What Makes You Unclean in the Bible 
One of the most important topics in the Bible is cleanliness. But biblical teachings on cleanliness can be confusing for modern readers. In many cases, there are no clear rules on what makes you unclean, including touching unclean animals or people. While the rules seem archaic, rabbis and scholars have studied the Bible for thousands of years to develop a better understanding of the biblical laws.
Unwashed hands
In Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus addresses the accusations that the disciples were unclean for not washing their hands before eating. He explains to the Pharisees that dirty hands don’t make a person unclean, but the evil thoughts that come from one’s heart.
If one has sinful thoughts or actions, they cannot enter the presence of God. A person with clean hands is ready to enter God’s presence. The Bible also describes a person with clean hands as being “pure,” meaning that he or she has a right relationship with God.
Why did Jesus say that you are unclean if you have not washed your hands? The simple reason is that bacteria and viruses don’t care whether you are a believer in God or not. Whether you believe in God or not, your hands need to be washed to prevent disease transmission. By washing your hands before you eat, you are preventing the spread of disease.
The Bible mentions the importance of washing one’s hands and the Mishnah is one place that documents Jewish traditions on handwashing. It discusses how to remove spiritual uncleanness from the hands by running water, including which parts of the hands are involved, including the fingers and wrists. While this may have been helpful in ancient times, it became a burden in the modern world.
James 4:9-10 stresses that the true goal of purification is internal. Inner purity, which Jesus taught in the Bible, is more important than ritualistic cleansing. Our words and thoughts are a reflection of our heart. Therefore, when we say and think evil, we are causing a sin. Therefore, we must purify our minds and hearts so that we will not do harm to others.
The Pharisees are growing increasingly angry with Jesus. The Pharisees have their own traditions concerning ritual purity. This rule is a violation of those traditions, and Jesus was accused of being unclean.
Touching unclean animals
The Bible has many laws regarding touching unclean things, such as dead animals. According to these laws, you are unclean if you touch a corpse from an unclean animal, including dead wild animals and livestock. These laws also apply to creeping things and their carcasses.
The Bible describes several different kinds of unclean animals, including snakes, dogs, and cats. Even reptiles like chameleons are considered unclean. In addition, touching their dead bodies can contaminate your body. It is also illegal to use their carcasses.
The Bible defines unclean animals in Leviticus 11 chapter 24. The law states that touching certain dead animals makes you ceremonially unclean until sundown. It also requires that you wash your clothes after touching unclean animals. This law is very clear and is not as hard to follow as it might seem.
It’s important to note that God created all of the creatures on earth, including humans. Interestingly, he did not create unclean animals, but did make them unclean for different purposes. The Israelites raised these animals and used them for various tasks. In the process, they developed a relationship with them.
The Israelites also adopted dietary laws that separated them from their pagan neighbors. These laws aimed to preserve their ethnic identity and separate them from the rest of the world. They prevented pests and promoted cleanliness in their homes, which was beneficial to their health. The laws about touching unclean animals also prevented many diseases from affecting the Israelites.
Leviticus 13-14 describes the quarantine of leprosy and the process of purification. Though leprosy is relatively rare nowadays, this passage is still important as it outlines the principle of purification and disease prevention. In addition to its practical applications, it also outlines a number of principles for modern society.
God uses physical separation to convey important messages about the separation of His chosen people from the rest of the world. This principle is found in both the Old Testament and New Testament. It is important to remember that uncleanness is contagious, and can contaminate even the clean things around you.
Intercourse during a woman’s menstrual period
In the Bible, it is said that intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period makes you unclean. It is regulated in Leviticus 15:24. Men should be unclean for seven days after having intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period. The Bible also says that any bed a man might lie on during the menstrual period is unclean.
While you may be curious about why this is forbidden, there is a good explanation. In the Bible, intercourse during a woman’s menstruation is ritually unclean. According to Jewish law, a woman should be isolated from her people during her menstrual period. However, sex with her husband is allowed.
In ancient times, this prohibition made women unclean for a longer period of time after giving birth. The biblical time for a woman to be unclean was similar to modern medical guidelines. She was considered unclean until her baby was at least 40 days old.
The Bible does not specifically ban intercourse during a woman’s menstruation, but it does prohibit it. However, there are plenty of modern researches on the subject and many Catholics consider it to be sodomy.
The Bible also condemns men who engage in sexual intercourse during a woman’s menstruation. This prohibition was inspired by the social and cultural principles of the time as well as religious authority. The Lawmaker wanted to protect the Israelites from sexually transmitted diseases and to promote fertility.
This prohibition is based on two biblical texts: Leviticus 15:24, which allows sex during a woman’s menstrual cycle, and Leviticus 18:19, which forbids it. However, the context of this verse implies that menstruation was not merely a technical issue, and that menstruation was a serious threat to the purity of the land and the people.
The term niddah is used to describe sexual impurity, and it can also refer to blood. In this context, blood in a woman’s skirt is a symbol of the sin that Jerusalem has committed and the shame it has caused the nation. However, modern translations tend to use the term in a more generic sense.
Touching impure spirits
The Bible clearly defines the difference between permissible and proscribed impurities. Permitted impurities are those that are naturally occurring or necessary to life. Proscribed impurities are those that can be controlled or avoided. Wright goes through each category to explore why certain things are prohibited.
Purity and pollution schemes are important tools to determine what is clean and what is unclean. They define what is acceptable and what is prohibited, and they help us to maintain order and peace in a society. The Bible contains numerous examples of these concepts. For instance, the Old Testament refers to touch of an “impure spirit” as unclean.
Touching an impure spirit, animal, or human being makes you unclean. These are not felony-type offenses and can be dealt with by washing yourself with water. Uncleanness can also be transmitted to others through contact with defiled objects. For example, a person who touches a clay pot may be unclean.
In the Bible, the phrase “touching impure spirits” is not used in the context of the Temple. It applies to the entire human body. It is a cultural concept and applies to the physical world as well. Biblical purity concerns have influenced the perception of the body in other cultures.
These distinctions between unclean and clean are important to preserve Israel’s identity as a people and nation. God uses these distinctions in the Old Testament to remind Israel of the principle of election and to distinguish them from the Canaanites. When the Israelites started mixing with the Canaanites, they discovered how easy it was to become contaminated under these laws.
The Bible also has many examples of people who were considered unclean. In Luke 7:39, Jesus had bodily contact with a public sinner. Christians and Jews alike shared this belief. It is not clear whether Jesus was considered unclean by these standards, but it does not mean he was unclean.
According to Jewish law, touching unclean spirits is prohibited, and Jesus was no exception. But he could have easily healed the leper with his word and cast out the spirits that plagued him. The Pharisees, however, were very aware of the Hebrew law and would have argued that this was in violation of the law.