1tn Heb Man man. The reduplication is way of saying any man (cf. Lev 17:3; 22:18, etc.; see the distributive repetition of the noun in GKC §123.c).
2tn The term discharge actually means to flow, whether referring to a full flow as at a spring of water (Ps 78:20 and parallels) or in reference to the promised land as a land flowing with milk and honey (Exod 3:8 and parallels).
3tn Heb man, man when there is a discharge from his flesh. The repetition of the word man is distributive, meaning any [or every] man (GKC §123.c). It is well-recognized that the term flesh (i.e., body) in this chapter refers regularly and euphemistically to the male and female genital members or areas of the body (HALOT 164 [a]; see also, e.g., Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 93). The euphemism has been retained in this translation since it is, in fact, intended in the text.
4tn The LXX has this the law of his uncleanness
(cf. v. 32 and compare, e.g., 13:59; 14:2, 56).
5tc The Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, and Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev; Fragment G contains Lev 14:52-15:5 and 16:2-4, and agrees with the LXX of Lev 15:3b) texts are in essential (although not complete) agreement against the MT in Lev 15:3b and are to be preferred in this case. The shorter MT text has probably arisen due to a lengthy haplography. See K. A. Mathews, The Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev) and the Text of the Hebrew Bible, CBQ 48 (1986): 177-178, 198; D. N. Freedman, Variant Readings in the Leviticus Scroll from Qumran Cave 11, CBQ 36 (1974): 528-529; D. N. Freedman and K. A. Mathews, The Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev) (American Schools of Oriental Research, 1985), 32. The MT of Lev 15:3 reads: Now this is his uncleanness in [regard to] his dischargewhether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness. The Samaritan Pentateuch adds after MTs blocks his discharge the following: he is unclean; all the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness. Thus, the MT appears to skip from the Samaritan Pentateuch awh amf he is unclean in the middle of the verse to ay/wh wtamf this is his uncleanness at the end of the verse, leaving out he is unclean; all the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge (cf. the BHS footnote). 11QpaleoLev Fragment G is indeed fragmentary, but it does have z ymy lk wb
in him, all the days of the fl[ow], supporting the Samaritan Pentateuch and LXX tradition. The LXX adds after MT blocks his discharge the following: all the days of the flow of his body, by which his body is affected by the flow, followed by it is his uncleanness (i.e., the last two words of the MT).
sn The contrast between the dripping or flowing from the male sexual member as opposed to there being a blockage is important. One might not understand that even though a blockage actually causes a lack of discharge, it is still unclean.
6tn Heb it is his uncleanness, but the last clause recapitulates the effect of the first clause in this verse, both of which introduce the regulations for such uncleanness in the following verses. In other words, whether his discharge flows from his sexual member or is blocked in it, he is still unclean and must proceed according to the following regulations (vv. 4ff).
7tn Heb All the bed which the man with a discharge sits on it shall be unclean.
8tn Heb and all the vessel which he sits on it shall be unclean.
9tn Heb And a man who touches in his bed.
10tn Heb he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening (cf. also vv. 6-8, 10-11, etc.).
11tn Heb And the one who touches in the flesh. In this instance, flesh (or body) probably refers literally to any part of the body, not the sexual member specifically (see the discussion in Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 [AB], 914).
12tn Heb And if the man with a discharge spits in the clean one.
13tn The Hebrew term for means of riding is a cognate noun from the verb ride later in this verse. It refers to anything on which one may ride without the feet touching the ground including, for example, a saddle, a (saddle) blanket, or a seat on a chariot (see, e.g., Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 [AB], 916).
14tn Heb which shall be under him. The verb is perhaps a future perfect, which shall have been.
15tn Heb them; the referent (the previously mentioned items which were under the unclean person) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16tn Heb And all who the man with the discharge touches in him and his hands he has not rinsed in water.
17tn The Hebrew term yl!K= can mean vessel (v. 12a) or utensil, implement, article (v. 12b). An article of clay would have been a vessel of some sort, one of wood would have been some kind of tool or instrument.
18tn For the expression fresh water see the note on Lev 14:5 above.
19tn Heb from the sons of the pigeon, referring either to young pigeons or various species of pigeon (contrast Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 [AB], 168 with Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
20tc The MT has the Qal form of the verb awb to come here, but the LXX (followed generally by the Syriac and Tg. Ps.-J.) reflects the Hiphil form of the same verb, to bring as in v. 29 below. In v. 29, however, there is no additional clause and give them to the priest, so the Hiphil is necessary in that context while it is not necessary here in v. 14.
21sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term sin offering.
22tn Heb and the priest shall make them one a sin offering and the one a burnt offering. See the note on Lev 1:3 regarding the burnt offering.
23tn Heb And the priest.
24tn Heb from; see the note on 4:26.
25tn Heb And a man when a lying of seed goes out from him.
26tn Heb and he shall bathe all his flesh in water.
27tn Heb And a woman who a man lies with her a lying of seed.
28tn See the note on Lev 15:2 above.
29tn Heb blood shall be her discharge in her flesh. The term flesh here refers euphemistically to the female sexual area (cf. the note on v. 2 above).
30tn See the note on Lev 12:2 and NIDOTTE 1:925-27.
31tn Heb and if on the bed it [awh] is or on the vessel which she sits on it, when he touches it
. The translation and meaning of this verse is a subject of much debate in the commentaries (see the summary in Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 [AB], 938-940). It is difficult to determine what awh refers to, whether it means he referring to the one who does the touching, it for the furniture or the seat in v. 22, she referring to the woman herself (see the Samaritan Pentateuch ayh rather than awh), or perhaps anything that was lying on the furniture or the bed of vv. 21-22. The latter view is taken here (cf. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 202).
32tn The MT accent suggest that when he touches it goes with the preceding line, but it seems to be better to take it as an introduction to what follows (see Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 202).
33tn Heb and if a man indeed lies with her and her menstrual impurity is on him.
34tn Heb And a woman when the flow of her blood flows.
35tn Heb in not the time of her menstruation or when it flows on her menstruation.
36tn See the note on v. 5 above.
37tn Heb And if
Although this clause is parallel to v. 13 above, it begins with <a!w+ (and if) here rather than yk!w+ (and when/if) there.
38tn Heb from the sons of the pigeon, referring either to young pigeons or various species of pigeon (contrast Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 [AB], 168 with Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
39tn Heb And the priest shall make the one a sin offering and the one a burnt offering.
40tn Heb And the priest.
41tn Heb And you shall
.
42tn Heb and they
.
43tn Heb and who a lying of seed goes out from him.
44tn Heb to become unclean in it.
45tn Heb and the one with a discharge, his discharge to the male and the female.
46tn Heb and for a man.