Leviticus 15:21 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 15:21 mean?

Leviticus 15:21 says that anyone who touches the bed of a woman during her period must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and will be considered unclean until evening. This rule is part of a set of instructions about ritual cleanliness for the Israelites.

In this verse, God is giving Moses and Aaron specific instructions for the community of Israel about how to handle situations involving ritual impurity. The focus is on physical contact with objects associated with a woman during her menstrual period, which in the culture of ancient Israel made a person ritually unclean for a set time. The verse emphasizes the importance of washing and waiting until evening before being considered clean again.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 15:21

• "Toucheth" (נָגַע, naga‘) means to make physical contact. In this context, it refers to any kind of touching, not just intentional or prolonged contact, highlighting the thoroughness of the ritual law.
• "Bed" (מִשְׁכָּב, mishkav) refers to a place of lying down or resting. Here, it specifically means the bed used by the woman during her period, making it a source of ritual impurity.
• "Wash" (כָּבַס, kabas) and "bathe" (רָחַץ, rachats) are two separate actions: washing clothes and bathing the body. Both are required steps for restoring ritual cleanliness, showing that both the person and their clothing needed to be cleansed.
• "Unclean" (טָמֵא, tame) means ritually impure, not physically dirty. This status lasted until "even" (עֶרֶב, ‘erev), meaning evening, marking the end of the period of impurity.

Why Leviticus 15:21 matters

• Leviticus 15:21 clarifies that ritual impurity in ancient Israel was not just about personal actions but also about contact with objects, showing how purity laws affected daily life.
• The verse highlights the importance of ritual washing and waiting, which set apart the Israelites’ practices from those of surrounding cultures and reinforced community identity.
• Understanding this verse helps explain the broader context of Leviticus 15, which deals with bodily discharges and ritual cleanliness, showing the detailed care given to maintaining holiness in everyday matters.