And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
LEVITICUS 15:5KJVWhat does Leviticus 15:5 mean?
Leviticus 15:5 says that anyone who touches the bed of a person with a bodily discharge must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. This instruction sets out a process for dealing with ritual impurity in ancient Israel, focusing on physical contact with objects used by someone considered unclean.
In this part of Leviticus, God is giving Moses and Aaron detailed laws about purity to pass on to the Israelites. The situation involves someone who has a bodily discharge, which made them ritually unclean according to the law. The verse shows how even indirect contact—touching the bed, not just the person—required careful steps for cleansing, reflecting the seriousness with which ritual purity was treated in daily life.
The Hebrew behind Leviticus 15:5
- בֶּגֶד (beged, transliterated as "clothes"): This word refers to garments or clothing. The command to wash clothes highlights that impurity was seen as something that could transfer to objects, not just people.
- רָחַץ (rachats, "bathe"): This word means to wash or bathe oneself. The instruction to bathe in water shows that cleansing was both a physical and ritual act, not just symbolic.
- טָמֵא (tame, "unclean"): This word means ritually impure or unclean. Being "unclean until the even[ing]" did not mean sinful, but that the person was temporarily restricted from certain religious activities or contact with others.
Why Leviticus 15:5 matters
- This verse clarifies that ritual impurity in ancient Israel was not just about personal health, but about maintaining communal and religious order, with specific steps for restoration.
- The emphasis on washing both clothes and body shows the thoroughness expected in returning to a state of ritual cleanliness, underlining the seriousness of these laws for everyday life.
- Leviticus 15:5 fits into a larger section that details how impurity could spread through contact, helping modern readers understand the broader system of purity and holiness in Israelite worship.