This chapter treats of uncleanness by issues in men and women; in men, a running issue, Lev. 15:1–3, which defiles him, and everything he touches, or that touches him or them, Lev. 15:4–12; the cleansing from which is directed to, Lev. 15:13–15; and seed flowing from him, Lev.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron Aaron is spoken to as well Moses, because some of these purifications, after mentioned, depended on the priest, as the affair of profluvious men and women, as Gersom observes: saying; as follows.

Speak unto the children of Israel From whence we learn, says the above mentioned writer, that these uncleannesses were only usual among the children of Israel, not among the Gentiles; that is, the laws respecting them were only binding on the one, and not on the other [[17]]: and say unto them,…

And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue Or the sign of it, by which it may be judged whether he is unclean by it or no: whether his flesh run with his issue; or salivates, or emits a flow of matter like a saliva, or in the manner of spittle: or his flesh be stopped from his issue; with it,…

Every bed whereon he lieth that hath the issue is unclean Which he constantly makes use of; so the Targum of Jonathan, which is peculiar to him, and appointed and appropriated for him to lie upon.

And whosoever toucheth his bed Is unclean. According to the Misnah [[22]], a bed defiles a man seven ways, so as to defile garments; standing, sitting, lying, hanging, and leaning, and by touching, and by bearing: shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water; in forty seahs of water, as the…

And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue Shall be unclean, even though he does not touch it. Jarchi says, though there should be, as he adds, ten things or vessels one upon another, they all defile because of sitting, and so by lying: shall wash his clothes, and bathe…

And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue Shall also be unclean, even any part of his flesh, or member of his body: the Jewish canon is [[23]], he that toucheth one that has an issue, or he that has an issue touches him, or anyone moves him that has an issue, or he moves him,…

And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean Not purposely, which is not usual for a man to do, and whenever it is done, nothing is more affronting; but accidentally, when, as Aben Ezra expresses it, he spreads his spittle, and it falls upon a clean person; and under this, as Gersom…

And what saddle soever he sitteth upon that hath the issue, &c.] When he rides upon any beast, horse, ass, or camel, whatever is put upon the creature, and he sits upon it, the saddle, and whatever appertains to it, the housing and girdle: shall be unclean; and not fit for another to use, but be…

And whosoever toucheth anything that was under him shall be unclean until the even Either when lying along, or sitting, or riding, as in (Lev. 15:4, Lev. 15:6, Lev.

And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue Not only he that touched him that had the issue, but whomsoever, and indeed whatsoever he touched, as the Targum of Jonathan, the Septuagint, and Arabic versions, were unclean; (See Gill on Lev.

And the vessel of earth that he toucheth which hath an issue shall be broken That it might not be made use of afterwards; which was ordered, that they might be careful what they touched who were in such circumstances: according to Gersom an earthen vessel received no uncleanness but from the…

And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue That is, it is ceased from him, as the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi explain it; for otherwise, according to the ceremonial law, he was not yet cleansed, until he had done everything next prescribed; but when he perceived there was an entire…

And on the eighth day Having on the seventh done as before directed: he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons; of his own, or purchase them; this was the meanest offering that was brought, and of the least expense, and which, in other cases, the poorer sort were allowed to bring,…

And the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering As in the case of a new mother who is poor, and of a poor leper, ; and the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord for his issue; which, though not in itself sinful, yet might be occasioned…

And if any man’s seed of copulation go out from him Not in lawful cohabitation, nor voluntarily, but involuntarily, as Aben Ezra observes; not through any disorder, which came by an accident, or in any criminal way, but through a dream, or any lustful imagination; what is commonly called nocturnal…

And every garment, and every skin Or that is made of skin, which a man wears, or lies upon, see ; whereon is the seed of copulation; or on any other, for, as Gersom says, there is the same law concerning the rest of vessels, seeing this is a principal uncleanness, and defiles vessels; and perhaps…

The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation It seems to respect any congress of a man and woman, whether in fornication or adultery, or lawful marriage, and particularly the latter; for though marriage is honourable and holy, and carnal copulation in itself lawful, yet such is…

And if a woman have an issue Having finished, as Aben Ezra observes, what was to be said of the male, now the Scripture begins with the female, whose issue, of a different sort, is thus described: and her issue in her flesh be blood; or, “blood be her issue in her flesh”; not in any part of her,…

And everything that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean During her being apart from her husband, with whom she might be, and do all offices for him, but not lie with him; and whatsoever she lay upon during this time, bed or couch, and the clothes upon them, were unclean: everything…

And whosoever toucheth her bed The same thing that is said of a profluvious man, and so in (Lev. 15:22, Lev. 15:23) .

And whosoever toucheth anything that she sat upon Which was appropriated to her to sit upon, as the Targum of Jonathan, which was her proper and peculiar seat, what she usually sat upon; such were obliged to wash their clothes and bathe, as in all the above cases. See (Lev. 15:5, Lev. 15:10) .

And if it be on her bed, or on anything whereon she sitteth That is, if any person or thing should be upon her bed or seat; a vessel on her bed, or a vessel upon a vessel, as Aben Ezra expresses it: when he toucheth it; that person or thing that should be on her bed or seat, as well as touch her…

And if any man lie with her at all Not presumptuously but ignorantly, as Aben Ezra observes; for he was guilty of cutting off, that lay with her wilfully, ; and her flowers be upon her; or, “her separation” [[9]], her monthly courses not being ceased: he shall be unclean seven days; and be excluded…

And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation Not an ordinary but an extraordinary one, not within that time, but out of it, and which continued three days at least; so the Targum of Jonathan, and sometimes many years; as the poor woman Christ cured, which…

Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation As defiled and as defiling as that, (Lev. 15:20, Lev.

And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean Her bed and seat; the Septuagint version is, “that toucheth her”, see ; and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even; let it be observed, that in all the above passages, where it is said, “he shall bathe…

But if she be cleansed of her issue The disease is healed, or a stop is put to it; there are no signs of it remaining: then she shall number to herself seven days; from the time she observed it to cease: and after that she shall be clean; having bathed herself according to the usual manner of…

And on the eighth day From the cessation of her issue, and the healing of it, at least from the time she began to number for her cleansing: she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons; the same as the man that had an issue was obliged to bring.

And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering As in the case of a man that had an issue, the offerings of one and the other were the same and for the same purpose; (See Gill on Lev.

Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness Or because of it, and while they are in it, as from other persons, even their nearest relations, and from the house of God, as the next clause shows; or teach them, by observing the above laws and rules, to separate themselves,…

This is the law of him that hath an issue In (Lev. 15:32, Lev. 15:33) is a recapitulation of the several laws in this chapter, as of a man that has a “gonorrhoea”: and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith; involuntarily, that suffers a nocturnal pollution.

And of her that is sick of her flowers Her monthly courses, for these are a sickness, ; and make a woman languid and faint, as the word is rendered, ; or to be in pain [[12]], as some render it here; and pains are reckoned among the signs of them by the Misnic doctors [[13]]: and of him that hath…