Leviticus 14 23

Leviticus 14:23 kjv

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.

Leviticus 14:23 nkjv

He shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, before the LORD.

Leviticus 14:23 niv

"On the eighth day they must bring them for their cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the LORD.

Leviticus 14:23 esv

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.

Leviticus 14:23 nlt

On the eighth day of the purification ceremony, the person being purified must bring the offerings to the priest in the LORD's presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

Leviticus 14 verses

Leviticus 14 23 Meaning

This verse describes a crucial step in the purification ritual for a person healed from tzara'at (often translated as leprosy), detailing the required actions on the eighth day. It mandates the presentation of specific offerings by the healed individual to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, before the Lord, marking the culmination of their cleansing and reintegration into the community of God.

Leviticus 14 23 Context

Leviticus chapter 14 outlines the detailed rituals for the cleansing of a person afflicted with tzara'at, a severe skin condition and broader ritual impurity. This particular verse describes the final, culminating stage of the purification process, following an initial week of isolation and specific rites. The broader context of Leviticus emphasizes God's holiness and the necessity of purity for His people to dwell in His presence. The stringent requirements reflect the absolute purity required to approach a holy God, providing a framework for maintaining a consecrated community distinct from the surrounding pagan nations, which often lacked such emphasis on ritual cleanliness or linked it to pagan deities.

Leviticus 14 23 Word analysis

• On the eighth day (בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, ba-yom ha-shemini):
  • Word: "eighth day" (הַשְּׁמִינִי, ha-shemini)
    • Significance: The number eight often symbolizes new beginnings, completion beyond perfection (seven being completeness), and regeneration in biblical numerology. Circumcision occurred on the eighth day (Gen 17:12), foreshadowing new life and covenant. Feasts in Lev 23 also conclude on the eighth day (Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret).
    • Context: For the leper, it marks the end of their impurity and the start of a new, clean life within the community.
    • Bible Link: Points to Jesus' resurrection on the first day of the week (the 'eighth' day in a recurring cycle), signaling a new creation and spiritual regeneration for believers (Col 2:11-12).
• he shall bring them (יָבִיא אֹתָם, yavi otam):
  • Word: "bring" (יָבִיא, yavi)
    • Significance: Active, intentional bringing. The healed person is directly involved in presenting the offerings, not merely receiving a blessing. This highlights personal responsibility and participation in their own restoration.
    • Context: These "them" refer to the offerings detailed earlier in Lev 14:10, specific animals and grain for various types of atonement and dedication.
• for his cleansing (לְטָהֳרָתוֹ, le-tohorato):
  • Word: "cleansing" (טָהֳרָתוֹ, tohorato)
    • Meaning: Ritual purity, not merely physical hygiene. The Hebrew term signifies purification from defilement that impedes access to God and community.
    • Significance: This is the purpose of the offerings and the ritual – to render the individual ritually pure and acceptable before God and their community.
    • Polemics: This concept of purity sharply contrasted with pagan rituals, which often involved immoral acts or physical mutilation for supposed purification, or sought favor from capricious deities rather than restoration before a holy God.
    • Bible Link: Symbolizes the spiritual cleansing from sin, which allows believers to approach God (Heb 9:13-14, 1 Jn 1:7).
• to the priest (אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן, el ha-kohen):
  • Word: "priest" (הַכֹּהֵן, ha-kohen)
    • Significance: The divinely appointed mediator. Only the priest could perform these sacred rites and facilitate reconciliation with God. This underscores the necessity of divine ordinance for atonement and access to God.
    • Bible Link: Points to the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, who mediates a new and better covenant, offering a perfect and complete sacrifice for cleansing (Heb 7:27, Heb 9:11-12).
• at the entrance of the tent of meeting (פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, petach ohel mo'ed):
  • Word: "entrance" (פֶּתַח, petach) and "tent of meeting" (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ohel mo'ed)
    • Meaning: The Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God’s presence dwelled among Israel. "Tent of Meeting" specifically refers to the place where God would meet with Moses and Israel.
    • Significance: This specific location emphasized that the cleansing was taking place in God's immediate, manifested presence. It was the consecrated place where atonement occurred and covenant relationship was maintained. It was the physical center of Israel's spiritual life.
    • Bible Link: Typifies direct access to God’s presence, now possible for believers through Christ's shed blood and High Priestly ministry, opening the "new and living way" into the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 10:19-22).
• before the LORD (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lifnei YHWH):
  • Word: "before the LORD" (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lifnei YHWH)
    • Significance: Reinforces the sacredness of the act. The entire ritual is not for human eyes alone or mere social acceptance, but fundamentally performed in the sight and for the acceptance of God Himself. It emphasizes God’s ultimate authority and judgment, and His readiness to accept the cleansed individual.
    • Bible Link: All true worship and repentance are ultimately "before the Lord," emphasizing accountability and His sovereign acceptance of those who approach Him rightly (Ps 95:6).

Words-group analysis:

• "on the eighth day... for his cleansing... before the Lord": This sequence emphasizes the divine appointment (eighth day, signaling divine initiation of new status), the purpose of the action (cleansing/restoration to holiness), and the ultimate recipient and approver of the ritual (God Himself). It is a process moving from defilement to purification for re-communion with the holy God.
• "he shall bring them... to the priest, at the entrance of the tent of meeting": This highlights the active participation of the cleansed individual, the necessary role of divine mediation through the priest, and the divinely designated sacred space for approaching God and undergoing atonement.

Leviticus 14 23 Bonus section

• The elaborate rituals for tzara'at underscore its unique status as a particularly severe form of ritual impurity, often associated with direct divine judgment (e.g., Miriam in Num 12, Gehazi in 2 Ki 5). This makes the cleansing and restoration particularly significant as a display of God's grace and redemptive power.
• The concept of ritual purity extended beyond skin diseases to include various bodily discharges, contact with dead bodies, and childbirth. The consistent theme across these purity laws is the distinction between clean and unclean, preparing the people for holy living in God's presence.
• The offerings mentioned in context (Lev 14:10-20), particularly the guilt offering, emphasize that sin could be involved in causing tzara'at, or at least required atonement for unintended trespasses that might have contributed to the state of impurity, before full reintegration.

Leviticus 14 23 Commentary

Leviticus 14:23 encapsulates the comprehensive nature of ancient Israelite purity laws, which addressed ritual contamination that excluded individuals from worship and community life. This specific verse reveals the critical "eighth day" ceremony for the person healed of tzara'at. The meticulous details, from the specific day to the exact location (entrance of the Tent of Meeting) and the required presentation of offerings to the priest "before the LORD," underscore several key principles: God's absolute holiness, the gravity of impurity, the necessity of divine grace and ritual provision for cleansing, and the restorative purpose of God's law. This ritual was not merely a physical health measure but a spiritual restoration, reinstating the individual into full fellowship with a holy God and His people. It typifies the profound transformation from sin-defilement to justification and sanctification accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, who provides the ultimate "cleansing" and grants access to God's presence, marking a "new beginning" for all who trust in Him.