Leviticus 14:1-6

Persons with skin disease

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 This will be the Instruction for anyone with skin disease at the time of purification: When it has been reported to the priest,
3 he will go outside the camp. If the priest sees that the person afflicted with skin disease has been healed of the infection,
4 the priest will order that two birds—wild and clean—and cedarwood, crimson yarn, and hyssop be brought for the person who needs purification.
5 The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over fresh water in a pottery jar.
6 He will then take the other wild bird, along with the cedarwood, crimson yarn, and hyssop, and will dip all of this into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water.

Leviticus 14:1-6 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.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. The precise meaning is uncertain; traditionally leprosy—a term used for several different skin diseases.
  • [b]. Or live or healthy; also in 14:6-7
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