Question 1

What does it mean when the man with an issue is cleansed of his issue?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says a man with an issue is “cleansed of his issue,” it means the physical problem has stopped. The flow has ended and he can see that the sickness is no longer active. Even then, he is not instantly counted clean for worship. He must wait seven clear days with no further discharge, wash his clothes, bathe in running water, and then on the eighth day bring two birds for sacrifice. Only after this process is he fully restored to ceremonial cleanness.

Question 2

Why did the man have to wait seven days and then bring two birds on the eighth day?

Accepted Answer

The seven days showed that the man’s healing was real and lasting, not just a brief pause. Those days had to be free from any further uncleanness. Washing his clothes and bathing in running water pictured a thorough outward cleansing. On the eighth day he brought two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. These sacrifices showed that his condition needed atonement before God, not just physical healing, and marked his return to full worship.

Question 3

What is the meaning of washing in running water in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Washing in running water showed a stronger kind of cleansing than just using stored water. It gave a picture of fresh, living water carrying away uncleanness. The man washed his body and his clothes to mark a complete break from what had made him unclean. This outward act pointed to the need for a deeper cleansing from God. It reminded Israel that uncleanness clings to us and must be washed away, and that God himself provides the way for true cleansing.

Question 4

Why was there a sin offering if the issue itself was not always a sin?

Accepted Answer

The passage treats the issue as a ceremonial uncleanness, not always as a personal act of sin. Still, it required a sin offering and a burnt offering. This shows that even when the problem is a weakness or sickness, it still keeps a person from God’s holy presence. The sin offering dealt with guilt and distance from God. The burnt offering pictured a life given back to God. Together they teach that only through atonement and surrender can someone fully return to worship and fellowship.

Question 5

What does it mean to be unclean until the evening after an emission?

Accepted Answer

When a man had an emission of seed, or when a couple had intercourse, they had to wash in water and were counted unclean until evening. This did not mean the act of marriage was sinful. It meant that, for a time, they could not take part in holy things. The waiting period drew a clear line between everyday bodily life and God’s worship. At sunset the uncleanness ended, showing that God set boundaries for approaching him, yet also made a simple way back to normal life.

Question 6

Why did garments and skins with seed on them need washing?

Accepted Answer

Any garment or skin that had seed on it had to be washed in water and was unclean until evening. This showed that uncleanness could spread from the body to things it touched. Washing these items kept the camp and the place of worship from being casually polluted. It taught Israel to be careful about bodily fluids and to respect God’s holiness in very practical ways. The rule covered common items, reminding everyone that even ordinary things belonged under God’s care.

Question 7

Why were both man and woman unclean after lying together?

Accepted Answer

When a man and woman had intercourse, both were to bathe in water and were unclean until evening. This applied even within marriage. The act itself was lawful, but the passage connects human sexuality with uncleanness that needs washing. It shows that human nature is weak and that the way life is passed on also passes on human corruption. The short period of uncleanness and the simple washing kept people mindful of God’s holiness while not treating marital intimacy as shameful in itself.

Question 8

How does this passage show the seriousness of uncleanness and sin?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that uncleanness was not a small matter. A bodily issue kept a person from holy things, spread to others by touch, and required days of waiting, careful washing, and sacrifice. It paints a picture of how sin and impurity cling to us and affect those around us. The need for running water and atonement teaches that people cannot clean themselves by effort alone. God himself provides both the way to be washed and the sacrifice needed to restore fellowship with him.

Leviticus 15:13

And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

The Cleansing of Men

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Leviticus 15:13

And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

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The Cleansing of Men

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