CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Leviticus 14
Chapter 14 of 27
Chapter Overview
What happens in Leviticus 14
God provides instructions for the ceremony to restore someone who has been healed of a serious skin disease back to the community. The chapter also covers how to deal with mold in houses.
Scripture
Leviticus 14
The First Stage: Outside the Camp
Study note
When a person's skin disease was healed, they still needed a ceremony to be officially declared clean. The priest went outside the camp to examine them. Two live birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch were used. One bird was killed over fresh water, and the living bird was dipped in the blood and released. This beautiful picture showed freedom and new life. The healed person then shaved all their hair and washed, symbolizing a complete fresh start.
1 Then the Lord gave Moses these instructions: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Here is the procedure for the day when someone who has recovered from a serious skin disease is officially declared clean. The person must be brought to the priest." This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
3 "The priest must go outside the camp and examine the person. If the skin disease has genuinely healed," And 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;
4 "The priest must order someone to bring two live, clean birds, a stick of cedar wood, a piece of red yarn, and a branch of hyssop. These are for the person being made clean." Then 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:
5 "The priest must have one of the birds killed over a clay bowl filled with fresh, running water." And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
6 "Then the priest must take the living bird along with the cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop branch. He must dip all of them, including the living bird, into the blood of the killed bird mixed with the fresh water." As 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:
7 "He must sprinkle the blood mixture seven times on the person being made clean from the skin disease and officially declare them clean. Then the living bird must be set free in the open countryside." And 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.
8 "The person being made clean must wash their clothes, shave off every bit of hair, and take a full bath in water. After that, they will be clean and allowed to return to the camp. But they must stay outside their own tent for seven days." And 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.
9 "On the seventh day, they must shave off all their hair -- from their head, beard, and eyebrows -- every bit of it. They must also wash their clothes and bathe in water. Then they will be clean." But 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.
The Second Stage: Offerings at the Tabernacle
Study note
On the eighth day, the healed person brought offerings to the Tabernacle: two male lambs, one female lamb, flour, and oil. The priest offered one lamb as a guilt offering and waved it before the Lord. Blood from the guilt offering was put on the person's right ear, right thumb, and right big toe, the same places blood was applied during the ordination of priests. Then oil was applied to the same spots. This ceremony symbolized the person's complete restoration to fellowship with God and the community.
10 "On the eighth day, they must bring two perfect male lambs and one perfect one-year-old female lamb. They also need about six quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering. And they need about two-thirds of a pint of olive oil." And 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.
11 "The priest doing the cleansing must bring the person to the Tabernacle door. He brings all the gifts there too. They stand before the Lord." And 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:
12 "The priest must take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the oil. He must wave both of them in the Lord's presence as a wave offering." And 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:
13 "He must slaughter the lamb in the sacred area where sin offerings and burnt offerings are killed. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering meat belongs to the priest. It is most sacred." And 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:
14 "The priest must take some blood from the guilt offering. He must dab it on the right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the person being made clean." And 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:
15 "Next, the priest must pour some of the olive oil into the palm of his own left hand." And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
16 "The priest must dip his right finger into the oil in his left palm and flick some of it seven times in the Lord's presence." And 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:
17 "The priest must then dab some of the remaining oil from his hand on the person being made clean. He puts it on the right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe. He places it right on top of the guilt offering blood already there." And 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:
18 "Whatever oil is left in the priest's hand must be placed on the head of the person being made clean. Through this process, the priest restores the person's relationship with God." And 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.
19 "Next, the priest must offer the sin offering to restore the person's relationship with God regarding their uncleanness. After that, he must slaughter the burnt offering." And 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:
20 "The priest must offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Through this process, the priest restores the person's relationship with God, and the person will be clean." And 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.
Offerings for the Poor
Study note
As with other offerings, God provided a less expensive option for poor people. Instead of three lambs, they could bring one lamb and two doves or pigeons. The ceremony followed the same steps, with blood and oil applied to the ear, thumb, and toe. God ensured that poverty was never a barrier to being restored to the community. Everyone deserved the chance to come back, regardless of wealth.
21 "If the person is poor and cannot afford all of this, they only need to bring one male lamb. This lamb will be a guilt offering, waved before the Lord, to make things right with God. They must also bring about two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. And they need about two-thirds of a pint of olive oil." And 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;
22 "They must also bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons -- whichever they can afford. One will serve as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering." And 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.
23 "On the eighth day, they must bring all of this to the priest at the Tabernacle entrance. They will stand in the Lord's presence for the cleaning ceremony." And 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.
