Leviticus 14
14
Purification After Scaly Infection. 1#The rites here are for purification from human scaly infections after recovery, not for healing (but cf. 2 Kgs 5:10–14). The Lord said to Moses: 2#2 Kgs 5:10, 14; Mt 8:4; 10:8; Mk 1:44; Lk 4:27; 5:14. This is the ritual for someone that had a scaly infection at the time of that person’s purification.#Lv 14:48–53. The individual shall be brought to the priest, 3who is to go outside the camp.#Lv 13:46. If the priest, upon inspection, finds that the scaly infection has healed in the afflicted person, 4he shall order that two live, clean birds,#The bird rite is also found for purifying a house from a fungus (vv. 49–53). The rite apparently removes impurity from the individual and, by means of the live bird, sends it away to unpopulated areas (v. 7). This is similar to the dispatch of a goat laden with sins on the Day of Atonement (16:21–22). as well as some cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be obtained for the one who is to be purified.#Nm 19:6. 5#The blood from the bird serves as a ritual detergent, much like the blood from the purification offering (see notes on 4:3). It is not a sacrifice, however, since it is not performed at the sanctuary. Fresh water: lit., “living water,” taken from some source of running water, not from a cistern. The priest shall then order that one of the birds be slaughtered over an earthen vessel with fresh water in it. 6Taking the living bird with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, the priest shall dip them, including the live bird, in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water, 7and then sprinkle seven times on the person to be purified from the scaly infection. When he has thus purified that person, he shall let the living bird fly away over the countryside.#Lv 16:21–22. 8The person being purified shall then wash his garments, shave off all hair, and bathe in water,#Bathe in water: This phrase occurs frequently in Lv 14–16 and is imprecise. It can refer to both ordinary and cultic washing. The context will determine the meaning. At this early period in Israel’s history it is probably not a reference to cultic immersion in a Mikveh—a Second Temple period ritual. and so become clean. After this the person may come inside the camp, but shall still remain outside his or her tent for seven days.#Lv 15:13, 28. 9On the seventh day this individual shall again shave off all hair, of the head, beard, and eyebrows—all hair must be shaved—and also wash his garments and bathe the body in water, and so become clean.
10On the eighth day the individual shall take two unblemished male lambs, one unblemished yearling ewe lamb, three tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log#Log: a liquid measure of capacity attested in the Bible only here. It is apparently equal in capacity to one-half liter. of oil. 11The priest who performs the purification ceremony shall place the person who is being purified, as well as all these offerings, before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 12Taking one of the male lambs, the priest shall present it as a reparation offering,#Lv 7:1–10. along with the log of oil, raising them as an elevated#Lv 7:30. offering before the Lord. 13This lamb shall be slaughtered in the sacred place where the purification offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered, because the reparation offering is like the purification offering; it belongs to the priest and is most holy. 14#The application of blood and oil here facilitates the movement of the person from the severely impure to the pure profane sphere; it reintegrates him or her into the community. Cf. 8:23–24. #Lv 8:23–24. Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the reparation offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified. 15The priest shall also take the log of oil and pour some of it into the palm of his own left hand; 16then, dipping his right finger in the oil on his left palm, he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the Lord. 17Of the oil left in his hand the priest shall put some on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified, over the blood of the reparation offering. 18The rest of the oil in his hand the priest shall put on the head#Lv 8:12, 30. of the one being purified. Thus shall the priest make atonement for the individual before the Lord. 19The priest shall next offer the purification offering,#Lv 4. thus making atonement on behalf of the one being purified from the uncleanness. After this the burnt offering shall be slaughtered. 20The priest shall offer the burnt offering#Lv 1. and the grain offering on the altar before the Lord. Thus shall the priest make atonement for the person, and the individual will become clean.
Poor Person’s Sacrifices. 21If a person is poor and cannot afford so much,#Lv 5:7, 11; 12:8. that person shall take one male lamb for a reparation offering, to be used as an elevated offering in atonement, one tenth of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, 22and two turtledoves or pigeons, which the individual can more easily afford, the one as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering. 23On the eighth day of purification the person shall bring them to the priest, at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord. 24Taking the lamb of the reparation offering, along with the log of oil, the priest shall raise them as an elevated offering before the Lord. 25When the lamb of the reparation offering has been slaughtered, the priest shall take some of its blood, and put it on the lobe of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified. 26The priest shall then pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand 27and with his right finger sprinkle some of the oil in his left palm seven times before the Lord. 28Some of the oil in his hand the priest shall also put on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the person being purified, where he had sprinkled the blood of the reparation offering. 29The rest of the oil in his hand the priest shall put on the head of the one being purified. Thus shall he make atonement for the individual before the Lord. 30Then, of the turtledoves or pigeons, such as the person can afford, 31the priest shall offer one as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering,#Lv 1:14–17; 5:7–10. along with the grain offering. Thus shall the priest make atonement before the Lord for the person who is being purified. 32This is the ritual for one afflicted with a scaly infection who has insufficient means for purification.
