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Leviticus 15
New English Translation

Male Bodily Discharges

15 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man[a] has a discharge[b] from his body,[c] his discharge is unclean. 3 Now this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge[d]—whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, he is unclean. All the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge,[e] this is his uncleanness.[f]

4 “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean,[g] and any furniture he sits on will be unclean.[h] 5 Anyone who touches his bed[i] must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.[j] 6 The one who sits on the furniture the man with a discharge sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 The one who touches the body[k] of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If the man with a discharge spits on a person who is ceremonially clean,[l] that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 9 Any means of riding[m] that the man with a discharge rides on will be unclean. 10 Anyone who touches anything that was under him[n] will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items[o] must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 11 Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water[p] must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 A clay vessel[q] which the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed in water.

Purity Regulations for Male Bodily Discharges

13 “‘When the man with the discharge becomes clean from his discharge he is to count off for himself seven days for his purification, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in fresh water,[r] and be clean. 14 Then on the eighth day he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons,[s] and he is to present himself[t] before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and give them to the priest, 15 and the priest is to make one of them a sin offering[u] and the other a burnt offering.[v] So the priest[w] is to make atonement for him before the Lord for[x] his discharge.

16 “‘When a man has a seminal emission,[y] he must bathe his whole body in water[z] and be unclean until evening, 17 and he must wash in water any clothing or leather that has semen on it, and it will be unclean until evening. 18 As for a woman whom a man goes to bed with, then has a seminal emission,[aa] they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

Female Bodily Discharges

19 “‘When a woman has a discharge[ab] and her discharge is blood from her body,[ac] she is to be in her menstruation[ad] seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. 20 Anything she lies on during her menstruation will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 Anyone who touches any furniture she sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 If there is something on the bed or on the furniture she sits on,[ae] when he touches it[af] he will be unclean until evening, 24 and if a man actually goes to bed[ag] with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him,[ah] then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean.

25 “‘When a woman’s discharge of blood flows[ai] many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it flows beyond the time of her menstruation,[aj] all the days of her discharge of impurity will be like the days of her menstruation—she is unclean. 26 Any bed she lies on all the days of her discharge will be to her like the bed of her menstruation, any furniture she sits on will be unclean like the impurity of her menstruation, 27 and anyone who touches them will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.[ak]

Purity Regulations for Female Bodily Discharges

28 “‘If[al] she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean. 29 Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons[am] and she must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 30 and the priest is to make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.[an] So the priest[ao] is to make atonement for her before the Lord from her discharge of impurity.

