Leviticus 15:28 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 15:28 mean?

Leviticus 15:28 says that if a woman is healed from her bodily discharge, she must count seven days, and after those seven days, she will be considered clean. This verse sets out a waiting period after her recovery before she is officially restored to a state of ritual purity.

In this part of Leviticus, God is giving instructions to Moses for the Israelites about ritual cleanliness, especially concerning bodily discharges. The verse is part of a longer section about how to handle situations that made someone ritually unclean, and it explains the steps a woman must take after her condition ends to rejoin normal community and religious life.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 15:28

• "cleansed" (טָהֵר, tāhēr): This word means to be made clean or pure, often in a ritual sense. Here, it marks the transition from being unclean to beginning the process toward full restoration.
• "issue" (זוּב, zûv): This refers to a flow or discharge, specifically a bodily discharge that caused ritual impurity. The verse is about the period after this discharge has stopped.
• "number" (סָפַר, sāphar): This means to count or keep track. The woman herself is responsible for counting seven days, showing personal involvement in the process.
• "seven" (שֶׁבַע, sheva‘): Seven often symbolizes completeness in the Hebrew Bible. The seven-day period is a set time for ensuring the condition has truly ended.
• "clean" (טָהֵר, tāhēr): The same word as "cleansed," but here it means she is now fully restored to ritual purity and can participate in community and worship again.

Why Leviticus 15:28 matters

• Leviticus 15:28 clarifies that ritual impurity was not permanent; there was a clear process for restoration, which included a waiting period and personal responsibility.
• The verse emphasizes that ritual purity was not just about physical health but involved a set time and careful observance, connecting physical conditions to spiritual and communal life.
• This instruction fits into a larger pattern in Leviticus, where both men and women had specific guidelines for regaining purity, showing a structured approach to community health and worship.