Bible Strands
Leviticus 15:5
Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses delivers ritual purity regulations to Israel concerning a man with a bodily discharge. The text addresses anyone who comes into physical contact with objects used by that man.
The words — יִגַּע (yi.Ga') means "he will touch," and בְּמִשְׁכָּבוֹ (be./mish.ka.V/o) translates to "his bed." The verse states that touching the contaminated bed triggers an immediate requirement to wash garments and bathe.
The thread — Leviticus 11:25 requires washing clothes after handling carcasses, Leviticus 16:26 mandates washing for the man who releases the scapegoat, and Leviticus 17:15 prescribes washing for anyone eating carrion. Each passage ties physical cleansing to a specific ritual scenario, though the duration of the resulting impurity differs by context.
Why it lands — The text commands that contact with the bed renders a person unclean until evening, requiring immediate laundering and bathing. It establishes a clear boundary where physical proximity to ritual impurity demands concrete purification before normal activity resumes.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 11:25 and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Leviticus 16:26 The man who released the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may reenter the camp.
- Leviticus 17:15 And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.
- Leviticus 11:28 and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.
- Leviticus 11:32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.
- Leviticus 13:6 The priest will examine him again on the seventh day, and if the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is a rash. The person must wash his clothes and be clean.
- Leviticus 13:34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scaly outbreak, and if it has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest is to pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes, and he will be clean.
- Leviticus 14:8 The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
- Leviticus 14:27 and sprinkle with his right forefinger some of the oil in his left palm seven times before the LORD.
- Leviticus 14:46 Anyone who enters the house during any of the days that it is closed up will be unclean until evening.