Leviticus 14:3

3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease,[a]

Leviticus 14:3 in Other Translations

KJV
3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
ESV
3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person,
NLT
3 who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease,
MSG
3 The priest will take him outside the camp and make an examination; if the infected person has been healed of the serious skin disease,
CSB
3 who will go outside the camp and examine [him]. If the skin disease has disappeared from the afflicted person,

Leviticus 14:3 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 14:3

And the priest shall go forth out of the camp
A little without the camp, as Ben Gersom notes. There have been several goings forth of Christ our High Priest; first in the council and covenant of grace and peace, when he became the surety of his people; then in time by the assumption of human nature, when he came forth from his Father, and came into the world to save them; next, when he went forth out of the city of Jerusalem to suffer for them; and also, when, at the time of conversion, he goes forth in quest of them, and looks them up, and finds them, and brings them home, which may answer to the type here; and all shows the great readiness of Christ to receive sinners: and the priest shall look, and, behold, [if] the plague of leprosy be
healed in the leper;
that all the signs of uncleanness are removed, the swelling, the scab, or bright spot, and the white hair in them, and, instead of that, black hair is grown up. The typical priest did not heal, nor could he, the healing was of God; he only looked to see by signs if the plague was healed; but our antitypical priest looks with an eye of pity and compassion on leprous sinners, and they are enabled to look to him by faith, and virtue goes out of him to the healing of their diseases; as he looks upon them in their blood, and says to them, Live, so he looks upon them in their leprosy, and touches them, and says, "I will, be thou clean", ( Matthew 8:3 ) ( Mark 1:41 ) ( Luke 5:13 ) , and they are immediately healed; he is the sun of righteousness, which arises upon them with healing in his wings.

Leviticus 14:3 In-Context

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest:
3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease,
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.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Leviticus 13:46
  • 2. S Leviticus 13:2

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The Hebrew word for "defiling skin disease" , traditionally translated “leprosy,” was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 7, 32, 54 and 57.
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.