Leviticus 14:1-9

Laws for Cleansing Lepers

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. 1He shall be brought to the priest,
3 and the priest shall go 2out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person,
4 the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live[a] clean birds and 3cedarwood and 4scarlet yarn and 5hyssop.
5 And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh[b] water.
6 He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
7 And he shall 6sprinkle it 7seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall 8let the living bird go 9into the open field.
8 And he who is to be cleansed 10shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but 11live outside his tent seven days.
9 And 12on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he 13shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.

Leviticus 14:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 14

This chapter treats of the purification of lepers, and the rules to be observed therein; and first what the priest was to do for his cleansing when brought to him, by making use of two birds, with cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop, as directed, Le 14:1-7; what he was to do for himself, shaving off all his hair, and washing his flesh and clothes in water, Le 14:8,9; the offerings to be offered up for him, two he lambs and one ewe lamb, and a meat offering, with a particular account of the use of the blood of the trespass offering, and of oil put upon the tip of his right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the great toe of his right foot, Le 14:10-20; but if poor, only one lamb was required, a meat offering of one tenth deal, and two turtle doves or two young pigeons, and blood and oil used as before, Le 14:21-32; next follow an account of leprosy in an house, and the signs of it, and the rules to judge of it, Le 14:33-48; and the manner of cleansing from it, Le 14:49-53; and the chapter is closed with a recapitulation of the several laws concerning the various sorts of leprosy in this and the preceding chapter, Le 14:54-57.

Cross References 13

  • 1. Matthew 8:2, 4; Mark 1:40, 44; Luke 5:12, 14; Luke 17:14
  • 2. [2 Kings 7:10; Luke 17:12]
  • 3. Numbers 19:6
  • 4. Hebrews 9:19
  • 5. See Exodus 12:22
  • 6. Hebrews 9:13
  • 7. [2 Kings 5:10, 14]
  • 8. [Leviticus 16:22]
  • 9. ver. 53; [Leviticus 17:5]
  • 10. ver. 47; See Leviticus 11:25
  • 11. Numbers 12:15
  • 12. [Numbers 31:19]
  • 13. [See ver. 8 above]

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or wild
  • [b]. Or running; Hebrew living; also verses 6, 50, 51, 52
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.