Leviticus 14:4-20

4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed.

5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.

6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.

7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the defiling disease, and then pronounce them clean. After that, he is to release the live bird in the open fields.

8 “The person to be cleansed must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair and bathe with water; then they will be ceremonially clean. After this they may come into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days.

9 On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair; they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean.

10 “On the eighth day they must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah^[a] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, and one log^[b] of oil.

11 The priest who pronounces them clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and their offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

12 “Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering.

13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering^[c] and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.

14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot.

15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand,

16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times.

17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for them before the LORD.

19 “Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from their uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering

20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for them, and they will be clean.

Leviticus 14:4-20 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

• 1. S Exodus 12:22
• 2. ver 6,49,51,52; Numbers 19:6; Psalms 51:7
• 3. ver 50
• 4. S ver 4
• 5. ver 51
• 6. 2 Kings 5:10,14; Isaiah 52:15; Ezekiel 36:25
• 7. ver 53
• 8. S Leviticus 11:25; Leviticus 13:6
• 9. ver 9; S Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 15:5; Leviticus 17:15; Leviticus 22:6; Numbers 19:7,8
• 10. ver 20
• 11. S Leviticus 13:11; Numbers 5:2,3; Numbers 12:14,15; Numbers 19:20; Numbers 31:24; 2 Chronicles 26:21
• 12. S Leviticus 13:5
• 13. Numbers 6:9; Deuteronomy 21:12
• 14. S Leviticus 13:6
• 15. Numbers 6:10; Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14
• 16. S Leviticus 4:32
• 17. Numbers 15:9; Numbers 28:20
• 18. Leviticus 2:1
• 19. ver 12,15,21,24
• 20. Numbers 6:16
• 21. Numbers 6:10
• 22. S Leviticus 5:18; Leviticus 6:6-7
• 23. S Exodus 29:24
• 24. S Exodus 29:11
• 25. Leviticus 6:24-30; S Leviticus 7:7
• 26. S Exodus 29:20; Leviticus 8:23
• 27. ver 26
• 28. ver 27
• 29. ver 28
• 30. ver 31; Leviticus 15:15
• 31. ver 31; S Leviticus 5:3; Leviticus 15:15
• 32. Leviticus 15:30
• 33. ver 8

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms
• [b]. That is, about 1/3 quart or about 0.3 liter; also in verses 12, 15, 21 and 24
• [c]. Or "purification offering" ; also in verses 19, 22 and 31