Fungal Infection of Houses. 33#Discussion of fungi in houses is probably delayed until here because it deals with a case pertaining to living in the land (v. 34) as opposed to the foregoing cases which apply even in the wilderness. The rules on fabrics (13:47–58) apply to the tent dwellings in the wilderness. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 34When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you to possess, if I put#Nm 12:9–15; 2 Kgs 15:4–5; 2 Chr 26:16–21. a fungal infection in any house of the land you occupy, 35the owner of the house shall come and report to the priest, “Something like an infection has appeared in my house.” 36The priest shall then order the house to be cleared out before he goes in to examine the infection, lest everything in the house become unclean. Only after this is he to go in to examine the house. 37If the priest, upon inspection, finds that the infection on the walls of the house consists of greenish or reddish spots#Lv 13:49. which seem to go deeper than the surface of the wall, 38he shall go out of the house to the doorway and quarantine the house for seven days. 39On the seventh day the priest shall return. If, upon inspection, he finds that the infection has spread on the walls, 40he shall order the infected stones to be pulled out and cast in an unclean place outside the city. 41The whole inside of the house shall then be scraped, and the mortar that has been scraped off shall be dumped in an unclean place outside the city. 42Then other stones shall be brought and put in the place of the old stones, and new mortar obtained and plastered on the house. 43If the infection breaks out once more in the house after the stones have been pulled out and the house has been scraped and replastered, 44the priest shall come; and if, upon inspection, he finds that the infection has spread in the house, it is a corrosive fungus in the house, and it is unclean. 45It shall be pulled down, and all its stones, beams and mortar shall be hauled away to an unclean place outside the city. 46#cf. Lv 15:10. Whoever enters a house while it is quarantined shall be unclean until evening. 47Whoever sleeps or eats in such a house shall also wash his garments.
48#Lv 14:2–9. If the priest finds, when he comes to the house, that the infection has in fact not spread in the house after the plastering, he shall declare the house clean, since the infection has been healed. 49To purify the house, he shall take two birds, as well as cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. 50One of the birds he shall slaughter over an earthen vessel with fresh water in it. 51Then, taking the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, together with the living bird, he shall dip them all in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. 52Thus he shall purify the house with the bird’s blood and the fresh water, along with the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn. 53He shall then let the living bird fly away over the countryside outside the city. Thus he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.
54This is the ritual for every kind of human scaly infection and scall, 55and for fungus diseases in garments and houses— 56for marks, lesions and blotches— 57to give direction when there is a state of uncleanness and when a state of cleanness. This is the ritual for scaly infection.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Leviticus 14
14
Rules for Those With Skin Diseases
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“These are the rules for people who have had a skin disease and have been made well. These rules are for making them clean.
“A priest must look at those who had the skin disease. 3The priest must go to them outside the camp and look to see if the skin disease is healed. 4If they are healthy, the priest will tell them to do these things: They must bring two clean birds that are still alive, a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth, and a hyssop plant. 5Then the priest must order one bird to be killed in a clay bowl over running water. 6He must take the other bird that is still alive and the piece of cedar wood, the piece of red cloth, and the hyssop plant and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. 7He must sprinkle the blood seven times on those who had the skin disease. Then he must announce that they are clean. After that the priest must go to an open field and let the living bird go free.
8“The people going through this purification ceremony must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair, and wash with water. Then they will be clean. They may then go into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days. 9On the seventh day, they must shave off all their hair. They must shave their head, their beard, and their eyebrows—yes, all their hair. Then they must wash their clothes and bathe their bodies in water. Then they will be clean.
10“On the eighth day, anyone who had a skin disease must take two male lambs that have nothing wrong with them and a one-year-old female lamb that has nothing wrong with it. They must also take 24 cups#14:10 24 cups Literally, “3/10,” probably meaning 3/10 of an ephah (6.6 l). of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and 2/3 of a pint#14:10 2/3 of a pint Literally, “1 log” (.3 l). Also in verse 21. of olive oil. 11The priest must bring that person and those sacrifices before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. (This must be the same priest who announced that the person is clean.) 12The priest will take one of the lambs and the oil as a guilt offering. He will lift them in front of the Lord to show they were presented to God. 13Then the priest will kill the male lamb in the holy place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest. It is very holy.
