Chapter Fourteen
Regulations Regarding Offerings in Response to Healing
14:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, 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, 4 the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. 5 And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. 6 He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. 8 And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days. 9 And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.
This section (verses 1-32) is not a method to obtain healing from God, it is in response to being healed. The following is the protocol for being restored to being considered clean after suffering from an ailment that caused a person to be proclaimed unclean.
If a person is healed from a skin disease, a priest was to meet them outside of the camp and give the person an examination (using the procedures outlined in Leviticus 13:1-46). If the priest determines that the person has indeed been healed, he was to instruct them to obtain two living birds that are considered clean (not identified in the Hebrew text, however the only two types of birds acceptable for sacrifice were the turtledove and the pigeon, although many have been influenced by the Latin Vulgate and insist on identifying the birds as sparrows), some cedar wood, some scarlet colored yarn, and some hyssop wood.[1] Then the healed person was to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel (a pot made of clay not metal, probably to collect the blood) over fresh water. The Hebrew word translated as ‘fresh’ is ‘ḥǎy·yîm’,[2] which refers to a living thing, some believe that the text should instead read, ‘flowing’ or ‘running’ water (KJV, NASB, NKJV), while others prefer “living water,” as the term connects to words spoken by Jesus (see John 4:10; 7:37-39). Once the one bird is dead, the priest was to take the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the dead bird and sprinkle the blood on the person who was healed. The priest was to then proclaim them clean and release the living bird. The healed person was to then shave off all their hair and bathe themselves in water and they will be clean. They are then allowed to enter the camp but must live in a tent outside the camp for seven days. On the seventh day they are to again shave all their hair, wash their clothes, and bathe in water then they will be considered clean.
14:10 “And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. 11 And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 12 And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 13 And he shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand 16 and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. 17 And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD. 19 The priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering. 20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
On the eighth day the person was to obtain two male lambs without blemish, one female lamb without blemish, material for a grain offering consisting of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil (approximately seven quarts), and one log (Hebrew word ‘lōg’,[3] estimated to be one-third quart) of oil. The priest was then to present the person and these items before God at the entrance to the Tabernacle. One of the male lambs was to be selected as a guilt offering, the lamb and the oil were to then be waved before YHWH as a wave offering.
The lamb that was selected was killed as a guilt offering, the meat of which was to be considered like a sin offering and given to the priest to consume. The priest was to take some of the lamb’s blood and put it on the person’s right ear lobe, on their right thumb, and on the big toe of their right foot, followed by the priest taking some of the oil by pouring it on the palm of their own left hand (probably forming a small cup with their hand). Then, using his right hand, the priest is to dip a finger (likely his index finger) in the oil and sprinkle the oil seven times before YHWH. Then the priest was to put some of the oil on top of the blood he just placed on the person (on the right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe). Next, the remaining oil in the priest’s hand was to be applied to the person’s head to make atonement for them. The Hebrew word ‘kāpar’,[4] translated here as ‘atonement’ is repeated in verses 18, 19, and 20 (used seven times in this chapter alone),[5] these are not separate atonements, as each component of the process is necessary to obtain atonement. The priest was then to sacrifice the sin offering to make atonement for the person, to clean them from any ceremonial uncleanness, followed by the burnt offering, and the grain offering, all offered on the bronze altar. Afterward, at that time the person would be considered atoned, purified, and made clean.
14:21 “But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil; 22 also two turtledoves or two pigeons, whichever he can afford. The one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. 23 And on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the LORD. 24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 25 And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD. 28 And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, in the place where the blood of the guilt offering was put. 29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30 And he shall offer, of the turtledoves or pigeons, whichever he can afford, 31 one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for him who is being cleansed. 32 This is the law for him in whom is a case of leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.”
If the healed person could not afford the three lambs, this alternate sequence was equally acceptable. The person was to obtain one male lamb, one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil (believed to be a little over two quarts), one log of oil, and two turtledoves or two pigeons (one as the sin offering and the other for a burnt offering). On the eighth day after being bathed in water (see verse nine), they are to bring everything to a priest in front of the Tabernacle before YHWH. Next, the lamb and the oil were to be waved as a wave offering before YHWH. The lamb was then killed as a guilt offering, some of the blood was put on the person’s right ear lobe, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot. Some of the oil was to be poured out on the palm of the priest’s left hand and using his other hand, sprinkle oil seven times before YHWH. Followed by placing some of the oil on the lobe of the person’s right ear, on their right-hand thumb, and on the big toe of their right foot, in the same locations he placed the blood. The remaining oil in the hand of the priest is to be put on the head of the healed person’s head.
The priest was to then offer the birds, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, followed by the grain offering, making atonement before YHWH for the person who was healed and is now considered clean.
Considerations
The Blood and Oil Application Locations Revisited
The three locations where the blood and oil were applied on the person’s body are the same three locations where the blood and oil were applied as instructed in Exodus 29:19-20 and performed as recorded in Leviticus 8:22-24 to consecrate the priests. It is important to note that while we can only speculate as to why those three locations were chosen,[6] that the idea of being in the service to God is not limited to just the priests but to all of God’s people. A concept that is still true for Christians today, remember Romans 12:1-2.[7]
If anyone was cured of the skin diseases listed in chapter 13, the person was required to show themselves before the priests. In Matthew chapter eight we are given a brief account of a man suffering from leprosy approaching Jesus, “When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” (Matthew 8:1-4, see also Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14; 17:11-19). Jesus, being compassionate towards the leper, touched the man, and while most people would have quickly left the scene, Jesus understood the person’s need. Now that the person was healed, Jesus told him to respond to that healing the way that God told Moses here in chapter 14.
