The Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “clothes” or similar in English is translated in Enlhet as “crawling-in-stuff” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ) and in Noongar as bwoka or “Kangaroo skin” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
Translation commentary on Leviticus 15:8
Spits on: this gesture is usually a sign of intense dislike or rejection (see Num 12.14; Deut 25.9; Matt 26.67; 27.30). In the first two passages mentioned, it involves “spitting in the face of someone,” but here the action may be accidental or to show contempt. In either case, the person on whom the infected man spits is required to wash his clothing and his entire body.
He shall wash …: the pronoun refers to the man who has been spat on and not the man with the discharge. This should be made clear in the receptor language.
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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