The big picture
Priests have learned which signs make a person or object unclean for worship. God now tells Moses, Israel's leader, how a healed person returns. Israel, the community living around the sanctuary, has a formal route back for those who were separated. Priests, the men who judge these cases, inspect them and carry out the cleansing rites. The chapter also looks ahead to affected houses in Canaan, the land God promises to give the people.
In this chapter
- The Priest Meets the Healed Person Leviticus 14:1-9
The priest goes outside the camp to inspect the person who has healed.
- Offerings Complete the Return to Worship Leviticus 14:10-20
Eight days into the return, the healed person brings lambs, flour, and oil to the tent entrance.
- The Poor Receive the Same Cleansing Leviticus 14:21-32
A poor person brings one lamb instead of the larger set, together with a smaller grain gift, oil, and two birds.
- A House with Marks Is Inspected Leviticus 14:33-42
Moses and Aaron receive instructions for dealing with affected houses once the people reach their promised land.
- Returning Damage Requires Demolition Leviticus 14:43-47
Fresh marks appear after the repair.
- A Cleansed House Returns to Use Leviticus 14:48-57
If the new plaster shows no spreading marks, the priest declares the house clean.
Central truth
God gives healed people steps for their return and tells priests how to judge and cleanse houses with spreading marks.
Scripture beside the summary
Leviticus · King James Version · 57Leviticus 14:1-9
The Priest Meets the Healed Person
The priest goes outside the camp to inspect the person who has healed. Two clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet material, and hyssop, a plant used in sprinkling, are brought. One bird is killed over fresh water in a clay vessel. The priest dips these items and the live bird into the bloody water. He sprinkles the healed person seven times. The living bird is released. Washing and shaving follow, with another week before the person can return fully to the tent.
In everyday life
A release officer meets a resident at the gate of a treatment centre. She checks that he has met each step of his return plan. The resident collects clean clothes and begins a staged move home. Recovery and return involve separate actions. The biblical rite uses blood and priestly cleansing rather than a treatment plan.
Notice
Leviticus 14:3 Outside the camp, the priest meets the person. The excluded person is not required to enter the camp while still awaiting the declaration that allows return.
Leviticus 14:1-9
King James Version1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
3And 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;
4Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
5And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
6As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
7And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
8And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
9But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
Leviticus 14:10-20
Offerings Complete the Return to Worship
Eight days into the return, the healed person brings lambs, flour, and oil to the tent entrance. The priest presents a guilt offering and applies its blood to the person's right ear, thumb, and big toe. Oil is sprinkled before God and put on the same places, with the remainder on the head. A sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering follow. These actions complete atonement and cleansing. The person is back among the people. Now he can also take part in worship before God.
In everyday life
A suspended orchestral player returns to the rehearsal room after completing the required review. The conductor checks the remaining conditions, restores her place, and brings her into the full performance again. Re-entry into the building is only one stage. This cleansing allows worship after illness, not membership after misconduct.
Notice
Leviticus 14:17 Oil is placed where the blood has already been applied. The repeated contact marks the returning person as fully included in the prescribed cleansing.
Leviticus 14:10-20
King James Version10And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
11And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
12And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
13And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
14And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
15And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
16And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD:
17And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:
18And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD.
19And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
20And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
Leviticus 14:21-32
The Poor Receive the Same Cleansing
A poor person brings one lamb instead of the larger set, together with a smaller grain gift, oil, and two birds. The guilt offering still provides blood for the ear, thumb, and toe. The priest applies oil in the same way and places the rest on the person's head. The birds serve as sin and burnt offerings. The law repeats each step. Having less money does not leave the person only partly clean or less able to worship with the rest.
In everyday life
A hearing-aid fitter opens a cheaper model paid for by a support fund. She gives its wearer the full session to fit and test it. She adjusts the device, checks comfort, and schedules the same follow-up. A smaller bill does not mean an incomplete service. The priest provides ritual cleansing, while the fitter helps a person's hearing.
Notice
Leviticus 14:22 The birds are chosen according to what the person can obtain. The required gifts take poverty into account without cancelling the rite of return.
Leviticus 14:21-32
King James Version21And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
22And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
23And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.
24And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
25And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
26And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
27And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
28And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:
29And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.
30And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
31Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.
32This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.
Leviticus 14:33-42
A House with Marks Is Inspected
Moses and Aaron receive instructions for dealing with affected houses once the people reach their promised land. An owner reports suspicious marks, and the priest orders the house emptied before inspecting it. Recessed green or red marks lead to a seven-day closure. If they spread, the affected stones are removed and dumped outside the city in an unclean place. The walls are scraped, replacement stones fitted, and fresh plaster applied. The priest checks what has spread. He does not order the whole house torn down at this first visit.
In everyday life
A homeowner shows a spreading wall stain to an inspector and carries furniture outside before the wall is opened. Damaged bricks are removed, the surface cleaned, and new plaster applied. The first response attempts a specific repair. Leviticus treats the house as ritually unclean under priestly judgment, not merely damaged property.
Notice
Leviticus 14:36 The house is emptied before the priest's inspection. This protects its contents from sharing the status that follows a declaration of uncleanness.
Leviticus 14:33-42
King James Version33And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
34When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;
35And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:
36Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:
37And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;
38Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:
39And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;
40Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
41And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:
42And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other morter, and shall plaister the house.
Leviticus 14:43-47
Returning Damage Requires Demolition
Fresh marks appear after the repair. The priest must return to see if they spread. If they do, he declares the house unclean and orders its walls pulled down. All the rubble goes to an unclean site beyond the town. The beams are taken there too. Entering the closed house makes a person unclean until nightfall. A person who sleeps or eats inside must wash their clothes as well. Neither new stones nor fresh plaster has ended this problem.
In everyday life
A demolition supervisor marks an unstable cottage for removal after the repaired wall begins moving again. The owners have already tried the permitted repair, but the renewed damage changes the decision. Workers now prepare to take the structure apart. The priest's decision concerns purity before God; an engineer's calculation cannot supply that verdict.
Notice
Leviticus 14:45 The whole structure is removed after the condition returns. Replacing the first damaged stones does not guarantee that the house will ultimately be retained.
Leviticus 14:43-47
King James Version43And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plaistered;
44Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
45And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.
46Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.
47And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.
Leviticus 14:48-57
A Cleansed House Returns to Use
If the new plaster shows no spreading marks, the priest declares the house clean. Two birds, cedar wood, scarlet material, hyssop, and fresh water are used in a cleansing rite. After one bird is killed, the priest uses its blood and water on the house seven times. He frees the other bird in fields beyond town. The house is then clean. The closing summary links houses, clothing, swellings, scabs, and bright spots under these laws for deciding when something is clean or unclean.
In everyday life
A librarian removes the closure notice from a restored reading room after the final inspection finds no returning damage. She checks the room one last time before readers come back to their tables. Repair ends with a recognised return to use. The priest also performs a blood rite that this inspection cannot parallel.
Notice
Leviticus 14:48 The priest declares the house clean because the marks have not spread. A report of marks does not always end with a house being torn down.
Leviticus 14:48-57
King James Version48And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
49And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
50And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:
51And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:
52And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
53But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.
54This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,
55And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
56And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
57To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Leviticus 14:1 begins with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Leviticus 14:36 forms a natural hinge: “Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean…”
The final note
Leviticus 14:57 leaves the reader with “To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words priest, house, offering, plague, right, hand help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- tarry abroad
- Wait outside, here outside the person's own tent.
- morter
- Mortar, the material used to bind stones or cover walls.
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
