Verses 1-33

Discharges from sexual organs (15:1-33)

Strict precautions were to be taken when a man was found to have venereal disease or some other infection connected with his sexual organs, to prevent the infection spreading to others (15:1-12). After apparent healing, the man had to wait a further week to ensure he was fully healed. He then carried out cleansing rites, offering a sin offering and a burnt offering (13-15).

After sexual intercourse, ceremonial uncleanness remained only till evening and was removed by bathing (16-18). A woman was ceremonially unclean for seven days during her normal menstruation, and again it seems that the uncleanness was removed by bathing (19-24). If she suffered from abnormal or lengthy discharge, she was not ceremonially clean till seven days after her return to normal health. In this case a sin offering and a burnt offering were also required (25-33).