Leviticus 15:20

15:1-33 Laws concerning ceremonial uncleanness. - We need not be curious in explaining these laws; but have reason to be thankful that we need fear no defilement, except that of sin, nor need ceremonial and burdensome purifications. These laws remind us that God sees all things, even those which escape the notice of men. The great gospel duties of faith and repentance are here signified, and the great gospel privileges of the application of Christ's blood to our souls for our justification, and his grace for our sanctification.

And everything that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean,.... During her being apart from her husband, with whom she might be, and do all offices for him, but not lie with him; and whatsoever she lay upon during this time, bed or couch, and the clothes upon them, were unclean: everything also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean; chair, stool, &c. as is the case of a man, Leviticus 15:4.

Le 15:19-33. Uncleanness of Women. 19. if a woman have an issue—Though this, like the leprosy, might be a natural affection, it was anciently considered contagious and entailed a ceremonial defilement which typified a moral impurity. This ceremonial defilement had to be removed by an appointed method of ceremonial expiation, and the neglect of it subjected any one to the guilt of defiling the tabernacle, and to death as the penalty of profane temerity.

The menses of a woman. - "If a woman have an issue, (if) blood is her issue in her flesh, she shall be seven days in her uncleanness." As the discharge does not last as a rule more than four or five days, the period of seven days was fixed on account of the significance of the number seven. In this condition she rendered every one who touched her unclean ( Leviticus 15:19 ), everything upon which she lay or sat ( Leviticus 15:20 ), every one who touched her bed or whatever she sat upon ( Leviticus 15:21 , Leviticus 15:22 ), also any one who touched the blood upon her bed or seat ( Leviticus 15:23 , where הוּא and בּו are to be referred to דּם); and they remained unclean till the evening, when they had to wash their clothes and bathe themselves.

14 . holy ] cf. Exodus 16:23 (P), Exodus 20:8 (E), Isaiah 58:13 , Ezekiel 20:20 , &c. profaneth ] To ‘profane’ is characteristic—like its opposite, to ‘sanctify’—of H, Leviticus 18:21 ; Leviticus 19:8 ; Leviticus 19:12 ; Leviticus 19:29 ; Leviticus 20:3 ; Leviticus 21:4 ; Leviticus 21:6 ; Leviticus 21:9 (twice), Leviticus 21:12 ; Leviticus 21:15 ; Leviticus 21:23 , Leviticus 22:2 ; Leviticus 22:9 ; Leviticus 22:15 ; Leviticus 22:32 , and Ezek. (about 30 times,—6 times, as here, of the sabbath, viz. Ezekiel 20:13 ; Ezekiel 20:16 ; Ezekiel 20:21 ; Ezekiel 20:24 , Ezekiel 22:8 , Ezekiel 23:38 : so Isaiah 56:2 , Nehemiah 13:18 ). In P only once ( Numbers 18:32 ). shall surely be put to death ] cf., in the Book of the Covenant, Exodus 21:12 ; Exodus 21:14-17 , Exodus 22:19 ; and in H, for various moral and religious offences, Leviticus 20:2 ; Leviticus 20:9-13 ; Leviticus 20:15-16 ; Leviticus 20:27 ; Leviticus 24:16-17 (for murder). In Numbers 15:32-36 (P) this penalty for sabbath-breaking is said to have been inflicted. that soul , &c.] See on Exodus 12:15 , and Exodus 30:33 .

The word occurs in the same sense Leviticus 8:15 (of the altar, as here), Leviticus 14:49 (of a leprous house), Leviticus 14:52 , Numbers 19:19 (RV. purify ); Ezekiel 43:20 ; Ezekiel 43:22 (twice), 23 (all of the altar, Ezekiel 45:18 (of the sanctuary); Psalm 51:7 ( purge )†; and in the reflexive conj., Numbers 8:21 ; Numbers 19:12 (twice), Numbers 19:13 , Numbers 19:20 , Numbers 31:19-20 ; Numbers 31:23 †. by thy making (marg.) atonement for it ] on account of its being regarded as infected with sin. For other cases of ‘atonement’ being made for a material object—regarded either as affected by the natural impurity of human workmanship, or as tainted by contact with a sinful people—see (of the altar of burnt-offering) Lev Exo 8:15 (the execution of the present injunction), Ezekiel 43:20 ; Ezekiel 43:26 , Leviticus 16:18 ; Leviticus 16:20 ; Leviticus 16:33 ; (of the altar of incense) ch. Exodus 30:10 b; (of the sanctuary) Ezekiel 45:20 , Leviticus 16:16 ; Leviticus 16:20 ; Leviticus 16:33 ; (of a leprous house) Leviticus 14:53 ( DB. iv. 131b). thou shalt anoint it ] Cf. Lev Exo 8:11 (in the insertion referred to on v. 7 above, between the words corresponding to v. 7a and v. 7b here). See on Exodus 30:26-29 (at the end). 36, 37. The altar to be fitted for sacred uses by atonement being made for it: the ceremony to be repeated, like the installation-ceremony, every day for seven days.

[Reformed Biblical] is, Those idols and idolatries will defile you and make you worse, but I only and my service will sanctify you and make you better. Leviticus 20:9 For, or, surely, as that particle, chi, is oft used, as Job_8:6 20:20. So there needs no dispute about the connexion, or what this is a reason of. Curseth; which is not meant of every perverse expression, but of bitter reproaches or imprecations. Or his mother; Heb. and put for or, as hath been noted before. ## His blood shall be upon him; he is guilty of his own death; he deserves to die for so unnatural a crime. Leviticus 20:10 Leviticus 20:11 Leviticus 20:12 By perverting the order which God hath appointed, and mixing the blood which God would have separated, and making the same offspring both his own immediate child and his grandchild, ## they have wrought confusion. Leviticus 20:13 Except the one party was forced by the other. See Deu_22:25. Leviticus 20:14 ## It is wickedness, i.e. abominable and extraordinary wickedness, as the singularity of the punishment showeth. ## Both he and they; either, or both or all of them, if they consented to it. Leviticus 20:15 Partly, for the prevention of monstrous births; partly, to blot out the memory of so loathsome a crime; and partly, th at by so severe a punishment of that creature which was only a passive instrument to man’s sin,