However, in so doing did Jesus violate the law? In Leviticus 5:2-3, the regulation clearly states that touching anything unclean must require purification. Therefore, by touching that leper He violated the law, or did He? We know that Jesus was without sin and even though, through our eyes, this may seem as a minor infraction, as discussed earlier, any violation by a person renders them as a sinner, and Jesus was not a sinner. So, what happened? The text does not state that “through the act of touching the leper” Jesus cured him; it was the words “be clean,” that were spoken that apparently worked. The touching was Jesus’ way of showing compassion, perhaps with a hug or similar embrace, as the healing was done prior to any physical contact. Jesus is not limited to touching, nor does He need to speak, to have healing take place. Those actions are added for mankind’s benefit.
Regulations Regarding Defiled Homes
14:33 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 34 “When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession, 35 then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘There seems to me to be some case of disease in my house.’ 36 Then the priest shall command that they empty the house before the priest goes to examine the disease, lest all that is in the house be declared unclean. And afterward the priest shall go in to see the house. 37 And he shall examine the disease. And if the disease is in the walls of the house with greenish or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the surface, 38 then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house and shut up the house seven days. 39 And the priest shall come again on the seventh day, and look. If the disease has spread in the walls of the house, 40 then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside the city. 41 And he shall have the inside of the house scraped all around, and the plaster that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city. 42 Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other plaster and plaster the house.
In this section God is speaking to both Moses and Aaron regarding the future when the people of Israel have entered and settled in the Promised Land. If God allowed some mold, mildew, or fungus (same word used to describe skin disease)[8] to exist in someone’s home, they are to inform a priest. The priest was to instruct the person to remove all furnishings and belongings from inside the home to prevent the items from being declared unclean. The priest was to then visit and inspect the house. If mold, mildew, or fungus was found on the walls of the house and it appeared to be greenish or reddish, which extended below the surface, the house was to be closed and remain shut for seven days. If upon inspection on the seventh day the growth had spread, the priest was to require the person to remove the stones on which the mold, mildew, or fungus is growing and scrape off the plaster around the area. The stones and any material scraped off were to be removed and placed in an unclean location outside the city. The stones were then to be replaced with other stones and the house was to be re-plastered.
14:43 “If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it, 44 then the priest shall go and look. And if the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent leprous disease in the house; it is unclean. 45 And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place. 46 Moreover, whoever enters the house while it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening, 47 and whoever sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.
If the mold, mildew, or fungus returned after the stones were disposed of and the house re-plastered, then the priest was to come back and make another inspection. If it had indeed returned, it was to be called persistent (harmful and destructive),[9] and the house was to be deemed unclean. At that time the house was to be destroyed and all the debris was to be hauled outside the city and left in some unclean location. If anyone was to enter the house after it was proclaimed unclean, would be considered ceremonially unclean until evening. If anyone ate or slept in the unclean house, they are to wash their clothes afterwards.
14:48 “But if the priest comes and looks, and if the disease has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, for the disease is healed. 49 And for the cleansing of the house he shall take two small birds, with cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop, 50 and shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water 51 and shall take the cedarwood and the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, along with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed and in the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times. 52 Thus he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the fresh water and with the live bird and with the cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn. 53 And he shall let the live bird go out of the city into the open country. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.”
If the priest finds that the mold, mildew, or fungus did not return or spread in the house after it was re-plastered, then it is to be considered clean. This is to be followed by a procedure that is similar to the cleansing required for individuals after being healed of a skin disease (see verses 1-9 above). Taking two small birds, some cedar wood, scarlet colored yarn, and some hyssop wood, the priest was to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water.[10] Then he was to dip the other objects (including the live bird) in the blood of the dead bird and sprinkle the blood and water on the house seven times. The living bird was then to be released in an open area outside the city. Once the priest is finished and atonement was made for the house, it was to be considered clean. Since there was no guilt from sin associated with the malady, the sacrifices were not required for cleansing the house.
14:54 This is the law for any case of leprous disease: for an itch, 55 for leprous disease in a garment or in a house, 56 and for a swelling or an eruption or a spot, 57 to show when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law for leprous disease.
This summary concludes the last two chapters regarding skin diseases, molds, mildews, and fungi, concerning an itch (Hebrew word ‘ně’·ṯěq’,[11] a scab, or skin eruption),[12] leprous diseases on a garment or in a house (referring to a mold, mildew, and fungus). And for swelling, an eruption, or a spot (using language essentially the same as Leviticus 13:2)[13] to determine if they are either clean or unclean.
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[1]See commentary under Exodus 12:22.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 2416.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 3849.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 3722.
[5] See commentary under Genesis 6:14-16; Exodus 25:17; 29:36-37.
[6] See commentary under Genesis 29:19-20 regarding discussion of these three locations.
[7] See Considerations under the Introduction of Leviticus regarding “The Connection to Romans 12.”
[8] See the opening commentary for chapter thirteen.
[9] See commentary under Leviticus 13:47-52.
[10] See commentary under Leviticus 14:1-9.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 5424.
[12] See commentary under Leviticus 13:29-37.
[13] See commentary under Leviticus 13:1-8.