The Law · Chapter 15 of 27
Leviticus 15
The LORD gives Moses and Aaron laws about bodily discharges that render a person ceremonially unclean, both the abnormal running issue and ordinary bodily fluids. Contact with the unclean person or their bedding spreads uncleanness, requiring washing and waiting. When healed, the person waits seven days, bathes in running water, and on the eighth day brings two birds so the priest can make atonement.
What happens in Leviticus 15
God instructs that any man with a chronic discharge is unclean, and everything he lies or sits on becomes unclean, so those who touch him or his things must wash and remain unclean until evening. Earthen vessels he touches are broken, wooden ones rinsed. When his discharge stops, he counts seven days, washes his clothes, bathes in running water, and on the eighth day brings two turtledoves or pigeons for a sin offering and a burnt offering, and the priest makes atonement.
Ordinary emissions also bring temporary uncleanness cleansed by washing. A woman in her monthly separation is unclean seven days, spreading uncleanness by contact, and prolonged bleeding follows the same pattern with birds offered when healed. The chapter closes by declaring that Israel must be kept from uncleanness lest they die by defiling the tabernacle among them.
Leviticus 15 in context
Leviticus 15 continues the purity laws of chapters 11 through 15, which distinguish clean from unclean so that Israel may live near a holy God. These regulations are ceremonial rather than moral; the discharges are natural, not sinful.
The concern is the sanctuary. Because God dwells in the tabernacle among the people, anything associated with the loss of life-fluids must be dealt with before one approaches him.
Main themes of Leviticus 15
Leviticus 15 (KJV)
1And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2Speak 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. 3And 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. 4Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean. 5And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 6And 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. 7And 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. 8And 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. 9And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean. 10And 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. 11And 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. 12And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. 13And 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. 14And 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: 15And 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. 16And 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. 17And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even. 18The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even. 19And 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. 20And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. 21And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 22And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 23And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. 24And 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. 25And 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. 26Every 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. 27And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 28But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29And 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. 30And 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. 31Thus 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. 32This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith; 33And 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.
Verses to carry from Leviticus 15
“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.”Leviticus 15:13
“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.”Leviticus 15:15
“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.”Leviticus 15:31
Thematic connection
How Leviticus 15 points to Jesus
This chapter frames a striking Gospel scene. A woman with a twelve-year issue of blood, unclean by these very laws and cut off from touching others, pressed through a crowd to touch Jesus. Under Leviticus 15 her touch would defile him; instead his power flowed to her and she was made whole, and he called her daughter. Where the law quarantined uncleanness, Jesus reversed the current, taking defilement into himself and giving back cleanness.
The endless washings and waiting of this chapter point to a purity the ceremonies could signal but never finally supply. In Christ the unclean are not merely kept from the sanctuary; they are healed and welcomed. The birds offered for atonement anticipate a greater offering that cleanses not the body only but the conscience.
Questions about Leviticus 15
Why would God make natural bodily functions a matter of uncleanness?
The uncleanness here is ceremonial, not moral guilt. Discharges of blood and seed marked a loss of life-fluid, gesturing toward mortality, which could not casually approach the living God. The laws were not meant to shame the body but to school Israel in reverence, teaching that even ordinary life is touched by death and needs God's provision to draw near.
What does this chapter teach about God dwelling among his people?
Verse 31 gives the reason for it all: so they die not by defiling the tabernacle that is among them. God's presence in the camp was an immense privilege and a real danger. The purity laws honored that nearness. They remind us that fellowship with a holy God is never casual, and that he provides the means by which unclean people may safely come close.
Reflection
The woman who touched Jesus expected to be scolded for spreading her uncleanness. Instead she found herself called daughter and made whole. Whatever in you feels unfit to come near, bring it. In Christ, drawing close does not defile him; it heals you. His cleanness is stronger than your uncleanness.
A prayer from Leviticus 15
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