Lev 15:16-24 | NETfull | STEP | “‘When a man has a seminal emission, he must bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening,

Leviticus 15:16-24

16 “‘When a man has a seminal emission, ^{▼▼ 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.”} he must bathe his whole body in water ^{▼▼ Heb “and he shall bathe all his flesh in water.”} 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 When a man has sexual intercourse with a woman and there is a seminal emission, ^{▼▼ Heb “And a woman who a man lies with her a lying of seed.”} they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

Female Bodily Discharges

19 “‘When a woman has a discharge ^{▼▼ See the note on Lev 15:2 above.} and her discharge is blood from her body, ^{▼▼ 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).} she is to be in her menstruation ^{▼▼ See the note on Lev 12:2 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:925–27.} 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, ^{▼▼ Heb “and if on the bed it (הוּא, hu’) 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).} when he touches it ^{▼▼ The MT accent suggest 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).} he will be unclean until evening, 24 and if a man actually has sexual intercourse with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him, ^{▼▼ Heb “and if a man indeed lies with her and her menstrual impurity is on him.”} then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean.