This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;
LEVITICUS 15:32KJVWhat does Leviticus 15:32 mean?
Leviticus 15:32 sets out the rule for anyone who has a bodily discharge or emission, including a man whose semen leaves his body and becomes unclean as a result. The verse summarizes the laws about ritual impurity connected to these physical conditions.
In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses and Aaron for the Israelites about how to handle situations involving bodily fluids that make a person ritually unclean. This comes near the end of a section in Leviticus that details various laws about purity, especially those related to bodily discharges, and serves as a summary statement for what has just been explained.
The Hebrew behind Leviticus 15:32
- law (תּוֹרָה, torah): This word means "instruction" or "law." Here, it signals that what follows is an official guideline for the community, not just a suggestion.
- issue (זוֹב, zov): This refers to an abnormal bodily discharge, often understood as a chronic or unusual flow, which made a person ritually impure in ancient Israel.
- seed (זֶרַע, zera‘): This word means "seed," and in this context, it refers specifically to semen. The verse distinguishes between different types of bodily emissions.
- goeth (יֵצֵא, yetse): This verb means "goes out" or "comes out," describing the act of the emission leaving the body.
- defiled (טָמֵא, tame): This word means "to become unclean" or "defiled," indicating a state of ritual impurity, not necessarily moral wrongdoing.
Why Leviticus 15:32 matters
- Leviticus 15:32 clarifies that the laws about ritual impurity apply to both chronic discharges and normal bodily functions, showing the thoroughness of the purity system in ancient Israel.
- The verse helps the reader see that ritual impurity was a matter of physical condition, not moral failure, which can clear up common misunderstandings about these laws.
- By summarizing the preceding instructions, this verse marks the transition to the next section and helps the reader keep track of the structure and flow of Leviticus.