Leviticus 15:11
in Leviticus 15If the man with the discharge touches anyone without first rinsing his hands with water, the one who was touched must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And whomsoever he that hath the issue toucheth, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
KJV
And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
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This verse in Leviticus 15
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd whomsoever he toucheth - Here we find that the saliva, sitting on the same seat, lying on the same bed, riding on the same saddle, or simple contact, was sufficient to render the person unclean, meaning, possibly, in certain cases, to communicate the disorder; and it is well known that in all these ways the contagion of this disorder may be communicated. Is it not even possible that the effluvia from the body of an infected person may be the means of communicating the disease?
This site's exposition
sits on furniture on which the man with the discharge was sitting
on Leviticus 15:6-12
The uncleanness passes through his furniture, body, spit, saddle, touch and vessels. Verse 11 sets one exception, since his touch defiles only when he has not first rinsed his hands.
This site's exposition
without first rinsing his hands with water
The BSB makes the man with the discharge the one who rinses his hands. John Wesley took the rinsing to belong to the person touched, who could wash at once and escape the more laborious course. Adam Clarke reads the contact rules as a guard against contagion.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And hath not rinsed - That is, the person touched, to whom the washing of his hands is prescribed, if speedily done; but if that was neglected, a more labourious course was enjoined.
And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue,....
When he was cured of the disease, yet he could not be cleansed from the pollution without a sacrifice, for which he was to prepare himself by seven days' expectation after he was perfectly clear from his distemper, and by bathing in spring water,
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Anyone who touches anything which is beneath him shall be impure until the evening.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכֹ֨ל | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | [one] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִגַּע־ | yiga'- | he will touch | H5060 → | 150 times |
| בּוֹ֙ | bo | <in> <the> him | ||
| הַזָּ֔ב | hazav | the [one] discharging | H2100 → | 42 times |
| וְיָדָ֖יו | veyadav | and hands his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁטַ֣ף | shataf | he has rinsed | H7857 → | 31 times |
| בַּמָּ֑יִם | bamayim | with <the> water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְכִבֶּ֧ס | vekhibes | and he will wash | H3526 → | 51 times |
| בְּגָדָ֛יו | begadav | garments his | H899 → | 217 times |
| וְרָחַ֥ץ | verachatz | and he will wash | H7364 → | 72 times |
| בַּמַּ֖יִם | bamayim | with <the> water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְטָמֵ֥א | vetame' | and he will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָעָֽרֶב׃ | haarev | the evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
וְכֹ֨לand every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֤ר[one] whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִגַּע־he will touch
yiga'-H5060 →150 times
בּוֹ֙<in> <the> him
bo
הַזָּ֔בthe [one] discharging
hazavH2100 →42 times
וְיָדָ֖יוand hands his
veyadavH3027 →1618 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁטַ֣ףhe has rinsed
shatafH7857 →31 times
בַּמָּ֑יִםwith <the> water
bamayimH4325 →581 times
וְכִבֶּ֧סand he will wash
vekhibesH3526 →51 times
בְּגָדָ֛יוgarments his
begadavH899 →217 times
וְרָחַ֥ץand he will wash
verachatzH7364 →72 times
בַּמַּ֖יִםwith <the> water
bamayimH4325 →581 times
וְטָמֵ֥אand he will be unclean
vetame'H2930 →162 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הָעָֽרֶב׃the evening
haarevH6153 →134 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.