Leviticus 14:18

18 and the remnant of the oil which [is] on the palm of the priest, he putteth on the head of him who is to be cleansed, and the priest hath made atonement for him before Jehovah.

Leviticus 14:18 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 14:18

And the remnant of the oil that [is] in the priests hand
Either in the hand of the priest that makes the leper clean, or in the hand of a fellow priest; what was left of that after some of it had been sprinkled seven times before the Lord, and after other of it had been put upon the several parts of the leper, as directed in ( Leviticus 14:17 ) :

he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed;
for the plague of leprosy was sometimes in the head, ( Leviticus 13:44 ) ; and this may denote either the blessings of grace on the head of the righteous, or that a man's head should be sanctified; he should have pure principles as well as pure practices; and that his head knowledge should be sanctified knowledge; some have only the form of godliness, but deny the power of it:

and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord;
by putting the oil on the several parts, particularly on the head, which was done, as is said in the Misnah ^F1, to make atonement; if he puts it, atonement is made, but if he does not put it, there is no atonement made; but one would think rather the atonement refers to all the priest did, both in offering the trespass offering, and in putting both the blood of that and the oil on the several parts that are mentioned: this atonement was made for the sin or sins which were the cause or the man's leprosy: what was done with the rest of the log of oil is not said; it was the portion of the priests, and was for their use: Maimonides says ^F2, the rest of the log of oil is not eaten but in the court by the males of the priests, as other the most holy things; and that it is unlawful to eat thereof until the priest had sprinkled of it seven times, and put it on the above parts; and if one eats he is to be beaten.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Ut supra. (Misn. negaim, c. 14. sect. 8.)
F2 Ut supra, (Mechosre Capharah, c. 4.) sect. 3.

Leviticus 14:18 In-Context

16 and the priest hath dipped his right finger in the oil which [is] on his left palm, and hath sprinkled of the oil with his finger seven times before Jehovah.

17 `And of the residue of the oil which [is] on his palm, the priest putteth on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt-offering;

18 and the remnant of the oil which [is] on the palm of the priest, he putteth on the head of him who is to be cleansed, and the priest hath made atonement for him before Jehovah.

19 `And the priest hath made the sin-offering, and hath made atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterwards he doth slaughter the burnt-offering;

20 and the priest hath caused the burnt-offering to ascend, also the present, on the altar, and the priest hath made atonement for him, and he hath been clean.