Leviticus 15
03 Aug 2026 - Theology
Men and Women
This chapter speaks of problems of the sex organs of men and women. It also talks about normal semen and blood that come from a person, which would turn the person unclean for a brief time.
Leviticus 15:32-33 (NIV) - “These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen, 33 for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who has sexual relations with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.”
There is even a rule for normal sexual relations between a man and woman:
Leviticus 15:18 (NIV) - “When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.”
Both men and women with an issue are to wait seven days for their cleansing:
Leviticus 15:13 - “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 15:19 - “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.”
Similar to other laws, if a man or woman has this issue then the bed and anything they sit on is also considered unclean. And if a clean person touches the unclean person, or any thing that is unclean, then they shall also be considered temporarily unclean.
Leviticus 15:27 - “And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.”
On the eighth day, the unclean person (male or female) is to take two turtledoves or two yound pigeons, and bring them to the priest (14,29). The priest will make atonement for the unclean person by offering one bird as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering (15,30). We see that many of the rules in this chapter are repeated twice: once for a man, and once for a woman.
Leviticus 15:31 - “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.”
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)