Leviticus 15:2

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"Speak to the children of Yisra'el, and tell them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean.

King James Version
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

Lexham English Bible
"Speak to the Israelites, and you shall say to them, ‘Any man when a fluid discharge occurs from his body, his fluid discharge is unclean.

New Century Version
"Say to the people of Israel: ‘When a fluid comes from a person's body, the fluid is unclean.

New English Translation
"Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

Amplified Bible
"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When any man has a bodily discharge, his discharge is unclean.

New American Standard Bible
"Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, Whosoeuer hath an issue from his flesh, is vncleane, because of his issue.

Legacy Standard Bible
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

Contemporary English Version
to say to the community of Israel: Any man with an infected penis is unclean,

Complete Jewish Bible
"Tell the people of Isra'el, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, the discharge is unclean.

Darby Translation
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man have a flux from his flesh, because of his flux he is unclean.

Easy-to-Read Version
"Say to the Israelites: Whoever has a genital discharge is unclean.

English Standard Version
"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

George Lamsa Translation
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, When any man has a seminal discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean,

Good News Translation
for the people of Israel. When any man has a discharge from his penis, the discharge is unclean,

Christian Standard Bible®
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any man has a discharge from his member, he is unclean.

Literal Translation
Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them, to any man, When there is an issue from his flesh; it is unclean because of his issue.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Speake to the children of Israel, and saie vnto him: Whan a man hath a runnynge yssue from out of his flesh, ye same is vncleane: but the is he vncleane by the reason of this yssue,

American Standard Version
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath an issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

Bible in Basic English
Say to the children of Israel: If a man has an unclean flow from his flesh, it will make him unclean.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them: Whosoeuer hath a runnyng issue out of his fleshe, is vncleane by reason of that issue.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man hath an issue out of his flesh, his issue is unclean.

King James Version (1611)
Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, when any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is vncleane.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whatever man shall have an issue out of his body, his issue is unclean.

English Revised Version
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath an issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

Berean Standard Bible
"Say to the Israelites, 'When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Speke ye to the sones of Israel, and seie ye to hem, A man that suffrith the rennyng out of seed, schal be vncleene;

Young's Literal Translation
`Speak unto the sons of Israel, and ye have said unto them, When there is an issue out of the flesh of any man, [for] his issue he [is] unclean;

Update Bible Version
Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, When any man has discharging out of his flesh a [genital] discharge, he is unclean.

Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, [because of] his issue he [is] unclean.

World English Bible
"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean.

New King James Version
"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

New Living Translation
"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. "Any man who has a bodily discharge is ceremonially unclean.

New Life Bible
"Say to the people of Israel, ‘When a man has something flowing from his body, what is flowing is unclean.

New Revised Standard
Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When any man has a discharge from his member, his discharge makes him ceremonially unclean.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Speak unto the sons of Israel, and ye shall say unto them, - When, any man whatsoever, hath a flowing from his flesh, his flux, is, unclean.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The man that hath an issue of seed, shall be unclean.

Revised Standard Version
"Say to the people of Israel, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

Contextual Overview

¹ God spoke to Moses and Aaron: "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When a man has a discharge from his genitals, the discharge is unclean. Whether it comes from a seepage or an obstruction he is unclean. He is unclean all the days his body has a seepage or an obstruction. ⁴"Every bed on which he lies is ritually unclean, everything on which he sits is unclean. If someone touches his bed or sits on anything he's sat on, or touches the man with the discharge, he has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening. ⁸"If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person has to wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening. Every saddle on which the man with the discharge rides is unclean. Whoever touches anything that has been under him becomes unclean until evening. Anyone who carries such an object must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening. If the one with the discharge touches someone without first rinsing his hands with water, the one touched must wash his clothes and bathe with water; he remains unclean until evening. ¹² "If a pottery container is touched by someone with a discharge, you must break it; a wooden article is to be rinsed in water. ¹³"When a person with a discharge is cleansed from it, he is to count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe in running water. Then he is clean. On the eighth day he is to take two doves or two pigeons and come before God at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest. The priest then offers one as an Absolution-Offering and one as a Whole-Burnt-Offering and makes atonement for him in the presence of God because of his discharge. ¹⁶"When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his entire body in water; he remains unclean until evening. Every piece of clothing and everything made of leather which gets semen on it must be washed with water; it remains unclean until evening. When a man sleeps with a woman and has an emission of semen, both are to wash in water; they remain unclean until evening.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

unto the: Deuteronomy 4:7, Deuteronomy 4:8, Nehemiah 9:13, Nehemiah 9:14, Psalms 78:5, Psalms 147:19, Psalms 147:20, Romans 3:2

when any man: It is not necessary to consider particularly the laws contained in this chapter, the letter of the text being in general sufficiently plain. It may, however, be observed, that from the pains which persons rendered unclean were obliged to take, the ablutions and separations which they must observe, and the privations to which they must in consequence be exposed, in the way of commerce, traffic, etc., these laws were admirably adapted to prevent contagion of every kind, by keeping the whole from the diseased, and to hinder licentious indulgences and excesses of every description. Leviticus 22:4, Numbers 5:2, 2 Samuel 3:29, Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:25, Mark 7:20-23, Luke 8:43

running issue: or, running of the reins

Reciprocal: Leviticus 7:20 - having Zechariah 13:1 - uncleanness

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"

Genesis 15:2
Abram said, " God , Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all."

