1I korero ano a Ihowa ki a Mohi raua ko Arona, i mea, 2Korero ki nga tama a Iharaira, mea atu ki a ratou, Ki te mea he rere to tetahi tangata, no roto i tona kikokiko, e poke ana ia i tona rere. 3A ko tona poke tenei i a ia e rere mai: ahakoa rere te rere o tona kikokiko, ahakoa kua mimiti te rere o tona kikokiko, he mea whakapoke tena i a ia. 4He poke nga moenga katoa e takoto ai te tangata i te rere: ka poke ano hoki nga mea katoa e noho ai ia. 5Ki te pa hoki tetahi ki tona moenga, me horoi e ia ona kakahu, me ia ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 6Ki te noho hoki tetahi ki runga ki tetahi mea i nohoia e te tangata i te rere, me horoi e ia ona kakahu, me ia ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 7A ki te pa tetahi ki te kikokiko o te tangata i te rere, me horoi e ia ona kakahu, me ia ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 8A ki te tuwha atu te tangata i te rere ki tetahi tangata pokekore, na me horoi e ia ona kakahu, me ia ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 9Me te nohoanga hoiho i nohoia e te tangata he rere tona, kua poke. 10Na he mea no raro i a ia, ko te tangata i pa atu, kua poke a ahiahi noa: ki te mauria hoki e tetahi tetahi o aua mea, me horoi ona kakahu, me ia ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki a ahiahi noa. 11Na, ko te tangata i pa tera i te rere ki a ia, a kihai i horoia ona ringa ki te wai, me horoi ona kahu, me ia ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 12Me wawahi ano hoki te oko oneone i pangia e te tangata he rere tona: ko nga oko rakau katoa ia me horoi ki te wai. 13A e purea i tona rere te tangata he rere tona, na me tatau e ia nga rangi e whitu mo tona purenga, na ka horoia e ia ona kakahu, me horoi ano hoki tona kikokiko ki te wai rere, a ka kore ona poke. 14A i te waru o nga ra me tiki e ia, kia rua nga kukupa, kia rua ranei nga pi kukupa, a ka haere ki te aroaro o Ihowa ki te whatitoka o te tapenakara o te whakaminenga, ka hoatu ai ki te tohunga: 15Katahi ka whakaherea aua mea e te tohunga, tetahi hei whakahere hara, tetahi hoki hei tahunga tinana; a ka whakamarie te tohunga mona ki te aroaro o Ihowa mo tona rere. 16Ki te paheke mai hoki te purapura moenga o tetahi tangata, na, me horoi e ia tona tinana katoa ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 17Me horoi ano hoki ki te wai nga kakahu katoa, me nga hiako kei aua mea nei te purapura moenga, ka poke hoki aua mea a ahiahi noa. 18Ki te moe maori hoki tetahi tangata ki tetahi wahine, me horoi raua ki te wai, ka poke hoki raua a ahiahi noa. 19A ki te mea he rere to tetahi wahine, a he toto te rere o tona kikokiko, me whakamotuhake kia whitu nga ra: ka poke ano hoki nga tangata katoa e pa ana ki a ia a ahiahi noa. 20Ka poke ano nga mea katoa e takotoria ana e ia i tona whakamotuhaketanga; ka poke ano nga mea katoa e noho ai ia. 21Ki te pa hoki tetahi ki tona moenga, me horoi e ia ona kakahu, a ia ake ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 22Ki te pa atu hoki tetahi ki tetahi mea i noho ai ia, me horoi e ia ona kakahu, a ia ake ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 23Ahakoa i runga taua mea i te moenga, i runga ranei i tetahi mea e nohoia ana e ia, ki te pa atu tetahi, ka poke ia a ahiahi noa. 24Ki te takoto hoki tetahi tangata ki a ia, a ka mau ki a ia ona whakapoke, ka poke, e whitu nga ra: ka poke katoa ano nga moenga katoa e takoto ai ia. 25A ki te maha nga ra o te rerenga toto o tetahi wahine, a ehara i te wa e paheke ai, ki te roa atu ranei te rerenga i to te wa e paheke ai; ka pera ano me nga ra o tona paheketanga nga ra katoa e rere ai tona whakapoke; ka poke ia. 26Ka pera ano ki a ia me te moenga o tona paheketanga nga moenga katoa e takoto ai ia i nga ra katoa e rere ai: ka poke ano hoki nga mea katoa e noho ai ia, ka rite ki te whakapoke o tona paheketanga. 27Ka poke ano hoki te tangata e pa ana ki aua mea, me horoi ano hoki e ia ona kakahu, a ia ake ano hoki me horoi ki te wai, ka poke hoki ia a ahiahi noa. 28Otiia ki te mea kua whakapokekoretia taua wahine i te rere, katahi ka taua e ia nga rangi e whitu, a muri iho ka kore ona poke. 29A i te waru o nga ra me tiki e ia kia rua nga kukupa, kia rua ranei pi kukupa mana, a ka kawea ki te tohunga, ki te whatitoka o te tapenakara o te whakaminenga. 