Leviticus 15:24

And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) And if any man lie with her.—For committing this gross act presumptuously, both parties to it were visited with death. (See Leviticus 18:19; Leviticus 20:18.)

Benson Commentary

Leviticus 15:24. Seven days — If he did this ignorantly; but if it were done with his own knowledge, and that of the woman, they were both, after being accused and convicted, to be punished with death, Leviticus 20:18; for as there was a turpitude in the action, so it would be very prejudicial to the children should any be then begotten, as they would probably be weak or leprous. Hence an excellent author is of opinion that this law was given for this very reason, to prevent the Jews from contracting and propagating some grievous disorder. Moses, or rather God, the author of the Mosaic law, by this prohibition, as in many other instances, consulted the health and safety of his people. To this we may add, that it would have redounded to the dishonour of God, and of the true religion, if the professors thereof should give such public evidence of their intemperance.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:1-33 Laws concerning ceremonial uncleanness. - We need not be curious in explaining these laws; but have reason to be thankful that we need fear no defilement, except that of sin, nor need ceremonial and burdensome purifications. These laws remind us that God sees all things, even those which escape the notice of men. The great gospel duties of faith and repentance are here signified, and the great gospel privileges of the application of Christ's blood to our souls for our justification, and his grace for our sanctification.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This must refer to an unexpected occurrence. Intercourse during the acknowledged period was a heavy crime, and was to be punished by "cutting off" Leviticus 18:19; Leviticus 20:18; Ezekiel 18:6.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Le 15:19-33. Uncleanness of Women.

19. if a woman have an issue—Though this, like the leprosy, might be a natural affection, it was anciently considered contagious and entailed a ceremonial defilement which typified a moral impurity. This ceremonial defilement had to be removed by an appointed method of ceremonial expiation, and the neglect of it subjected any one to the guilt of defiling the tabernacle, and to death as the penalty of profane temerity.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He shall be unclean seven days, if he did this unwitingly; but if the man and woman did this knowingly, this was a gross sin, Ezekiel 18:6; and they being accused and convicted were punished with death, Leviticus 20:18; for as there was a turpitude in the action, so it was very prejudicial to the children then begotten, who were commonly weak, or leprous, or otherwise disordered; which was also an injury to the commonwealth of Israel, and redounded to the dishonour of God, and of the true religion, that the professors thereof gave such public evidence of their intemperance.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And if any man lie with her at all,.... Not presumptuously but ignorantly, as Aben Ezra observes; for he was guilty of cutting off, that lay with her wilfully, Leviticus 20:18,

and her flowers be upon her; or, "her separation" (k), her monthly courses not being ceased:

he shall be unclean seven days; and be excluded from all conversation civil and religious:

and all the bed whereon she lieth shall be unclean; that and every thing upon it; and this uncleanness also lasted seven days, as Aben Ezra notes, and defiled others, though it is not written.

(k) "menstruum ejus", Pagninus, Montanus; "separatio ejus", Drusius.

Geneva Study Bible

And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers {h} be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

(h) If any of her uncleanness touched him in the bed: for else the man that companied with such a woman should die, 20:18.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. It is generally supposed that the case treated in this verse is different from that contemplated in Leviticus 18:19, Leviticus 20:18. If, as some think, the three passages refer to the same act, they cannot all be from the same source.

Leviticus 15:24

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

If a man lay with her and her uncleanness came upon him, he became unclean for seven days, and the bed upon which he lay became unclean as well. The meaning cannot be merely if he lie upon the same bed with her, but if he have conjugal intercourse, as is evident from Leviticus 20:18 and Numbers 5:13 (cf. Genesis 26:10; Genesis 34:2; Genesis 35:22; 1 Samuel 2:22). It cannot be adduced as an objection to this explanation, which is the only admissible one, that according to Leviticus 18:19 and Leviticus 20:18 intercourse with a woman during her menses was an accursed crime, to be punished by extermination. For the law in Leviticus 20:18 refers partly to conjugal intercourse during the hemorrhage of a woman after child-birth, as the similarity of the words in Leviticus 20:18 and Leviticus 12:7 (דּמיה מקור) clearly proves, and to the case of a man attempting cohabitation with a woman during her menstruation. The verse before us, on the contrary, refers simply to the possibility of menstruation commencing during the act of conjugal intercourse, when the man would be involuntarily defiled through the unexpected uncleanness of the woman.