14“The priest will take some of the blood of the guilt offering. He will put some of this blood on the tip of the right ear of the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the right foot of that person. 15The priest will also take some of the oil and pour it into his own left palm. 16Then the priest will dip the finger of his right hand into the oil that is in his left palm. He will use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. 17Then he will put some of the oil that is in his palm on the person to be made clean. He will put that oil on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering. The priest will put some of the oil on the tip of the person’s right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 18He will put the oil that is left in his palm on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way he will make that person pure before the Lord.
19“Then the priest must offer the sin offering to make that person pure. After that he will kill the animal for the burnt offering. 20He will then offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. In this way the priest will make that person pure, and that person will become clean.
21“A poor person might not be able to afford all these offerings. So that poor person can use one male lamb as a guilt offering. It will be presented to God so that the priest can make that person pure. The poor person must take 8 cups#14:21 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of an ephah” (2.2 l). of fine flour mixed with oil. This flour will be used for a grain offering. The poor person must also take 2/3 of a pint of olive oil 22and two doves or two young pigeons. Even poor people can afford these things. One bird will be a sin offering, and the other will be a burnt offering.
23“On the eighth day, that person will bring these things to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. These things will be offered before the Lord so that the person can become clean. 24The priest will take the lamb for the guilt offering and the oil, and he will lift them up to show they were offered before the Lord. 25Then he will kill the lamb of the guilt offering, take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the right foot of this person. 26He will also pour some of this oil into his own left palm. 27He will use the finger of his right hand to sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the Lord. 28Then he will put some of the oil that is in his palm on the same places he put the blood from the guilt offering. He will put some of the oil on the tip of the right ear of the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of the oil on the thumb of the right hand and on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 29He will put the oil that is left in his palm on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way he will make that person pure before the Lord.
30“Then the priest must offer one of the doves or young pigeons. (He must offer whichever the person can afford.) 31He must offer one of these birds as a sin offering and the other bird as a burnt offering. He must offer the birds with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make that person pure before the Lord, and that person will become clean.”
32These are the rules for making people clean after they become well from a skin disease. These are the rules for those who cannot afford the regular sacrifices for becoming clean.
Rules for Mildew in a House
33The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, 34“I am giving the land of Canaan to your people. Your people will enter that land. At that time I might cause mildew to grow in someone’s house. 35The person who owns that house must come and tell the priest, ‘I see something like mildew in my house.’
36“Then the priest must order the people to take everything out of the house before he goes in to look at the mildew. Then the priest will not have to say everything in the house is unclean. After the people have taken everything out of the house, the priest will go in to look at the house. 37He will look at the mildew. If the mildew on the walls of the house has holes that are a green or red color, and if the mildew goes into the wall’s surface, 38he must go out of the house and lock the house for seven days.
39“On the seventh day the priest must come back and check the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls of the house, 40then he must order the people to tear out the stones with the mildew on them and throw them away. They must put these stones at a special unclean place outside the city. 41Then the priest must have the entire house scraped inside. The people must throw away the plaster that was scraped off the walls. They must put that plaster at a special unclean place outside the city. 42Then new stones must be put in the walls, and the walls must be covered with new plaster.
43“Maybe someone took away the old stones and plaster and put in new stones and plaster. And maybe mildew again appears in that house. 44Then the priest must come in and check the house. If the infection has spread in the house, it is a disease that spreads quickly to other places. So the house is unclean. 45The house must be torn down. All the stones, plaster, and pieces of wood must be taken to the special unclean place outside the city. 46Anyone who goes into that house will be unclean until evening. 47Anyone who eats in that house or lies down in there must wash their clothes.
48“After new stones and plaster are put in a house, the priest must check the house. If the mildew has not spread through the house, the priest will announce that the house is clean, because the mildew is gone.
49“Then, to make the house clean, the priest must take two birds, a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth, and a hyssop plant. 50He will kill one bird in a clay bowl over running water. 51Then he will take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the piece of red cloth, and the living bird and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed over running water. Then he will sprinkle that blood on the house seven times. 52In this way he will use these things to make the house clean. 53He will go to an open field outside the city and let the living bird go free. In this way the priest will make the house pure. The house will be clean.”
54These are the rules for any infection of leprosy, 55for mildew on pieces of cloth or in a house. 56These are the rules for swellings, rashes, or bright spots on the skin. 57These rules teach when something is clean and when something is unclean. These are the rules about these kinds of disease.
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