Leviticus 15 covers bodily discharges and the ritual uncleanness they brought to Israel, along with the steps needed to become clean again. These questions are for small groups, Sunday classes, and personal study of a chapter many readers find unfamiliar or uncomfortable. The answers below are meant to help a leader guide a discussion, not to settle every detail.
Leviticus 15 at a Glance
The chapter moves through four cases in order: a man with a bodily discharge (verses 2-15), a man with a seminal emission (verses 16-18), a woman with a discharge during her period (verses 19-24), and a woman with a discharge outside her period (verses 25-30). Each case explains what becomes unclean, how long the uncleanness lasts, and what cleansing involves, usually washing, waiting, and on the eighth day, a sacrifice of two birds.
The chapter closes in verses 31-33 with God’s purpose: Israel is to be separated from uncleanness so they do not die in it while defiling the dwelling place of the LORD among them. The chapter ends by summarizing the laws as a whole.
Observation Questions
Use these first to make sure everyone has read the same text and can point to what it says before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask group members to find the answer in the passage, and let them disagree about wording before moving on.
Leviticus 15:2-3
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean. 3 This shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body has stopped from his discharge, it is his uncleanness.
(WEB)
Read these verses early to establish the chapter’s opening case and the basic claim that the condition itself makes a person unclean. They set the tone for everything that follows.
Leviticus 15:13-15
13 “‘When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. 14 “‘On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest: 15 and the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD for his discharge.
(WEB)
This passage shows the path to cleansing, with its counting of days, washing, and the eighth day offering. It is useful for talking about restoration and the role of the priest.
Leviticus 15:19
“‘If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
(WEB)
Reading this verse aloud helps the group hear how the chapter describes a woman’s period in plain, direct terms. It gives a concrete starting point for discussing how the text treats women and bodily life.
Leviticus 15:25
“‘If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean.
(WEB)
This verse introduces the case of a discharge outside the normal period, which many readers find surprising. Reading it aloud invites the group to notice the chapter’s careful attention to different situations.
Leviticus 15:31
“‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.’”
(WEB)
End the reading with this verse to state the chapter’s stated purpose. It gives the group a clear anchor for interpreting the whole chapter in light of God’s holy presence among his people.
Memory Verse for Leviticus 15
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you grateful that you care about every part of our lives, including our bodies and the places where we feel unclean or set apart. Thank you for giving your people a way back and for showing that restoration matters to you. Help us to speak about hard things with honesty and kindness, and to welcome those who are returning to community. Keep our hearts ready to meet with you, and teach us to honor the holiness of your presence among us. Amen.
