Leviticus 14

Law of Cleansing a Leper

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. 1Now he shall be brought to the priest,
3 and the priest shall go 2out to the outside * of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper,
4 then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and 3cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed.
5 "The priest shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water.
6 "As for the live bird, he shall take it together with 4the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the 5hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the running water.
7 "6He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free over the open field.
8 "7The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and 8be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he 9shall stay outside * his tent for seven days.
9 "It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows *, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and 10be clean.
10 "Now on the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without defect, and a yearling ewe lamb without defect, and three-tenths * of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one 11log of oil;
11 and the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man to be cleansed and the aforesaid before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
12 "Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it for a 12guilt offering, with the 13log of oil, and present them as a 14wave offering before the LORD.
13 "Next he shall slaughter the male lamb in 15the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, at the place of the sanctuary -for the guilt offering, 16like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.
14 "The priest shall then take some of the blood of the 17guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on 18the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
15 "The priest shall also take some of the 19log of oil, and pour it into his left palm;
16 the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the LORD.
17 "Of the remaining oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering;
18 while the rest of the oil that is in the priest's palm, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make 20atonement on his behalf before the LORD.
19 "The priest shall next offer the 21sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward, he shall slaughter the burnt offering.
20 "The priest shall offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and 22he will be clean.
21 "23But if he is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a 24guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a 25log of oil,
22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, 26the one shall be a 27sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
23 "28Then the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, before the LORD.
24 "The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and 29the log of oil, and the priest shall offer them for a wave offering before the LORD.
25 "Next he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on 30the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
26 "The priest shall also pour some of the oil into his left palm;
27 and with his right-hand finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the LORD.
28 "The priest shall then put some of the oil that is in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering.
29 "Moreover, the rest of the oil that is in the priest's palm he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the LORD.
30 "He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means.
31 "He shall offer what he can afford *, 31the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed.
32 "This is the law for him in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing."

Cleansing a Leprous House

33 The LORD further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying:
34 "32When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession,
35 then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, 'Something like 33a mark of leprosy has become visible to me in the house.'
36 "The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward * the priest shall go in to look at the house.
37 "So he shall look at the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface,
38 then the priest shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days.
39 "The priest shall return on the seventh day and make an inspection. If the mark has indeed spread in the walls of the house,
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 34a 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 35unclean place.
46 "Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that he has quarantined it, becomes 36unclean 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 37two 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.
51 "Then he shall take the cedar wood and the 38hyssop and the scarlet string, with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
52 "He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water, along with the live bird and with the cedar wood and with the hyssop and with the scarlet string.
53 "However, he shall let the live bird go free outside * * the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean."
54 This is the law for any mark of leprosy -even for a 39scale,
55 and for the 40leprous garment or house,
56 and 41for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot -
57 to teach when they are unclean and when they are clean. This is the law of leprosy.

Leviticus 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

Of declaring the leper to be clean. (1-9) The sacrifices to be offered by him. (10-32) The leprosy in a house. (33-53) Summary of the law concerning leprosy. (54-57)

Verses 1-9 The priests could not cleanse the lepers; but when the Lord removed the plague, various rules were to be observed in admitting them again to the ordinances of God, and the society of his people. They represent many duties and exercises of truly repenting sinners, and the duties of ministers respecting them. If we apply this to the spiritual leprosy of sin, it intimates that when we withdraw from those who walk disorderly, we must not count them as enemies, but admonish them as brethren. And also that when God by his grace has brought to repentance, they ought with tenderness and joy, and sincere affection, to be received again. Care should always be taken that sinners may not be encouraged, nor penitents discouraged. If it were found that the leprosy was healed, the priest must declare it with the particular solemnities here described. The two birds, one killed, and the other dipped in the blood of the bird that was killed, and then let loose, may signify Christ shedding his blood for sinners, and rising and ascending into heaven. The priest having pronounced the leper clean from the disease, he must make himself clean from all remains of it. Thus those who have comfort of the remission of their sins, must with care and caution cleanse themselves from sins; for every one that has this hope in him, will be concerned to purify himself.

