Bodily Discharges From a Woman
November 30, 2021
Commentary
This passage about women is similar to the previous instructions concerning men. It deals with a woman’s normal monthly menstrual flow. There is no suggestion that this natural process is morally wrong. Instead, these instructions focus on ceremonial cleanliness. In both cases, cleansing involved washing, remaining unclean until evening, and offering a blood sacrifice to remove ceremonial uncleanness.
When a woman had her monthly period, she was considered unclean for 7 days, and anything or anyone she touched also became unclean (vv. 19-24). A woman who experienced bleeding outside her regular period was considered unclean for as long as the flow continued (vv. 25-27). After the bleeding stopped, she had to wait 7 days before being declared clean (v. 28). On the 8th day, she had to bring 2 turtledoves or 2 young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tabernacle (v. 29). The priest would offer one bird as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, making atonement for her before the Lord (v. 30).
God instructed the Israelites to follow these regulations so they would not defile the tabernacle and face the consequences of their uncleanness (v. 31). These rules reminded them to respect God’s holiness and maintain ceremonial cleanliness within the community.
The chapter concludes by summarizing the regulations for both men and women. Men had to follow these instructions when they experienced bodily discharges, including an emission of semen. Women had to observe them during their monthly periods or when they experienced unusual bleeding (vv. 32-33). By these instructions, God taught His people to recognize the importance of holiness in their worship.
Application
This reminds me that God cares about my life and calls me to honor Him in all I do. Do I respect others when they face personal struggles? Am I careful about the choices I make each day? Do I treat sensitive matters with kindness and understanding? How can I show God's love to someone who feels embarrassed or excluded?
Leviticus 15:19–33 (NET)
19 “‘When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. 20 Anything she lies on during her menstruation will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 Anyone who touches any furniture she sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 If there is something on the bed or on the furniture she sits on, when he touches it he will be unclean until evening, 24 and if a man actually goes to bed with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him, then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean.
25 “‘When a woman’s discharge of blood flows many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it flows beyond the time of her menstruation, all the days of her discharge of impurity will be like the days of her menstruation—she is unclean. 26 Any bed she lies on all the days of her discharge will be to her like the bed of her menstruation, any furniture she sits on will be unclean like the impurity of her menstruation, 27 and anyone who touches them will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
28 “‘If she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean. 29 Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and she must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 30 and the priest is to make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for her before the Lord from her discharge of impurity.
31 “‘Thus you are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst. 32 This is the law for the one with a discharge: for the one who has a seminal emission and becomes unclean by it, 33 for the one who is sick in her menstruation, for the one with a discharge, whether male or female, and for a man who goes to bed with an unclean woman.’”
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