Genesis 15:4
Then God 's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir."

Genesis 15:6
And he believed! Believed God ! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God."

Genesis 24:2
Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh and swear by God —God of Heaven, God of Earth—that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here, but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac."

Genesis 24:10
The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. He prayed, "O God , God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, ‘Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."

Genesis 25:21
Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren. God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, "If this is the way it's going to be, why go on living?" She went to God to find out what was going on. God told her, Two nations are in your womb, two peoples butting heads while still in your body. One people will overpower the other, and the older will serve the younger.

Genesis 43:19
So they went up to Joseph's house steward and talked to him in the doorway. They said, "Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy food. On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag—the exact amount we'd paid. We've brought it all back and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put the money in our bags."

Genesis 44:1
Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one's money at the top of the bag. Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered.

Psalms 127:3
Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Speak unto the children of Israel,.... From whence we learn, says the above mentioned writer, that these uncleannesses were only usual among the children of Israel, not among the Gentiles; that is, the laws respecting them were only binding on the one, and not on the other s:

and say unto them, when any man; in the Hebrew text it is, "a man, a man", which the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases, a young man, and an old man:

hath a running issue out of his flesh; what physicians call a "gonorrhoea", and we, as in the margin of our Bibles, "the running of the reins":

[because of] his issue, he [is] unclean; in a ceremonial sense, though it arises from a natural cause; but if not from any criminal one, from a debauch, but from a strain, or some such like thing, the man was not defiled, otherwise he was; the Targum of Jonathan is,

"if he sees it three times he is unclean;''

so the Misnah t.

s So Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Edaiot, c. 5. sect. 1. t Zabim, c. 1. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 15:2. When any man hath a running issue — The cases of natural uncleanness, both of men and women, mentioned in this chapter, taken in a theological point of view, are not of such importance to us as to render a particular description necessary, the letter of the text being, in general, plain enough. The disease mentioned in the former part of this chapter appears to some to have been either the consequence of a very bad infection, or of some criminal indulgence; for they find that it might be communicated in a variety of ways, which they imagine are here distinctly specified. On this ground the person was declared unclean, and all commerce and connection with him strictly forbidden. The Septuagint version renders הזב hazzab, the man with the issue, by ὁ γονορῥυης, the man with a gonorrhoea, no less than nine times in this chapter; and that it means what in the present day is commonly understood by that disorder, taken not only in its mild but in its worst sense, they think there is little room to doubt. Hence they infer that a disease which is supposed to be comparatively recent in Europe, has existed almost from time immemorial in the Asiatic countries; that it ever has been, in certain measures, what it is now; and that it ever must be the effect of sensual indulgence, and illicit and extravagant intercourse between the sexes. The disgraceful disorder referred to here is a foul blot which the justice of God in the course of providence has made in general the inseparable consequent of these criminal indulgences, and serves in some measure to correct and restrain the vice itself. In countries where public prostitution was permitted, where it was even a religious ceremony among those who were idolaters, this disease must necessarily have been frequent and prevalent. When the pollutions and libertinism of former times are considered, it seems rather strange that medical men should have adopted the opinion, and consumed so much time in endeavouring to prove it, viz., that the disease is modern. It must have existed, in certain measures, ever since prostitution prevailed in the world; and this has been in every nation of the earth from its earliest era. That the Israelites might have received it from the Egyptians, and that it must, through the Baal-peor and Ashteroth abominations which they learned and practised, have prevailed among the Moabites, c., there can be little reason to doubt. Supposing this disease to be at all hinted at here, the laws and ordinances enjoined were at once wisely and graciously calculated to remove and prevent it. By contact, contagion of every kind is readily communicated and to keep the whole from the diseased must be essential to the check and eradication of a contagious disorder. This was the wise and grand object of this enlightened Legislator in the ordinances which he lays down in this chapter. I grant, however, that it was probably of a milder kind in ancient times; that it has gained strength and virulence by continuance; and that, associated with some foreign causes, it became greatly exacerbated in Europe about 1493, the time in which some have supposed it first began to exist, though there are strong evidences of it in this country ever since the eleventh century.