24 "The priest must take the guilt offering lamb and the oil and wave them in the Lord's presence as a wave offering." And 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:
25 "He must kill the guilt offering lamb. Then he must dab some of its blood on the right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the person being made clean." And 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:
26 "The priest must pour some olive oil into the palm of his own left hand." And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
27 "Using his right finger, the priest must flick some of the oil from his left hand seven times in the Lord's presence." And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
28 "He must dab some oil from his hand on three spots. The right ear lobe. The right thumb. The right big toe. These are the same spots where the guilt gift blood was placed." And 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:
29 "Whatever oil is left in the priest's hand must be placed on the head of the person being made clean. This will make things right between that person and God." And 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.
30 "The priest must then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons -- whichever the person was able to bring." And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
31 "One bird serves as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, presented along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest restores the person's relationship with God." Even 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.
32 "These are the rules for someone who has healed from a serious skin disease. They apply when the person cannot afford the full gifts for cleansing." This 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.
Dealing with Mold in Houses
Study note
God gave instructions about mold or contamination in the walls of houses. This applied to when Israel would later settle in the land of Canaan. If someone noticed discolored patches on their walls, they reported it to the priest. The house was emptied and examined. If the contamination had spread after seven days, the affected stones were removed and replaced. If the mold returned, the entire house was torn down. If the mold did not return after repairs, the house was declared clean through a ceremony using two birds, similar to the ceremony for a healed person.
33 The Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron together, saying, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
34 "You will move into Canaan. I am giving it to you as your home. I may cause mold to show up in a house there." When 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;
35 "the homeowner must go to the priest and report, 'There seems to be some kind of mold growing in my house.'" And 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:
36 "Before the priest goes in to examine the mold, he must order the house to be emptied. This way, nothing inside will be declared unclean unnecessarily. Once the house is cleared out, the priest goes in to inspect it." 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: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:
37 "He must look at the mold on the walls. If he sees greenish or reddish streaks that appear to go deeper than the wall's surface," And 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;
38 "the priest must step out to the doorway of the house and seal it up for seven days." Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:
39 "On the seventh day the priest must return and inspect the house again. If the mold has spread along the walls," And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;
40 "the priest must order the affected stones to be ripped out and discarded at an unclean dump site outside the town." Then 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:
41 "He must have the whole inside of the house scraped down. All the scraped-off material must be dumped at an unclean place outside the town." And 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:
42 "Fresh stones must be put in place of the removed ones, and the house must be replastered with new plaster." And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house.
43 "If the mold comes back and reappears in the house after the stones have been replaced and the walls have been scraped and replastered," And 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 plastered;
44 "the priest must come back and inspect again. If the mold has spread, it is a destructive mold, and the house is unclean." Then 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.
45 "The house must be demolished. All its stones, wooden beams, and plaster must be hauled to an unclean dump site outside the town." And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.
46 "Anyone who enters the house while it is sealed up will be unclean until sunset." Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.
47 "Anyone who sleeps in the house or eats in the house must wash their clothes." And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.
48 "But if the priest returns to inspect and finds that the mold has not come back after the replastering, the priest must officially declare the house clean. The mold is gone." And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plastered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
49 "To complete the cleansing of the house, the priest must gather two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch." And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
50 "He must kill one of the birds over a clay bowl filled with fresh, running water." And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:
51 "Then he takes the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn. He takes the live bird. He dips them all in the blood mixed with fresh water. He sprinkles the house seven times." And 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:
52 "Through the bird's blood, the fresh water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn, he will make the house clean." And 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:
53 "Then he must release the living bird in the open countryside outside the town. Through this process, the priest will restore the house, and it will be clean." But 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.
Summary of the Laws About Skin Disease
Study note
This closing summary covers all the instructions about serious skin diseases, scaly sores, mold on clothing, and contamination in houses. The purpose of these laws was to teach people when something was unclean and when it was clean, protecting both their physical health and their ability to worship God.
54 "These are the complete regulations for all types of serious skin diseases and scaly sores," This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,
55 "for dealing with mold that appears in clothing or in buildings," And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
56 "and for bumps, scaly patches, and bright spots that appear on a person's skin." And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
57 "These regulations explain when something is unclean and when it is clean. This covers all the rules about skin diseases and mold." To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
Key Themes
Themes in Leviticus 14
Restoration and cleansing after diseaseThe elaborate ceremony showing the joy of being made cleanBlood and oil applied to the ear, hand, and toeGod's provision for the poor in cleansing rituals
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Leviticus 1-20 Mark 1:40-44
When Jesus healed a man with leprosy, He told him to go to the priest and offer what Moses commanded, fulfilling and honoring this restoration process.
Apply This Today
Living Leviticus 14
The cleansing ceremony for a healed person is one of the most detailed rituals in Leviticus. Blood was placed on the right ear, thumb, and big toe — symbolizing that the restored person's hearing, work, and walk were made new. God does not just forgive; He restores the whole person. Whatever you have been through, God's cleansing reaches every part of your life.
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