Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 15
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Leviticus 15
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Leviticus 15
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying," — Leviticus 15:1 (ASV)
And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron. —This chapter, which lays down the laws of uncleanness arising from issues, discusses two diseased and three natural secretions.
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath an issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean." — Leviticus 15:2 (ASV)
A running issue out of his flesh. —Flesh, as is frequently the case, euphemistically denotes private parts. (Genesis 7:13; Leviticus 6:3; Leviticus 16:4; Ezekiel 16:26; Ezekiel 23:20, and so on).
Because of his issue he is unclean. —Better, his issue is unclean. Hence, anyone coming in contact with it, or with the garment on which traces of the secretion are found, is thereby made unclean.
"And 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." — Leviticus 15:3 (ASV)
Whether his flesh run. —This verse defines more minutely the statement in the preceding verse.
"Every bed whereon he that hath the issue lieth shall be unclean; and everything whereon he sitteth shall be unclean." — Leviticus 15:4 (ASV)
Every bed, whereon he lieth. —So severely did the canonical law deal with these cases that they interpreted the defilement communicated to the bed, and hence also to his seat and saddle, by the patient in five different ways: by standing, sitting, lying, hanging, or leaning on it. The patient’s polluting power is so great that even if the bed, seat, or saddle is under a stone, he defiles it through the stone by any of these actions. If he stood upon two beds, placing one foot upon each, he defiled both.
"And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And he that sitteth on anything whereon he that hath the issue sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even." — Leviticus 15:5-6 (ASV)
And whosoever toucheth his bed. — The defiling power of the patient was so great that the bed, seat, or saddle which he rendered unclean by any of the above-named five acts polluted again anyone who came in contact with these articles in seven different ways: by standing, sitting, lying, hanging, leaning, touching, or bearing them. The person thus polluted had to remain in this condition, debarred from the privileges of the sanctuary, until sundown, when he had to wash his garments, and immerse his whole body in water.
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