30A me whakahere tetahi e te tohunga hei whakahere hara, me tetahi hoki hei tahunga tinana, a ka whakamarie te tohunga mona ki te aroaro o Ihowa mo te rere o tona whakapoke. 31Na me pena ta koutou wehe i nga tama a Iharaira i o ratou whakapoke; kei mate ratou i o ratou poke, ina whakapokea e ratou toku tapenakara e tu na i roto i a ratou. 32Ko te ture tenei mo te tangata he rere tona, mo te tangata hoki kua paheke atu tona purapura moenga, a poke iho; 33Mo te wahine hoki e paheke ana, mo te tangata hoki he rere tona, mo te tane raua ko te wahine, mo te tangata hoki i takoto ki te wahine poke.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 We have here the law concerning the ceremonial uncleanness that was contracted by running issues in men. It is called in the margin (
Lev 15:2) the
running of the reins: a very grievous and loathsome disease, which was, usually the effect and consequent of wantonness and uncleanness, and a dissolute course of life, filling men's bones with the sins of their youth, and leaving them to mourn at the last, when all the pleasures of their wickedness have vanished, and nothing remains but the pain and anguish of a rotten carcase and a wounded conscience. And what fruit has the sinner then of those things whereof he has so much reason to be ashamed?
Roma 6:21. As modesty is
an ornament of grace to the head and chains about the neck, so chastity is
health to the navel and marrow to the bones; but uncleanness is a
wound and dishonour, the consumption of the flesh and the body, and a sin which is often its own punishment more than any other. It was also sometimes inflicted by the righteous hand of God for other sins, as appears by David's imprecation of a curse upon the family of Joab, for the murder of Abner.
2Sam 3:29,
Let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or is a leper. A vile disease for vile deserts. Now whoever had this disease upon him, 1. He was himself unclean,
Lev 15:2. He must not dare to come near the sanctuary, it was at his peril if he did, nor might he eat of the holy things. This signified the filthiness of sin, and of all the productions of our corrupt nature, which render us odious to God's holiness, and utterly unfit for communion with him. Out of a pure heart well kept are the issues of life (
Prov 4:23), but out of an unclean heart comes that which is defiling,
Matt 12:34,
Matt 12:35. 2. He made every person and thing unclean that he touched, or that touched him,
Lev 15:4-
Lev 15:12. His bed, and his chair, and his saddle, and every thing that belonged to him, could not be touched without a ceremonial uncleanness contracted, which a man must remain conscious to himself of till sunset, and from which he could not be cleansed without washing his clothes, and bathing his flesh in water. This signified the contagion of sin, the danger we are in of being polluted by conversing with those that are polluted, and the need we have with the utmost circumspection to
save ourselves from this untoward generation. 3. When he was cured of the disease, yet he could not be cleansed from the pollution without a sacrifice, for which he was to prepare himself by seven days' expectation after he was perfectly clear from his distemper, and by bathing in spring water,
Lev 15:13-
Lev 15:15. This signified the great gospel duties of faith and repentance, and the great gospel privileges of the application of Christ's blood to our souls for our justification and his grace for our sanctification. God has promised to sprinkle clean water upon us, and to cleanse us from all our filthiness, and has appointed us by repentance to wash and make ourselves clean: he has also provided a sacrifice of atonement, and requires us by faith to interest ourselves in that sacrifice; for it is
the blood of Christ his Son that cleanses us from all sin, and by which atonement is made for us, that we may have admission into God's presence and may partake of his favour.
