Leviticus14
New American Standard
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2“This shall be the law of the person with leprosy on the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest;
3and the priest shall go out to a place outside of the camp. Then the priest shall look, and if the leprous infection has been healed in the person with leprosy,
4then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds, cedar wood, a scarlet string, and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed.
5The priest shall also give orders to slaughter the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water.
6As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood, the scarlet string, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the running water.
7He 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.
8The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair, and bathe in water and be clean. And afterward he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days.
9Then it shall 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 be 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 as a grain offering, and one log of oil;
11and the priest who is going to pronounce him clean shall present the person to be cleansed and the offerings before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
12Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it as a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the Lord.
13Next he shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, at the place of the sanctuary—for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.
14The priest shall then take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it 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.
15The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it into his left palm;
16the 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.
17Of 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;
18as for the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm, he shall put it on the head of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord.
19The priest shall next offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward, he shall slaughter the burnt offering.
20The priest shall offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be clean.
21“But if he is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil,
22and two turtledoves or two young doves, which are within his means. The one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
23Then on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, before the Lord.
24The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall offer them as a wave offering before the Lord.
25Next 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 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.
26The priest shall also pour some of the oil into his left palm;
27and with his right-hand finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the Lord.
28The 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.
29Moreover, 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.
30He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young doves, which are within his means.
31He shall offer what he can afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as 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.
32This is the law for him in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing.”
33The Lord further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying:
34“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a spot of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession,
35then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, ‘Something like a spot of leprosy has become visible to me in the house.’
36The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the spot, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house.
37So he shall look at the spot, and if the spot on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface,
38the priest shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days.
39Then the priest shall return on the seventh day and make an inspection. If the spot has indeed spread on the walls of the house,
40the priest shall order them to pull out the stones with the spot on them and throw them away at an unclean place outside the city.
41And 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.
42Then they shall take other stones and replace the discarded stones, and he shall take other plaster and replaster the house.
43“If, however, the spot breaks out again in the house after he has pulled out the stones and scraped the house, and after it has been replastered,
44then the priest shall come in and make an inspection. If he sees that the spot has indeed spread in the house, it is a malignant spot in the house; it is unclean.
45The owner shall therefore tear down the house, its stones, its timbers, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall take them outside the city to an unclean place.
46Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that he has quarantined it, becomes unclean until evening.
47Likewise, 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 spot has not indeed spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean because the spot has not reappeared.
49To cleanse the house then, he shall take two birds, cedar wood, a scarlet string, and hyssop,
50and he shall slaughter the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water.
51Then he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet string, with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
52So he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water, along with the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet string.
53However, 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.”
54This is the law for any spot of leprosy—even for a scale,
55and for the leprous garment or house,
56and for a swelling, for a scab, and for a bright spot—
57to teach when they are unclean and when they are clean. This is the law of leprosy.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 14.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: 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).
vv1-9
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.
vv10-32
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.
vv33-53
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.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
תּוֹרָה: a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch
צָרַע: to scourge, i.e. (intransitive and figurative) to be stricken with leprosy
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
טׇהֳרָה: ceremonial purification; moral purity
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
כֹּהֵן: literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
Cross References
Leviticus 14Explicitly links cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop to the sprinkling and cleansing ceremonies under the law.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel placing sacrificial blood on the right ear, thumb, and toe, matching Aaron's consecration ritual.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Explicitly details the wealthy purification rites that are now adapted for the poor in parallel fashion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Jesus commands the healed leper to show himself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded.
Supported by JFB
Luke's account of Jesus directing a healed leper to complete the Levitical rites of purification.
Supported by JFB
Applies blood to the right ear, thumb, and great toe for the consecration of the priests.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Sparing ritual of blood on ear, thumb, and toe matches Aaron's priestly consecration sequence.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Hebrews 9:19 references the covenant ceremony using water, scarlet wool, and hyssop to sprinkle for purification.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes that the leper dwelt outside the camp, necessitating the priest to go forth to him.
Supported by Matthew Poole
David's plea for spiritual purging using hyssop, pointing directly back to Levitical purification ceremonies.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identical ceremonial process used for cleansing an infected house, confirming the ritual's unity.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Elisha commands Naaman the leper to wash in Jordan seven times, reflecting the Levitical sprinkling count.
Supported by JFB
Specifies putting oil directly on top of the trespass offering blood, uniting atonement and sanctification.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Establishes standard concession of two turtledoves/pigeons for individuals unable to afford a lamb.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the compassionate allowance for poor mothers bringing turtledoves or pigeons instead of lambs.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jesus directs the cleansed leper to offer the gift Moses commanded as a testimony.
Supported by JFB
Fulfilled in the offering of Mary and Joseph, demonstrating Christ's birth under poverty provisions.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Defines the 'fretting leprosy' (malignant disease) in a garment, parallel to its outbreak in a house.
David requests purgation with hyssop, directly echoing the ritual materials used to cleanse the leprous house.
Provides the detailed, parallel diagnostic laws for evaluating leprosy in garments.
Mark's gospel record of Jesus commanding the healed leper to undergo the priest's inspection.
Supported by Matthew Poole
First use of hyssop for sprinkling blood, establishing its covenantal role in purification.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The sevenfold sprinkling of blood before the veil, illustrating total ritual cleansing.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The standard rich person's purification offering being modified for the poor person's situation.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
The curse of God entering and consuming the stones and timber of a sinful house.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Contrasts the curse of the Lord in the wicked's house with blessing the righteous habitation.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The same materials (cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet) are commanded for burning the red heifer.
Establishes the priestly duty of distinguishing holy from unholy, clean from unclean, summarizing this law.
Ezekiel reinforces the priestly instruction of discerning between the clean and the unclean.
Uses the same items (birds, cedar, scarlet, hyssop) to cleanse a leprous house.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Reinforces the ritual order: the oil of sanctification must cover the blood of justification.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Summarizes the law's special adaptation for the leper whose hand is unable to afford standard items.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Instruction to empty the house / flee Babylon to avoid contamination and sharing in judgments.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The priestly precedent of shutting up the suspect article for seven days to observe.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The curse entering a wicked house to consume its timber and stones resembles house leprosy's destruction.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Elisha commands Naaman to wash seven times for complete healing, echoing the sevenfold sprinkling.
Supported by JFB