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What does the Bible say about menstruation?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible treats menstruation as a normal bodily condition that brought temporary ceremonial uncleanness under the old covenant, not as a moral sin or personal disgrace. Leviticus 15:19-30 explains the required period of separation and washing, while Leviticus 18:19 and 20:18 forbid sexual relations during menstrual bleeding. These laws taught Israel reverence for God’s holiness and the effects of human frailty in a fallen world. Ezekiel 18:6 commends obedience to these covenant commands, and Ezekiel 36:17 uses menstrual uncleanness as an image for Israel’s spiritual defilement. In Christ, believers are no longer bound to Israel’s ceremonial purity regulations, yet they should honor God with their bodies, show compassion, and pursue sexual faithfulness.

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

  • Leviticus 20:18

    "'If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness; he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

  • Leviticus 15:19-30

    [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. [20] "'Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. [21] Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. [22] Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. [23] If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening. [24] "'If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean. [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. [26] Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period. [27] Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. [28] "'But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. [29] On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. [30] The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the uncleanness of her discharge.

  • Leviticus 15:24

    "'If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean.

  • Ezekiel 36:17

    Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.

  • Ezekiel 18:6

    and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor's wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,

  • Leviticus 18:19

    "'You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

  • Leviticus 15:19-24

    [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. [20] "'Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. [21] Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. [22] Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. [23] If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening. [24] "'If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean.

  • 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.

  • Ezekiel 22:10

    In you have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity.

  • Genesis 31:35

    She said to her father, "Don't let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me." He searched, but didn't find the teraphim.

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