Summary of Purification Regulations for Bodily Discharges

31 “‘Thus you[ap] are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they[aq] do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst. 32 This is the law for the one with a discharge: for the one who has a seminal emission[ar] and becomes unclean by it,[as] 33 for the one who is sick in her menstruation, for the one with a discharge, whether male or female,[at] and for a man who goes to bed[au] with an unclean woman.’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 15:2 tn Heb “Man man.” The duplication is a way of saying “any man” (cf. Lev 17:3; 22:18, etc.; see the distributive repetition of the noun in GKC 395-96 §123.c).
  2. Leviticus 15:2 tn The term “discharge” actually means “to flow,” whether referring to a full flow as at a spring of water (Ps 78:20 and parallels) or in reference to the promised land as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod 3:8 and parallels).
  3. Leviticus 15:2 tn Heb “when there is a discharge from his flesh.” It is well-recognized that the term “flesh” (i.e., “body”) in this chapter refers regularly and euphemistically to the male and female genital members or areas of the body (HALOT 164 s.v. בָּשָׂר 5.b; see also, e.g., B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 93). The euphemism has been retained in this translation since it is intended in the Hebrew text. Some English versions partially remove the euphemism (e.g., NAB “from his private parts”; NRSV “from his member”) while some remove it completely (e.g., NLT “a genital discharge”; TEV “from his penis”; CEV “with an infected penis”).
  4. Leviticus 15:3 tn The LXX has “this the law of his uncleanness…” (cf. v. 32 and compare, e.g., 13:59; 14:2, 56).
  5. Leviticus 15:3 tc Smr, LXX, and the Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll from Qumran (11QpaleoLev; Fragment G contains Lev 14:52-15:5 and 16:2-4, and agrees with the LXX of Lev 15:3b) are in essential (although not complete) agreement against the MT in Lev 15:3b and are to be preferred in this case. The shorter MT text has probably arisen due to a lengthy haplography. See K. A. Mathews, “The Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev) and the Text of the Hebrew Bible,” CBQ 48 (1986): 177-78, 198; D. N. Freedman, “Variant Readings in the Leviticus Scroll from Qumran Cave 11, ” CBQ 36 (1974): 528-29; D. N. Freedman and K. A. Mathews, The Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll, 32. The MT of Lev 15:3 reads: “Now this is his uncleanness in [regard to] his discharge—whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness.” Smr adds after MT’s “blocks his discharge” the following: “he is unclean; all the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness.” Thus, the MT appears to skip from Smr הוא טמא “he is unclean” in the middle of the verse to טמאתו/הו יא “this is his uncleanness” at the end of the verse, leaving out “he is unclean; all the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge” (cf. the BHS footnote). 11Q1 (paleoLeva frag. G) is indeed fragmentary, but it does have ימי ז בו כל “…in him, all the days of the fl[ow],” supporting Smr and LXX tradition. The LXX adds after MT “blocks his discharge” the following: “all the days of the flow of his body, by which his body is affected by the flow,” followed by “it is his uncleanness” (i.e., the last two words of the MT). sn The contrast between the dripping or flowing from the male sexual member as opposed to there being a blockage is important. One might not understand that even though a blockage actually causes a lack of discharge, it is still unclean.
  6. Leviticus 15:3 tn Heb “it is his uncleanness.” The last clause resumes the point of the first clause in this verse, while the material in between acts as parenthetic clarification. This verse introduces the regulations that follow in vv. 4ff.
  7. Leviticus 15:4 tn Heb “All the bed which the man with a discharge sits on it shall be unclean”; cf. NLT “Any bedding.”
  8. Leviticus 15:4 tn Heb “and all the vessel which he sits on it shall be unclean”; NASB “everything on which he sits.”
  9. Leviticus 15:5 tn Heb “And a man who touches in his bed”; NLT “touch the man’s bedding.”
  10. Leviticus 15:5 tn Heb “he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening” (cf. also vv. 6-8, 10-11, etc.).
  11. Leviticus 15:7 tn Heb “And the one who touches in the flesh.” In this instance, “flesh” (or “body”) probably refers literally to any part of the body, not the genitals specifically (see the discussion in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:914).
  12. Leviticus 15:8 tn Heb “And if the man with a discharge spits in the clean one.”
  13. Leviticus 15:9 tn The Hebrew term for “means of riding” is a cognate noun from the verb “ride” later in this verse. It refers to anything on which one may ride without the feet touching the ground including, for example, a saddle, a (saddle) blanket, or a seat on a chariot (see, e.g., J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:916).
  14. Leviticus 15:10 tn Heb “which shall be under him.” The verb is perhaps a future perfect, “which shall have been.”
  15. Leviticus 15:10 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the previously mentioned items which were under the unclean person) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. Leviticus 15:11 tn Heb “And all who the man with the discharge touches in him and his hands he has not rinsed in water.”
  17. Leviticus 15:12 tn The Hebrew term כְּלִי (keli) can mean “vessel” (v. 12a) or “utensil, implement, article” (v. 12b). An article of clay would refer to a vessel or container of some sort, while one made of wood would refer to some kind of tool or instrument.
  18. Leviticus 15:13 tn For the expression “fresh water” see the note on Lev 14:5 above.
  19. Leviticus 15:14 tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168 with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
  20. Leviticus 15:14 tc The MT has the Qal form of the verb בּוֹא (boʾ) “to come” here, but the LXX (followed generally by the Syriac and Tg. Ps.-J.) reflects the Hiphil form of the same verb, “to bring” as in v. 29 below. In v. 29, however, there is no additional clause “and give them to the priest,” so the Hiphil is necessary in that context while it is not necessary here in v. 14.
  21. Leviticus 15:15 sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term “sin offering.”
  22. Leviticus 15:15 tn Heb “and the priest shall make them one a sin offering and the one a burnt offering.” See the note on Lev 1:3 regarding the “burnt offering.”
  23. Leviticus 15:15 tn Heb “And the priest.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here.
  24. Leviticus 15:15 tn Heb “from”; see the note on 4:26.
  25. Leviticus 15:16 tn Heb “And a man when a lying of seed goes out from him”; KJV, ASV “any man’s seed of copulation”; NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT “an emission of semen.”
  26. Leviticus 15:16 tn Heb “and he shall bathe all his flesh in water.”
  27. Leviticus 15:18 tn Heb “And a woman whom a man lies down with her, a lying of seed.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed for sexual relations. The phrase “a lying down of seed” or “an emission of seed” is adverbial, specifying the circumstance with which the regulation is concerned.
  28. Leviticus 15:19 tn See the note on Lev 15:2 above.
  29. Leviticus 15:19 tn Heb “blood shall be her discharge in her flesh.” The term “flesh” here refers euphemistically to the female sexual area (cf. the note on v. 2 above).
  30. Leviticus 15:19 tn See the note on Lev 12:2 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:925-27.
  31. Leviticus 15:23 tn Heb “and if on the bed it (הוּא, huʾ) is or on the vessel which she sits on it, when he touches it….” The translation and meaning of this verse is a subject of much debate in the commentaries (see the summary in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:938-40). It is difficult to determine what הוּא refers to, whether it means “he” referring to the one who does the touching, “it” for the furniture or the seat in v. 22, “she” referring to the woman herself (see Smr היא rather than הוא), or perhaps anything that was lying on the furniture or the bed of vv. 21-22. The latter view is taken here (cf. J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 202).
  32. Leviticus 15:23 tn The MT accent suggests that “when he touches it” goes with the preceding line, but it seems to be better to take it as an introduction to what follows (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 202).
  33. Leviticus 15:24 tn Heb “actually lies down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” acts as a euphemism, implying going to bed for sexual relations.
  34. Leviticus 15:24 tn Heb “and if a man indeed lies with her and her menstrual impurity is on him.”
  35. Leviticus 15:25 tn Heb “And a woman when the flow of her blood flows.”
  36. Leviticus 15:25 tn Heb “in not the time of her menstruation or when it flows on her menstruation.”
  37. Leviticus 15:27 tn See the note on v. 5 above.
  38. Leviticus 15:28 tn Heb “And if….” Although this clause is parallel to v. 13 above, it begins with וְאִם (veʾim, “and if”) here rather than וְכִי (vekhi, “and when/if”) there.
  39. Leviticus 15:29 tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168 with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
  40. Leviticus 15:30 tn Heb “And the priest shall make the one a sin offering and the one a burnt offering.”
  41. Leviticus 15:30 tn Heb “And the priest.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here.
  42. Leviticus 15:31 tn Heb “And you shall.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV).
  43. Leviticus 15:31 tn Heb “and they.” Here the Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) indicates a negative purpose (“lest,” so NAB, NASB).
  44. Leviticus 15:32 tn Heb “and who a lying down of seed goes out from him.”
  45. Leviticus 15:32 tn Heb “to become unclean in it.”
  46. Leviticus 15:33 tn Heb “and the one with a discharge, his discharge to the male and the female.”
  47. Leviticus 15:33 tn Heb “who lies down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” acts as a euphemism, implying going to bed for sexual relations.
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利未记 15
Chinese New Version (Simplified)

