Leviticus 14 5

Leviticus 14:5 kjv

And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:

Leviticus 14:5 nkjv

And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.

Leviticus 14:5 niv

Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.

Leviticus 14:5 esv

And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water.

Leviticus 14:5 nlt

The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh water.

Leviticus 14 verses

Leviticus 14 5 Meaning

Leviticus 14:5 describes the initial step in the elaborate purification ritual for a person healed of leprosy, an act commanded directly by the priest. It specifies that one of two clean birds brought by the cleansed person is to be ritually slaughtered over an earthen vessel, with its blood falling into living, or running, water. This meticulously detailed process underscores the gravity of ritual defilement and the divine necessity of shedding blood for purification.

Leviticus 14 5 Context

Leviticus Chapter 14 outlines the highly specific and complex ritual for the ceremonial cleansing and re-integration of a person healed from tzara'at, often translated as leprosy, but likely encompassing a broader range of skin diseases, as well as mildew on garments or houses. This ritual, spanning several days, served as a divine means to restore a defiled individual to the camp of Israel and the presence of God. Verse 5 is the very first, critical step, following the priest's initial assessment (Lev 14:3) that the infection is indeed healed. The ritual begins "outside the camp" (Lev 14:3) to signify the state of impurity and separation, emphasizing that reconciliation and re-entry are only possible through God's prescribed process. Historically and culturally, diseases like tzara'at rendered individuals ritually impure and social outcasts, preventing them from participating in community life and worship. This law provided a pathway back, illustrating God's meticulous care for purity and His provision for restoration. The precision of the ritual also served as a counter-polemic against contemporary pagan practices involving sympathetic magic or undefined, arbitrary rites, asserting that only God, through His revealed word and designated priest, could declare a person clean and reintegrate them.

Leviticus 14 5 Word analysis

• And the priest: Hebrew: וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן (ve·tziv·vah hak·ko·hen).
  • Priest (כֹּהֵן, kohen): In ancient Israel, the priest was a divinely appointed mediator, overseeing sacrifices, instructing the people in the Law, and discerning ritual purity and impurity. His authority in matters of tzara'at was absolute; only he could declare someone clean and administer the cleansing rites. This underscores that purity is determined by God's decree, administered through His representative, not by the individual's subjective feeling or a physician's diagnosis.
• shall command: Hebrew: צִוָּה֙ (tzivvah - past tense, indicating a definitive action, "has commanded" or "shall command").
  • The use of tzivah indicates a divine, authoritative instruction, not merely a suggestion. It signifies an obligation rooted in the covenant. The priest's command reflects God's command.
• them to kill: Hebrew: לְשָׁחַט (le·sha·chat - infinitive construct, "to slaughter").
  • Kill/Slaughter (שָׁחַט, shachat): This term specifically refers to ritual slaughter, emphasizing a precise method of taking life for a sacred purpose, often to shed blood. It highlights that purification required a substitutionary death, setting the stage for deeper theological understanding of sacrifice.
• one of the birds: Hebrew: אֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֤ר הָאֶחָת֙ (et-ha·tzip·por ha·e·chat - "the one bird").
  • Birds (צִפֳּרִים, tzipporim): Clean birds (doves or pigeons) were common sacrifices for the poor or for specific purification rites (Lev 1:14; 5:7). The ritual uses two birds: one killed, one released. This duality carries deep symbolic weight – one bird represents the life that must be given (death due to defilement), and the other, freed, represents the cleansed person's restoration to freedom and life.
  • One: Singularity emphasizes that only one bird is killed; its death provides the blood, setting it apart from the second bird that will be released alive.
• in an earthen vessel: Hebrew: אֶל־כְּלִי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ (el-k'li-che·res - "into a vessel of earthenware").
  • Earthen vessel (כְּלִי־חֶרֶשׂ, k'li-cheres): Clay pots were common, disposable, and easily broken, reflecting the fragility and transient nature of human life and ritual impurity. Later, defiled earthen vessels had to be broken (Lev 15:12), unlike metallic or wooden vessels which could be cleansed. Its use here for collecting blood suggests its expendable nature and the sacred but also transient nature of this ritual's function.
• over living water: Hebrew: עַל־מַ֥יִם חַיִּֽים (al-ma·yim chai·yim - "upon living waters").
  • Living water (מַיִם חַיִּים, mayim chayim): This specifically refers to fresh, flowing, or running water, like from a spring or river, not stagnant water. Flowing water is symbolically associated with life, cleansing, renewal, and purity (Eze 36:25; Zech 14:8). The combination of blood and living water signifies a life-giving purification, pointing to a spiritual cleansing beyond mere ritual.

Leviticus 14 5 Bonus section

The two-bird ceremony (Lev 14:4-7) for tzara'at is unique in the Mosaic Law in its specific details. While other offerings used one animal for sin or burnt offerings, this one features a distinct pair. The outside the camp setting (Lev 14:3) where the initial cleansing takes place emphasizes that the leper's defilement put them outside the sphere of holiness, thus requiring a specific re-entry ritual that starts in the profane space and brings them back into the holy. This ritual also highlights the progressive nature of purification in Levitical law, beginning with a blood cleansing outside the camp, followed by personal washing, and later, the presentation of sacrifices inside the tabernacle court. This progressive movement symbolizes spiritual restoration and gradual re-engagement with God's presence.

Leviticus 14 5 Commentary

Leviticus 14:5 initiates the precise, divine procedure for reintegrating a person healed from tzara'at into the covenant community. This verse encapsulates several profound theological truths. Firstly, it underscores God's meticulousness regarding ritual purity and defilement; impurities, especially severe ones like tzara'at, alienated individuals from both communal life and sacred space, demanding a divine solution. The command of the priest and the highly specific elements (two birds, earthen vessel, living water, blood) demonstrate that human-initiated or arbitrary acts are insufficient for spiritual restoration.

Secondly, the act of ritual slaughter and the shedding of blood are central. The life is in the blood (Lev 17:11), and its pouring out symbolizes a substitutionary death – the death that impurity deserves. The clean bird, chosen without blemish, represents the purity required to stand before God. Its sacrifice over living water emphasizes a unique, potent cleansing: the fusion of life-blood with pure, life-giving water signifies not just removal of defilement but a restorative and regenerative process, setting a strong type for spiritual regeneration. This detailed procedure demonstrates that reconciliation with a holy God is a grace-filled provision, but one that costs life (foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, whose blood truly cleanses all sin and grants new, eternal life). The two-bird ritual symbolizes Christ's atoning death for sin and His subsequent resurrection which brings new life and justification.