Leviticus 14:1-6

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

2 This is the custom of a leprous man, when he shall be cleansed, (that is, when he shall be pronounced clean). He shall be brought to the priest,

3 the which priest shall go out of the tents, and when he shall find that the leprosy is cleansed, (which priest shall take him away from the tents, and examine him, and if he shall find that the leprosy is healed,)

4 he shall command to the man that is (to be) cleansed, that he offer for himself two quick sparrows, which is leaveful to eat, and cedar wood, and vermilion, that is, a red thread, and hyssop. (he shall command to the man who is to be pronounced clean, that he offer for himself two living sparrows, which be lawful to eat, and cedar wood, and a red thread, and hyssop.)

5 And the priest shall command that one of the sparrows be offered in an earthen vessel upon quick waters; (And the priest shall command that one of the sparrows be offered in an earthen, or a clay, vessel filled with fresh water;)

6 soothly he shall dip the tother sparrow quick, with the cedar wood, and with the red thread, and hyssop, in the blood of the sparrow (that was) offered, (and then he shall dip the other living sparrow, and the cedar wood, and the red thread, and the hyssop, in the blood of the sparrow that was offered,)

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.