男子遗精不洁之条例

15 耶和华对摩西和亚伦说： 2 “你们要告诉以色列人，对他们说：如果男子的下体有异常排泄，他的排泄物是不洁净的， 3 这异常排泄就使他不洁净；无论下体仍有排泄流出，或是下体的排泄已经止住了，他都是不洁净的。 4 有异常排泄的人睡过的床，都是不洁净的；他坐过的家具，都必不洁净。 5 谁触摸他的床，都要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 6 谁坐了有异常排泄的人所坐过的家具，要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 7 触摸了有异常排泄的人的身体，就要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 8 有异常排泄症的人，若是吐唾沫在洁净的人身上，那人就要洁净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 9 有异常排泄的人坐过的鞍，都不洁净。 10 谁触摸他身下任何东西，都不洁净到晚上；拿了这些东西的，要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 11 谁触摸有异常排泄的人，而没有洗手，就要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 12 有异常排泄的人摸过的瓦器，必须打碎；他摸过的任何木器，都要用水洗净。

13 “有异常排泄的人痊愈的时候，就要为自己得洁净计算七天，洗净自己的衣服，用活水洗身，就洁净了。 14 第八天，他要带两只斑鸠或是两只雏鸽，来到耶和华面前，在会幕门口交给祭司。 15 祭司要把牠们献上，一只作赎罪祭，一只作燔祭；祭司因那人的异常排泄，要在耶和华面前为他赎罪。

16 “人若是遗精，就要用水把全身洗净，并且不洁净到晚上。 17 无论是衣服或是皮革，被精液染污，都要用水洗净，并且不洁净到晚上。 18 至于女人，男人若是与她同睡性交，两人都要用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。

女子月经不洁之条例

19 “如果女人身上排泄的是经血，她必污秽七天；摸她的，都不洁净到晚上。 20 在她污秽的时期，她躺过的东西，都不洁净；她坐过的东西，也都不洁净。 21 触摸她的床的，都要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 22 触摸她坐过的任何家具，都要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 23 在女人的床上，或是在她坐过的家具上，如果有别的东西，人摸了它，就不洁净到晚上。 24 男人若是与那女人同睡，染上她的污秽，就不洁净七天；他躺过的床都不洁净。

25 “女人若是在月经污秽期以外，血漏多日；或是月经污秽期过长，患有血漏症；她在这些血漏的日子是不洁净的，好象她在月经污秽的日子不洁净一样。 26 她在血漏症的日子躺过的床，都像她在月经污秽时的床一样；她所坐过的家具，都不洁净，像月经污秽的时候一样。 27 触摸这些东西的，都不洁净；要洗净自己的衣服，用水洗澡，并且不洁净到晚上。 28 女人的血漏若是洁净了，她要计算七天，然后就洁净了。 29 第八天，她要拿两只斑鸠或两只雏鸽，带到会幕门口，交给祭司。 30 祭司要献一只作赎罪祭，一只作燔祭；祭司要在耶和华面前，因那妇人血漏的不洁，为她赎罪。

31 “你们要这样叫以色列人远离他们的不洁，免得他们玷污我在他们中间的会幕，他们就因自己的不洁而死亡。” 32 以上是关于因为异常排泄和遗精，成为不洁净， 33 以及患病污秽的妇女和患血漏的男女，还有男人与不洁净的女人同睡的律例。

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