbolizing total dedication and renewed fellowship with God. The priest would then make atonement for him before the Lord because of his discharge, marking the full restoration of his standing within the covenant community.
The ceremony emphasizes that sin and impurity, whether moral or ceremonial, required atonement. It was not merely the man’s physical recovery that mattered, but the reestablishment of his covenant relationship with God. Though his uncleanness may have had no moral fault attached to it, the offering reminded Israel that all impurity — physical or spiritual — points back to the corruption of sin that entered the world through the Fall. As it is written, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Thus, the man’s restoration was a picture of divine grace, foreshadowing the cleansing and atonement accomplished perfectly in Christ.
Leviticus 15:16–18 — Regarding a Normal Bodily Discharge from a Man
“If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.”
This passage addresses normal, natural discharges — an emission of semen, whether accidental or through marital relations. In such cases, the man was considered ceremonially unclean until evening, requiring that he wash his entire body in water. Any garments or materials that came into contact with the emission were also to be washed, emphasizing personal hygiene and ceremonial awareness. This period of uncleanness was temporary and not associated with sin, yet it served to remind Israel that all physical processes of life were under God’s authority and required purity before Him.
The brief ceremonial impurity connected to sexual activity was not a condemnation of sex itself. Scripture teaches that marital intimacy is honorable and pure: “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). Rather, the law here acted as a safeguard against the pagan sexual rituals that were common in the ancient world. Many surrounding nations practiced cultic prostitution and viewed sexual acts as a means of invoking fertility from their gods. In contrast, Israel was commanded to separate sexuality from any religious or ritual practice. This law drew a sharp line between the holy worship of Yahweh and the immoral fertility rites of pagan religion. As Rooker observed, pagan worshipers believed sexual activity could stimulate their deities to fertilize the earth, but the God of Israel needed no such carnal provocation. He alone controlled creation and fertility.
The instruction, “they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening,” applied to both husband and wife after normal marital relations. Their temporary uncleanness did not indicate guilt or shame, but rather acknowledgment that even in lawful acts, the human body is subject to the effects of the Fall and must be cleansed before returning to normal participation in the tabernacle worship. God’s people were to understand that He has jurisdiction over every aspect of life, including the most private and natural functions. As F. B. Meyer wrote, “We must bring the thought of God into the simplest, the commonest, and the most secret acts. Nothing is outside His jurisdiction. Though hid from sight, yet He is ever near the child of God. His grace, and blood, and cleansing, are always requisite, and ever ready.”
In this, Israel was taught a principle of holiness that extends even to the most ordinary matters of life: nothing is too small, too hidden, or too private to be sanctified by God’s presence and governed by His holiness. The distinction between clean and unclean was not merely about hygiene but about constant mindfulness that God is holy and His people are called to reflect that holiness in every part of their existence.
Leviticus 15:19–24 — Impurity During Menstruation
“If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.”
This passage outlines the law of ceremonial impurity during a woman’s menstrual period. When a woman experienced a discharge of blood — her regular monthly cycle — she was to be regarded as ceremonially unclean for seven days. This impurity was not moral, but ritual, symbolizing the reality of human mortality and the presence of sin’s curse in the physical body. Blood, which is the symbol of life according to Leviticus 17:11 — “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” — was not to be handled lightly or associated with impurity without proper recognition of its sacred nature. The discharge of blood during menstruation, therefore, served as a continual reminder of the fallen human condition and the separation between the holy and the common.
During this seven-day period, anything the woman touched, sat upon, or lay upon became ceremonially unclean. Whoever touched her or any of these objects was required to wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening. The concept of uncleanness being transferable reinforced how sin and impurity spread easily and how holiness must be carefully guarded. It served as a vivid, physical reminder of the defiling nature of sin and the necessity of cleansing for restoration to fellowship with God.
The text adds that if a man were to have sexual relations with a woman during her period, “he shall be unclean seven days.” The uncleanness extended beyond physical contact to moral and spiritual symbolism, as the man also shared in her impurity. This did not mean that sexual relations within marriage were sinful, but that there were appointed times for abstinence — reinforcing the virtue of restraint and obedience to divine command.
This law is referenced again in Ezekiel 18:6, which describes the righteous man as one “who has not defiled his neighbor’s wife, nor approached a woman during her impurity.” While such laws were part of the ceremonial code of Israel and are no longer binding under the New Covenant, they still convey enduring principles. Christians are not under Mosaic ceremonial law (Romans 10:4 — “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”), but the moral principle behind these commands remains relevant: God calls His people to sexual purity and self-control.
The law trained Israel to honor restraint and discipline, teaching that not all desires should be acted upon. This aligns with the New Testament’s emphasis on sanctified sexuality. The Apostle Paul warned, “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints” (Ephesians 5:3). Likewise, Colossians 3:5 commands believers to “put to death” impurity, passion, and evil desire. These passages teach that holiness must govern even the most private areas of human life.
Beyond spiritual symbolism, there were also practical benefits. The command provided the woman a reprieve from household and physical burdens, granting time for rest. It also prevented the spread of infection and promoted hygiene within the community. Thus, God’s laws not only established ceremonial holiness but also reflected His care for physical and emotional well-being.
Leviticus 15:25–30 — Unusual or Abnormal Bodily Discharge
“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.”
This section concerns abnormal or prolonged bleeding from a woman, distinct from her normal menstrual cycle. Such a discharge rendered her ceremonially unclean for as long as it persisted, even if it lasted many days. The uncleanness extended to her bed, her seat, and any objects she touched, just as during her normal menstruation. Whoever touched those objects also became unclean and had to undergo purification.
