Leviticus 14:40-50

40 then the priest shall order them to tear out the stones with the mark in them and throw them away at an unclean place outside * the city.
41 "He shall have the house scraped all around inside *, and they shall dump the plaster that they scrape off at an unclean place outside * the city.
42 "Then they shall take other stones and replace * those stones, and he shall take other plaster and replaster the house.
43 "If, however, the mark breaks out again in the house after he has torn out the stones and scraped the house, and after it has been replastered,
44 then the priest shall come in and make an inspection. If he sees that the mark has indeed spread in the house, it is 1a malignant mark in the house; it is unclean.
45 "He shall therefore tear down the house, its stones, and its timbers, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall take them outside * * the city to an 2unclean place.
46 "Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that he has quarantined it, becomes 3unclean until evening.
47 "Likewise, whoever lies down in the house shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.
48 "If, on the other hand, the priest comes in and makes an inspection and the mark has not indeed spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared.
49 "To cleanse the house then, he shall take 4two birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop,
50 and he shall slaughter the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water.

Leviticus 14:40-50 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 4

  • 1. Leviticus 13:51
  • 2. Leviticus 14:41
  • 3. Num 19:7, 10, 21, 22
  • 4. Leviticus 14:4

Footnotes 8

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