Keraia
Leviticus 15

Leviticus 15:16

The Cleansing of Men · Leviticus 15:13–18
Read Leviticus 15

Translations

Modern
When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
Traditional
And if any man’s seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.
Literal
And if a man’s seed from lying goes out from him, then he shall wash in the water all his flesh, and he shall be unclean until the evening.
Latin
Vir de quo egreditur semen coitus, lavabit aqua omne corpus suum: et immundus erit usque ad vesperum.

Original

Hebrew
English
When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean until evening.

Notes

Leviticus 15:16–17

In the case of an emission of semen, the discharge was not a sign of illness (see study note on Leviticus 15:1–33). But the same rule applied. The man had to wash and was ceremonially unclean until the next evening.

Leviticus 15:1–33

The idea of normal and abnormal, along with the created order, helps interpret these rules (see “Clean, Unclean, and Holy” Theme Note). Bodily discharges, like infections (see study note on Leviticus 13:1–46), were not considered "normal" because they weakened a person's health. This made the person seem incomplete. Whether male (15:1–18) or female (15:19–33), such a person became unclean.

Glossary

Bathe, Bathing Biblical Concept of Law Blood, Flow of Cleanness and Uncleanness, Regulations Concerning Deuteronomy, Book of Hemorrhage History of Israel John the Baptist Law of Moses Leviticus, Book of Medicine and Medical Practice Offerings and Sacrifices Priesthood Worship

Topics

Defilement: Caused by Spermatorrhea Masturbation Purification: Scriptures Relating To Sanitation: Contagion Sanitation: Disinfection Sanitation: Venereal Diseases Spermatorrhea: A Disease of the Genital Organs