12:1-8 Isolation Being unclean is not the same as being sinful. When a person was unclean, usually it simply meant that they needed to stay away from others in order to take time to heal, recover, or ensure they were not a health risk to others. Sometimes, this isolation was temporary and provided much-needed rest, like when a mother was pronounced unclean after childbirth. She could be with her child without being expected to work as usual.