Ver. 2. A running issue.] An involuntary flux of semin, such as David imprecateth upon Joab. (2 Samuel 3:29)
Ver. 3. It is his uncleanness.] Hereby they were taught the turpitude of sin, of original sin especially, that peccatum peccans, as the Schools call it; that sinful sin, as St Paul, (Romans 7:13) for so filthy it is, that he can call it no worse than by its own name, as wanting a fitter epithet.
Ver. 4. Every bed.] Sin is more catching than any plague, and more defiling than any out house; (Mark 7:23) Paul found it as noisome to his soul as a dead body to his sense, (Romans 7:24) or as the sanies; of a plague sore to a rich robe. Job abhors himself for it in dust and ashes. (Job 40:4) And Isaiah looks upon himself as an undone man by reason of it. (Isaiah 6:5) A thin fetid pus mixed with serum or blood, secreted by a wound or ulcer.
Ver. 8. Spit upon him.] Noting the pollution that comes to men’s souls by those that spit heresies and belch out blasphemies.
Ver. 13. Bathe his flesh.] This taught them to run to that open fountain, that kings’ bath. (Zechariah 13:1 Ezekiel 36:29)
Ver. 15. And the priest shall offer them.] This priest and these sacrifices led them to Christ, who bore our sicknesses and expiated our sins. Seest thou then the bloody issue of thy corruptions always running, and gushing out at thine eyes, ears, mouth, flesh? the issue of blood and water opened in Christ’s side runs alway for washing it away.
Ver. 16. Go out from him.] By nocturnal pollutions, filthy dreams, &c.
Ver. 18. With seed of copulation.] Though lawful in itself, as being the ordinance of God. (Genesis 2:24) Sin is like copperas, which will turn wine or milk into ink; or leaven, which turns a very passover into pollution. A name given from early times to the protosulphates of copper, iron, and zinc (distinguished as blue, green, and white copperas respectively); etymologically it belonged properly to the copper salt; but in English use, when undistinguished by attribute or context, it has always been most commonly, and is now exclusively, applied to green copperas, the proto-sulphate of iron or ferrous sulphate (Fe SO4), also called green vitriol, used in dyeing, tanning, and making ink.
Ver. 24. And if any man lie with her.] Unawares, or secretly. For to do it presumptuously, and upon public notice, it was death. (Leviticus 20:18 Ezekiel 22:10) And God often punisheth such unclean copulations now-a-days, with monstrous, deformed, or diseased births.
Ver. 25. Have an issue.] As she had in Mark 5:25.
Ver. 31. That they die not.] Which is worse than to die in a ditch.