And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
LEVITICUS 15:6KJVWhat does Leviticus 15:6 mean?
Leviticus 15:6 means that anyone who sits on something that a person with a bodily discharge has sat on must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. The verse sets out a specific rule for how contact with someone who has a discharge affects others, focusing on ritual cleanliness.
In this part of Leviticus, God is giving instructions to Moses and Aaron for the Israelites about how to handle situations involving bodily discharges, which were seen as making a person ritually unclean. The verse is part of a larger section on purity laws, aiming to prevent the spread of impurity in the camp and to teach the people about holiness and separation.
The Hebrew behind Leviticus 15:6
- "Sitteth" (יָשַׁב, yashav): This word means to sit or dwell. The verse uses it twice, emphasizing that the uncleanness is transferred by sitting where the affected person sat, not just by direct contact.
- "Issue" (זוּב, zub): This word refers to a bodily discharge, often understood as an abnormal flow, highlighting that the law is about a specific medical condition, not ordinary bodily functions.
- "Unclean" (טָמֵא, tame): This means ritually impure, not dirty in a physical sense. The status lasts until evening, showing that the impurity is temporary and can be dealt with by washing and waiting.
Why Leviticus 15:6 matters
- Leviticus 15:6 clarifies that ritual impurity could be transferred indirectly, not just by touching a person but also by contact with objects they used, which broadens the understanding of how impurity spreads in the biblical context.
- The verse highlights the importance placed on ritual cleanliness in Israelite society, showing that these rules were about community health and symbolic holiness, not just personal hygiene.
- This verse fits into a larger pattern in Leviticus where everyday actions—like sitting—can have spiritual or communal consequences, teaching the Israelites to be mindful of their actions and their impact on others.