The parade of uncleanliness marches on into chapter 15 where we conclude with discharges from the human body, specifically those related to reproduction. There has been a bit of a progression here when it comes to the duration of uncleanliness. For example, in chapter 11 certain animals were permanently unclean, chapter 12 describes uncleanliness related to childbirth that could extend for up to 80 days. Then we have the variable uncleanliness for those with skin diseases. And that leads us here, uncleanliness related to reproduction, often having an impact of a wash and a single night’s wait.
Chapter 15 is set up as a chiasm, a pattern often used in Hebrew writing to show either an emphasis (the point in the middle) or to indicate a sense of balance. In this instance, it is both. The section is talking about A) Long-term male discharge and sacrificial cleansing, B) Short-term male discharge and intercourse, B) Short-term female discharge and intercourse, A) Long-term female discharge and sacrificial cleansing. Although obviously the genders have different plumbing and the discharges are expressed in different ways. they are complementary (balance) and meet ultimately meet together intercourse (the B section, a point of emphasis).
For long-term male discharges, we’re talking some kind of emission from the penis that is unhealthy and possibly obstructing. Although not exclusive to it, many commentators believe it could cover diseases like gonorrhea. Regardless, the point is clear, if there’s a persistent flow of something that isn’t urine and isn’t supposed to be going on that long, that’s what we’re talking about. In reaction, the man is unclean. And not only is the man unclean, but basically anything that he touches or that comes into contact with undercarriage is unclean. If another person touches the man, is spit on by him, uses his saddle, sits on his chair, etc., must wash and then he’ll be clean until evening. The persistent-discharge fella obviously isn’t clean until the discharge stops. Once it does, he waits 7 days, washes his clothes and himself, and then he’s clean. On the eighth day, he does the sacrifice necessary to cleanse the temple and the sin offering and he’s good to go.
Next we have short-term male discharges. This is your run of the mill ejaculation, regardless of whether it is part of the deed or not. Everyone and thing that is involved with the semen (clothes, ladies, etc.) needs washed and then is clean in the evening. This is a good time to note that this emission of semen isn’t sinful, it’s just something that causes someone to not be in a pure state so to approach a holy God so things have to be done to restore that. Notice there are no sacrifices here, just a wash and wait. Also, note that the impact of this kind of situation is that those who were involved in worship or who were fighting in God’s holy wars were not permitted to have sex.
Then there’s short-term female discharges. Here we’re talking about the woman’s menstrual cycle. The period of time for the uncleanness is longer here, practically because the cycle lasts longer then how long the emission of semen takes. And like the man’s short term discharge, there is no sacrifice necessary at the conclusion of the waiting time, just a wash and then they are clean. However, if a man has sex with a woman and her period arrives during the act, he is unclean for the 7 days and then has a wash and is clean. (Having sex while knowing she’s on her period is forbidden elsewhere in Leviticus so this has to be talking about an unforeseen circumstance). Like men, being unclean in this way is not an indication of sinfulness, cleanliness indicates boundaries of action. As long as those rules are followed (i.e., not going to the tabernacle when unclean), there is no guilt.
In our modern times, the length of time and the restriction of not touching anyone (lest you make them unclean) for ladies seems particularly restrictive. However, it is at least worth considering that would only impact ladies who were 1.) old enough to have a period but not old enough to have stopped 2.) women who weren’t pregnant (who don’t have a period), and 3.) ladies who are not nursing a baby (periods take longer to return when a woman is breastfeeding). For a society that saw children as a blessing, pregnancy and nursing were a constant condition. Thus, the greatest impact of these was upon unmarried younger ladies.
The long-term discharge refers to menstruation that happens perpetually or longer than the normal cycle. As long as it lasts, the woman is unclean as is anything she touches. This is what is going on with the woman who had bleeding for 12 years in Mark 5. Like the persistent emissions from a man, the woman here is unclean until the bleeding stops, at which time she does the purification and sin offerings and all is well. In general, the purification sacrifices seem to be necessary when the uncleanness lasts longer than a week.
What’s the purpose of these? Well, we can recognize that the holy should not mix with the unclean, it brings death. For the nation to know what is unclean, God had to tell them. Even seemingly normal actions, although not sinful, still make someone not not clean so they are being warned lest they inadvertently make the situation much worse by transgressing the purity of God and the tabernacle while unclean.
But that doesn’t answer the question of why these situations make them unclean to begin with. It is worth noting that many cultures of that time saw these same things as restricting people in some way in whatever their cultic practice is. Some have proposed it is for hygienic reasons, which does make sense in the long-term discharge situations. In effect it ends up as a bit of a quarantine, limiting interaction between people and potentially materials that have been exposed to the uncleanness or disease. However, that isn’t entirely satisfactory, or at least not consistent, as the reaction to short-term discharges for either men or women. Others have proposed symbolic explanations.
Most satisfactory, at least in my mind, is a thought that is consistent with how we have been thinking about clean/unclean in the other chapters, which are evaluations or comparisons to things that are “normal” or as God intended. In this case, “life fluids” that leave the body make that person to not be in their complete state, So, at least for a time, they are unclean. But just as the short-term issues are natural, so are the resolutions (wash and wait). Where the longer term issues are abnormal, they are associated with waiting, washing, and sacrificing to purify the tabernacle due to the presence of that uncleanliness in the camp.