Leviticus 15:23
And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Laws concerning various bodily discharges, emphasizing that approaching God's holy presence requires ritual purity. Chapters 11-15 address ritual purity, teaching Israel to distinguish clean from unclean. These laws served multiple purposes: promoting health, teaching spiritual lessons about sin's defilement, and separating Israel from pagan practices. Archaeological evidence shows Canaanite worship involved practices Israel's laws explicitly prohibited. Israel received these laws while encamped at Sinai, before entering Canaan. The laws prepared them for life in the promised land, distinguishing them from Canaanite practices and establishing their identity as God's holy nation. The portable tabernacle, central to Levitical worship, accompanied them through wilderness wanderings and eventually found permanent form in Solomon's temple. The tabernacle's design parallels ancient Near Eastern temple architecture, yet its portable nature and absence of divine images distinguished it from pagan temples.
Questions for Reflection
- How can you develop greater spiritual discernment in distinguishing what honors God from what defiles?
- In what practical ways should this verse influence your church life, family relationships, or personal integrity?
- How does this verse reveal God's character, and how should that revelation shape your relationship with Him?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.
This verse falls within the section on Bodily Discharges. Laws concerning various bodily discharges, emphasizing that approaching God's holy presence requires ritual purity.
Ritual purity laws taught Israel to distinguish between clean and unclean, holy and common, training them in discernment and reverence for God's presence.
The New Testament reveals that Christ's sacrifice accomplishes what the Levitical system could only symbolize—complete forgiveness and restoration of relationship with God.