Bible Commentaries

Leviticus 15:2 Speak 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.

Ver. 2. A running issue.] An involuntary flux of semin, such as David imprecateth upon Joab. [2 Samuel 3:29]

Leviticus 15:3 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.

Ver. 3. It is his uncleanness.] Hereby they were taught the turpitude of sin, of original sin especially, that peccatum peccans, as the Schools call it; that sinful sin, as St Paul, [Romans 7:13] for so filthy it is, that he can call it no worse than by its own name, as wanting a fitter epithet.

Leviticus 15:4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.

Ver. 4. Every bed.] Sin is more catching than any plague, and more defiling than any out house; [Mark 7:23] Paul found it as noisome to his soul as a dead body to his sense, [Romans 7:24] or as the sanies; ^(a) of a plague sore to a rich robe. Job abhors himself for it in dust and ashes. [Job 40:4] And Isaiah looks upon himself as an undone man by reason of it. [Isaiah 6:5]

Leviticus 15:8 And 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.

Ver. 8. Spit upon him.] Noting the pollution that comes to men’s souls by those that spit heresies and belch out blasphemies.

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.

Ver. 13. Bathe his flesh.] This taught them to run to that open fountain, that kings’ bath. [Zechariah 13:1 Ezekiel 36:29]

Leviticus 15:15 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.

Ver. 15. And the priest shall offer them.] This priest and these sacrifices led them to Christ, who bore our sicknesses and expiated our sins. Seest thou then the bloody issue of thy corruptions always running, and gushing out at thine eyes, ears, mouth, flesh? the issue of blood and water opened in Christ’s side runs alway for washing it away.

Leviticus 15:16 And 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.

Ver. 16. Go out from him.] By nocturnal pollutions, filthy dreams, &c.

Leviticus 15:18 The woman also with whom man shall lie [with] seed of copulation, they shall [both] bathe [themselves] in water, and be unclean until the even.

Ver. 18. With seed of copulation.] Though lawful in itself, as being the ordinance of God. [Genesis 2:24] Sin is like copperas, ^(a) which will turn wine or milk into ink; or leaven, which turns a very passover into pollution.

Leviticus 15:24 And 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.

Ver. 24. And if any man lie with her.] Unawares, or secretly. For to do it presumptuously, and upon public notice, it was death. [Leviticus 20:18 Ezekiel 22:10] And God often punisheth such unclean copulations now-a-days, with monstrous, deformed, or diseased births.

Leviticus 15:25 And 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.

Ver. 25. Have an issue.] As she had in Mark 5:25.

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.

Ver. 31. That they die not.] Which is worse than to die in a ditch.