Leviticus 14 3

Leviticus 14:3 kjv

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;

Leviticus 14:3 nkjv

And the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper,

Leviticus 14:3 niv

The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease,

Leviticus 14:3 esv

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,

Leviticus 14:3 nlt

who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease,

Leviticus 14 verses

Leviticus 14 3 Meaning

Leviticus 14:3 outlines the initial step in the purification process for a person afflicted with tzara'at (leprosy). The verse mandates that the priest, as the divinely appointed arbiter of purity, must exit the communal camp to physically inspect the person. This examination is not for the purpose of healing, but to ascertain whether the previously identified "infection of leprosy" has miraculously healed. This act underscores God's meticulous care for the community's spiritual purity and His redemptive desire to restore the outcast, enabling their re-entry into the sacred space of the Israelite camp.

Leviticus 14 3 Context

Leviticus 14 focuses entirely on the elaborate purification rites for a person who has been healed from tzara'at, a severe and highly defiling skin disease in the Old Testament. This chapter builds directly on chapter 13, which meticulously detailed the diagnosis of tzara'at by the priest and mandated the strict isolation of the afflicted individual "outside the camp" (Lev 13:46). The historical context places this within Israel's wilderness wanderings, where the concept of "the camp" represented God's dwelling place among His people. Maintaining ritual purity within this camp was paramount to uphold the holiness of God's presence. Leprosy, symbolizing ultimate ritual impurity and societal defilement, severed the individual from the community and from access to the Tabernacle. Thus, chapter 14 describes the divinely ordained pathway for the healed individual to be re-admitted to the community and religious life, emphasizing reconciliation and restoration. The priest's going out to the leper signifies divine initiative in reaching out to the defiled.

Leviticus 14 3 Word analysis

• And the priest: (Hebrew: וְהַכֹּהֵן, ve-hakohen)
  • וְ (ve-): "And," indicating a continuation of instruction, linking this step to the overall law concerning tzara'at.
  • הַכֹּהֵן (ha-kohen): "The priest." The definite article 'ha-' emphasizes that this is the authorized priest. The priest functions not merely as a medical professional, but primarily as a theological adjudicator and mediator of divine law and purity. His role is to confirm God's work of healing and to initiate the process of restoration into the holy community. He represents the divine judgment and the divine desire for reconciliation.
• shall go out: (Hebrew: יָצָא, yatsa)
  • Literally "to go forth" or "come out." This is a highly significant action. The leper, being unclean, could not enter the camp (Lev 13:46). The priest, representing holiness, initiates contact by leaving the purity of the camp to meet the defiled person where they are, outside the boundaries of the community. This foreshadows God's own initiative to meet humanity in its state of sin and impurity. It demonstrates a proactive pursuit of restoration.
• of the camp: (Hebrew: מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, mi-khutz la-makhaneh)
  • מִחוּץ (mi-khutz): "Outside."
  • לַמַּחֲנֶה (la-makhaneh): "The camp." The Israelite camp was symbolic of God's dwelling place and a zone of purity. To be "outside the camp" meant not only social isolation but spiritual separation from God's immediate presence. This action highlights the extreme defilement associated with tzara'at and the radical nature of the priest's conciliatory role.
• and the priest shall look: (Hebrew: וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן, ve-ra'ah hakohen)
  • וְרָאָה (ve-ra'ah): "And he shall see" or "look." This is an active and authoritative examination, not a casual glance. The priest's visual assessment is the crucial act that determines the next steps in the cleansing process. It is a priestly "diagnosis" that confirms the healing.
• and behold: (Hebrew: וְהִנֵּה, ve-hinneh)
  • An interjection or particle used to draw attention to something important or surprising. It marks the significant observation or discovery that follows, emphasizing the revelation of the healing.
• if the infection of leprosy: (Hebrew: נֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת, nega ha-tzara'at)
  • נֶגַע (nega): "Infection," "plague," "stroke," or "mark." This term often implies a divinely sent affliction or mark. It underscores that tzara'at was more than just a dermatological condition; it carried deep ritual and spiritual implications.
  • הַצָּרַעַת (ha-tzara'at): "The leprosy." The specific, severe skin disease that caused ritual defilement and social ostracism.
• is healed in the leper: (Hebrew: נִרְפָּא מִן הַצָּרוּעַ, nirpa min ha-tzaru'a)
  • נִרְפָּא (nirpa): "Is healed," specifically in the Niphal (passive) stem of the verb רָפָא (rapha). This passive construction is highly significant, indicating that the healing is not a result of the priest's actions or human medical intervention. It signifies that the healing has been effected by an outside, divine power. The priest only verifies this pre-existing healing.
  • מִן הַצָּרוּעַ (min ha-tzaru'a): "From the leper," or "in the leper." The afflicted person (ha-tzaru'a) is the one upon whom God has performed this healing work. This emphasizes the divine initiative and sovereignty in restoration.

Leviticus 14 3 Bonus section

The concept of the priest going "outside the camp" holds a significant typological parallel to Christ. Just as the Levitical priest left the sanctified dwelling place to meet the unclean, Jesus Christ, in His purity and holiness, came down from heaven and condescended to enter humanity's defiled existence, interacting with and healing those deemed untouchable (Matt 8:1-4). He did not wait for the "lepers" of sin to clean themselves; rather, He initiated the process of reconciliation. This prefigures Jesus suffering "outside the gate" (Heb 13:12), bearing our sin and impurity on the cross, ultimately cleansing us not with rituals and blood of animals, but with His own precious blood. The careful observation and declaration of healing by the priest underscore God's orderly process of restoration. It highlights the importance of authority (priest) in validating a divine work, preventing unauthorized re-entry into the holy community. The purification ceremony of Lev 14, initiated by this verse, ultimately serves to "cleanse the house" of Israel metaphorically, preventing ritual defilement from spreading within the covenant community.

Leviticus 14 3 Commentary

Leviticus 14:3 forms the essential gateway for the restoration of a person afflicted by tzara'at. It initiates a meticulous seven-day ritual of cleansing. The priest's deliberate action of leaving the camp is profoundly symbolic. It demonstrates God's initiative in reaching out to the unclean and the outcast, signifying that true reconciliation often begins with the holy reaching towards the defiled, rather than the defiled making themselves worthy to approach holiness. The disease itself, tzara'at, functioned as a powerful physical metaphor for sin, which inherently separates individuals from a holy God and from their community.

Crucially, the verse states that the leprosy "is healed" (nirpa), a passive verb signifying divine intervention. The priest does not perform the healing but confirms that God has already acted. This underscores that only God can truly cleanse and restore from such a deep-seated defilement, whether physical or spiritual. The elaborate ritual that follows (birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, hyssop, bathing, shaving, and various sacrifices) functions as a legal and theological declaration of the divine healing and provides the necessary atonement and purification for reintegration into the community and God's presence. This entire process foreshadows the ultimate work of Christ, our Great High Priest, who, though holy, went "outside the camp" (Heb 13:12) to meet us in our sin, bearing its full defilement, to not merely declare us clean but to make us clean through His perfect sacrifice, restoring us to God.