This law made provision for cases of chronic or irregular bleeding, which could have been a source of distress, isolation, and shame. Yet it also acknowledged the reality of sickness and the need for purification before returning to normal worship and fellowship. The emphasis was not on condemnation but on maintaining the sanctity of the community and protecting the tabernacle from defilement.
A remarkable New Testament connection is found in the account of the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8:43–48:
“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’ When all denied it, Peter and those with Him said, ‘Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”’ But Jesus said, ‘Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.’ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’”
Under the law, this woman would have been perpetually unclean — excluded from the temple, society, and even her own family. Yet when she touched Christ, instead of defiling Him, she was made clean. This miracle reveals the reversal of the old order: where the Law identified uncleanness, Christ brought restoration. His holiness is not contaminated by sin; rather, His purity cleanses those who are defiled.
Theologically, this transition from ceremonial cleansing to spiritual cleansing through Christ encapsulates the heart of the gospel. What the Law could only symbolize through ritual washing, Christ accomplished perfectly through His atonement. As 1 John 1:7 declares, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Leviticus 15:28–30 — The Offering Made upon the Cleansing of a Woman with an Abnormal Genital Discharge
“But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for the discharge of her uncleanness.”
When the woman with an abnormal discharge was finally healed, she was to count seven days for ceremonial purification. After this period, she was considered clean, symbolizing that full restoration to the covenant community required both physical healing and ceremonial recognition before the Lord. This seven-day waiting period paralleled the process prescribed for a man in the same condition, showing God’s consistent standard of purification for both men and women.
On the eighth day, the woman was to bring a modest offering — two turtledoves or two young pigeons — to the priest at the door of the tabernacle. These birds were to be offered, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. The sin offering symbolized the removal of impurity and restoration of fellowship, while the burnt offering represented complete consecration to God. The priest then made atonement for her before the Lord, signifying both her spiritual and communal reinstatement.
This simple yet significant act underscores that restoration to God’s presence always required atonement. Even though her condition was physical and involuntary, she was reminded that impurity — whether moral or ceremonial — can only be addressed through the means of God’s appointed sacrifice. As Rooker noted, offerings were required for abnormal conditions because they represented a deviation from God’s original design. In contrast, normal processes like menstruation or seminal emission were part of the natural order and therefore required no sacrificial atonement, only ceremonial washing.
The pattern here foreshadows the greater atonement provided by Christ. Under the Law, both male and female were required to present sacrifices for cleansing; under grace, Christ has become the eternal and perfect offering for all. As it is written in Hebrews 10:10, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Every sacrifice at the tabernacle pointed forward to His redemptive work.
Leviticus 15:31–33 — Summation of the Laws of Bodily Discharge
“Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them. This is the law for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean.”
The Lord concluded this section by emphasizing the purpose of the laws of bodily discharge: to maintain the holiness of the camp and prevent defilement of His tabernacle. Ceremonial impurity did not make a person sinful, but it did render them unfit for participation in worship until they were cleansed. The seriousness of this law was underscored by the warning: “lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.” In God’s presence, nothing defiled or impure could stand.
This distinction between sin and ceremonial uncleanness is critical. Normal processes like menstruation and seminal emission were not sinful but were linked to symbols of life and redemption — blood and seed. These, though natural, were reminders of humanity’s fallen state. They represented the fact that even life-giving functions in man and woman were tainted by the corruption of sin that entered through the Fall.
As Meyer wrote, “The ordinary processes of life are not necessarily clean because they are natural. The foul heart may vitiate the most natural functions.” Similarly, Morgan noted, “A careful perusal of these requirements reminds us that the procreative faculties are all underneath the curse…. Whether the exercise of such faculties be natural or unnatural, in the sight of a God of absolute holiness they are tainted with sin.” This understanding points to a universal truth: the fallenness of man extends to every part of human existence, including what is natural and biological.
The statement “when they defile My tabernacle that is among them” draws attention to the necessity of separating sexual activity from the worship of God. In the ancient world, pagan worship often involved temple prostitution, where sexual acts were performed as religious devotion to fertility gods. God’s law firmly forbade such practices and made His worship distinct from paganism. As Rooker observes, “Thus it would be an abomination to engage in sexual activity in the tabernacle precinct.” The Lord’s people were to understand that true worship was spiritual, holy, and undefiled.
In the New Testament, Jesus clarified that outward ceremonial purity could never replace inward holiness. In Mark 7:1–9, He rebuked the Pharisees for their obsession with ritual cleanliness while neglecting the purity of the heart: “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man” (Mark 7:15). The Law was never intended as a means of righteousness but as a shadow pointing to spiritual truths.
The apostles recognized this distinction in Acts 15, when the early church determined that Gentile believers were not bound by Mosaic purity regulations. However, the principle of holiness in worship remains. Believers are called to approach God with clean hearts, knowing that our purity is found in Christ alone. Jesus Himself said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). His Word cleanses and sanctifies the believer.
Our continual cleansing is secured through Christ’s blood, as 1 John 1:7–9 declares:
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Thus, while these laws of bodily discharge taught Israel how to live as a holy nation in a fallen world, they ultimately pointed to the greater reality of spiritual purity through Christ. The defilement of the body symbolized the deeper defilement of the heart, and the required sacrifices prefigured the one true Sacrifice who removes sin completely. For those who walk in fellowship with Him, perpetual cleansing is provided — not through ritual, but through the living relationship we have in Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.
