Bible Strands
Leviticus 15:6
Whoever sits on furniture on which the man with the discharge was sitting must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite community in the wilderness camp, outlining purity regulations following the broader discharge laws. The instruction specifically targets anyone who shares seating with a person suffering from a bodily discharge.
The words — יֵשֵׁב (ye.Shev) denotes the act of sitting, while יְכַבֵּס (ye.kha.Bes) commands the physical washing required to remove ritual contamination. These verbs establish the direct sequence of contact followed by prescribed cleansing.
The thread — This contact-and-washing pattern repeats in Leviticus 15:5 and 15:7, and later resurfaces in Isaiah 1:16 and James 4:8 regarding cleansing and drawing near to God. The text consistently pairs physical washing with a temporary period of uncleanness before restoration.
Why it lands — The passage requires immediate laundering and bathing for anyone who sits on furniture used by an unclean person, mandating separation until evening. It asks the reader to accept that ritual contamination transfers through direct contact and is resolved only through obedience to the washing protocol.
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 he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 1:16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
- James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.