Verses 10-32 The cleansed leper was to be presented to the Lord, with his offerings. When God has restored us to enjoy public worship again, after sickness, distance, or otherwise, we should testify our thanksgiving by our diligent use of the liberty. And both we and our offerings must be presented before the Lord, by the Priest that made us clean, even our Lord Jesus. Beside the usual rites of the trespass-offering, some of the blood, and some of the oil, was to be put upon him that was to be cleansed. Wherever the blood of Christ is applied for justification, the oil of the Spirit is applied for sanctification; these two cannot be separated. We have here the gracious provision the law made for poor lepers. The poor are as welcome to God's altar as the rich. But though a meaner sacrifice was accepted from the poor, yet the same ceremony was used for the rich; their souls are as precious, and Christ and his gospel are the same to both. Even for the poor one lamb was necessary. No sinner could be saved, had it not been for the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God with his blood.

Verses 33-53 The leprosy in a house is unaccountable to us, as well as the leprosy in a garment; but now sin, where that reigns in a house, is a plague there, as it is in a heart. Masters of families should be aware, and afraid of the first appearance of sin in their families, and put it away, whatever it is. If the leprosy is got into the house, the infected part must be taken out. If it remain in the house, the whole must be pulled down. The owner had better be without a dwelling, than live in one that was infected. The leprosy of sin ruins families and churches. Thus sin is so interwoven with the human body, that it must be taken down by death.

Verses 54-57 When that God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us by his grace, ( ephesians 2:4 ephesians 2:5 ) , we shall manifest the change by repenting, and forsaking former sins. Let us follow after holiness, and let us compassionate other poor lepers, and desire, seek, and pray for their cleansing.

Cross References 41

  • 1. Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14; Luke 17:14
  • 2. Leviticus 13:46
  • 3. Lev 14:6, 49, 51, 52; Numbers 19:6
  • 4. Leviticus 14:4
  • 5. Psalms 51:7
  • 6. Ezekiel 36:25
  • 7. Leviticus 11:25; Leviticus 13:6; Numbers 8:7
  • 8. Leviticus 14:9, 20
  • 9. Numbers 5:2, 3; Numbers 12:14, 15; 2 Chronicles 26:21
  • 10. Leviticus 14:8, 20
  • 11. Lev 14:12, 15, 21, 24
  • 12. Leviticus 5:6, 18; Leviticus 6:6; Leviticus 14:19
  • 13. Leviticus 14:10
  • 14. Ex 29:22-24, 26
  • 15. Exodus 29:11; Leviticus 1:11; Leviticus 4:24
  • 16. Leviticus 6:24-30; Leviticus 7:7
  • 17. Leviticus 14:19
  • 18. Exodus 29:20; Leviticus 8:23, 24
  • 19. Leviticus 14:10
  • 20. Leviticus 4:26; Numbers 15:28; Hebrews 2:17
  • 21. Leviticus 14:12
  • 22. Leviticus 14:8, 9
  • 23. Leviticus 5:11; Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 27:8
  • 24. Leviticus 14:22
  • 25. Leviticus 14:10
  • 26. Leviticus 5:7
  • 27. Lev 14:21, 24, 25
  • 28. Leviticus 14:10, 11
  • 29. Leviticus 14:10
  • 30. Leviticus 14:14
  • 31. Leviticus 5:7
  • 32. Genesis 17:8; Numbers 32:22; Deuteronomy 7:1; Deuteronomy 32:49
  • 33. Psalms 91:10
  • 34. Leviticus 13:51
  • 35. Leviticus 14:41
  • 36. Num 19:7, 10, 21, 22
  • 37. Leviticus 14:4
  • 38. 1 Kings 4:33; Psalms 51:7
  • 39. Leviticus 13:30
  • 40. Leviticus 13:47-52
  • 41. Leviticus 13:2

Footnotes 37

Chapter Summary

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.

Leviticus 14 Commentaries

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