19 This is concerning the ceremonial uncleanness which women lay under from their issues, both those that were regular and healthful, and according to the course of nature (
Lev 15:19-
Lev 15:24), and those that were unseasonable, excessive, and the disease of the body; such was the bloody issue of that poor woman who was suddenly cured by touching the hem of Christ's garment, after she had lain twelve years under her distemper, and had spent her estate upon physicians and physic in vain. This made the woman that was afflicted with it unclean (
Lev 15:25) and every thing she touched unclean,
Lev 15:26,
Lev 15:27. And if she was cured, and found by seven days' trial that she was perfectly free from her issue of blood, she was to be cleansed by the offering of two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, to make an atonement for her,
Lev 15:28,
Lev 15:29. All wicked courses, particularly idolatries, are compared to the uncleanness of a
removed woman (
Ezek 36:17), and, in allusion to this, it is said of Jerusalem (
Lam 1:9),
Her filthiness is in her skirts, so that (as it follows,
Lev 15:17) she was shunned as a menstruous woman.
I. The reasons given for all these laws (which we are ready to think might very well have been spared) we have,
Lev 15:31. 1.
Thus shall you separate the children of Israel (for to them only and their servants and proselytes these laws pertained)
from their uncleanness; that is, (1.) By these laws they were taught their privilege and honour, that they were
purified unto God a peculiar people, and were intended by the holy God for a kingdom of priests, a holy nation; for that was a defilement to them which was not so to others. (2.) They were also taught their duty, which was to preserve the honour of their purity, and to keep themselves from all sinful pollutions. It was easy for them to argue that if those pollutions which were natural, unavoidable, involuntary, their affliction and not their sin, rendered them for the time so odious that they were not fit for communion either with God or man, much more abominable and filthy were they if they sinned against the light and law of nature, by drunkenness, adultery, fraud, and the like sins, which defile the very mind and conscience. And, if these ceremonial pollutions could not be done away but by sacrifice and offering, something greater and much more valuable must be expected and depended upon for the purifying of the soul from the uncleanness of sin. 2. Thus their dying in their uncleanness by the hand of God's justice, if while they were under any of these defilements they should come near the sanctuary, would be prevented. Note, It is a dangerous thing to die in our uncleanness; and it is our own fault if we do, since we have not only fair warning given us, by God's law, against those things that will defile us, but also such gracious provision made by his gospel for our cleansing if at any time we be defiled. 3. In all these laws there seems to be a special regard had to the honour of the tabernacle, to which none must approach in their uncleanness, that they
defile not my tabernacle. Infinite Wisdom took this course to preserve in the minds of that careless people a continual dread of, and veneration for, the manifestations of God's glory and presence among them in his sanctuary. Now that the tabernacle of God was with men familiarity would be apt to breed contempt, and therefore the law made so many things of frequent incidence to be ceremonial pollutions, and to involve an incapacity of drawing near to the sanctuary (making death the penalty), that so they might not approach without great caution, and reverence, and serious preparation, and fear of being found unfit. Thus they were taught never to draw near to God but with an awful humble sense of their distance and danger, and an exact observance of every thing that was required in order to their safety and acceptance.
II. And what duty must we learn from all this? 1. Let us bless God that we are not under the yoke of these carnal ordinances, that, as nothing can destroy us, so nothing can defile us, but sin. Those may now partake of the Lord's supper who durst not then eat of the peace-offerings. And the defilement we contract by our sins of daily infirmity we may be cleansed from in secret by the renewed acts of repentance and faith, without bathing in water or bringing an offering to the door of the tabernacle. 2. Let us carefully abstain from all sin, as defiling to the conscience, and particularly from all fleshly lusts,
possessing our vessel in sanctification and honour, and not in the lusts of uncleanness, which not only pollute the soul, but
war against it, and threaten its ruin. 3. Let us all see how indispensably necessary real holiness is to our future happiness, and get our hearts purified by faith, that we may see God. Perhaps it is in allusion to these laws which forbade the unclean to approach the sanctuary that when it is asked,
Who shall stand in God's holy place? it is answered,
He that hath clean hands and a pure heart (
Pss 24:3,
Pss 24:4); for
without holiness no man shall see the Lord.