Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.
When any man hath a running issue. This chapter describes other forms of uncleanness, the nature of which is sufficiently intelligible in the text, without any explanatory comment. Whether proceeding from natural causes or from disease, they properly came within the notice of the legislator; and the very stringent rules here prescribed, both for the separation of the person so affected, and for avoiding contamination from anything connected with him, were well calculated not only to prevent contagion, but to discourage the excesses of licentious indulgence.