Leviticus 14 55

Leviticus 14:55 kjv

And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,

Leviticus 14:55 nkjv

for the leprosy of a garment and of a house,

Leviticus 14:55 niv

for defiling molds in fabric or in a house,

Leviticus 14:55 esv

for leprous disease in a garment or in a house,

Leviticus 14:55 nlt

and mildew, whether on clothing or in a house;

Leviticus 14 verses

Leviticus 14 55 Meaning

Leviticus 14:55 specifies the comprehensive scope of the preceding laws regarding ritual purity and impurity. It concludes the extensive instructions given to the priests concerning the various manifestations of tzara'at (often translated as "leprosy" or severe skin disease) for afflicted individuals, contamination within houses, and specific skin eruptions referred to as "swellings" or "scabs." This verse reaffirms that the detailed regulations from Leviticus Chapters 13 and 14 apply to all these distinct cases, ensuring the priest's proper identification, quarantine, and purification procedures are followed for the spiritual and communal well-being of Israel.

Leviticus 14 55 Context

Leviticus 14:55 stands as a concluding summary within the broader context of priestly laws concerning ritual purity and uncleanness in the Israelite community. Chapters 13 and 14 detail the extensive regulations for tzara'at – a general term encompassing various severe skin diseases, mildew in garments, and mold in houses. Chapter 13 focuses on the diagnosis and isolation procedures for these conditions, while Chapter 14 meticulously outlines the intricate purification rituals necessary for an individual or house to be declared clean and restored to the community after healing.

Historically and culturally, tzara'at was more than a physical ailment; it rendered an individual ritually unclean, leading to mandatory social and religious segregation. The priest served as the divinely appointed authority to identify the disease, determine its course, quarantine the afflicted, and ultimately, upon healing, officiate the elaborate purification rites that enabled reentry into communal life and worship. This meticulous system emphasized the sanctity of God, the defiling nature of impurity, and the necessity of purity for living in covenant relationship with a holy God. The passage implicitly critiques contemporary pagan practices which often lacked structured purification processes or attributed disease to capricious deities; instead, YHWH provides an orderly, comprehensive system, highlighting His sovereignty over life, death, and purification, and His provision for restoration.

Leviticus 14 55 Word Analysis

• And: Hebrew waw (וְ). A simple conjunction, connecting this concluding summary to the preceding laws. It signifies continuation and comprehensive application.
• for the leper: Hebrew li-metzora (לַמְצֹרָע).
  • li-: Preposition meaning "for" or "concerning."
  • metzora (מְצֹרָע): The masculine singular participle of the verb tzara' (צָרַע), "to smite with leprosy." It refers to the individual afflicted by tzara'at, a "leper." It specifically denotes a person suffering from this severe, often ritually defiling, skin disease, not just any skin condition.
• of leprosy: Hebrew ha-tzara'at (הַצָּרַעַת).
  • ha-: The definite article, "the."
  • tzara'at (צָרַעַת): The feminine noun meaning "leprosy," "leprous disease," or "eruption." This is the general term for the various types of afflictions detailed in Chapters 13 and 14, encompassing not just Hansen's disease but other severe skin maladies and even molds. The phrase "leper of leprosy" emphasizes that it applies to the person who has the specific leprous disease discussed.
• and for the house: Hebrew wə-la-bayit (וְלַבַּיִת).
  • wə-: "And."
  • la-: "For the."
  • bayit (בַּיִת): "House," "dwelling." This refers specifically to a house or structure that has become infected with tzara'at (mold or mildew, often called "leprous plague") as detailed in Leviticus 14:34-53. The inclusion here signifies the application of these laws beyond the human body.
• and for the swellings: Hebrew wə-la-sappahat (וְלַסַּפַּחַת).
  • wə-: "And."
  • la-: "For the."
  • sappahat (סַפַּחַת): This is a noun meaning "scab," "eruption," "sore," or "pustule." It is a specific type of skin affliction mentioned in Leviticus 13:2, 6-8. Its inclusion here specifically names a particular manifestation of tzara'at, distinguishing it from other broad categories, and emphasizing the detailed scope of the priestly laws to various forms of skin conditions under tzara'at.

Words-group analysis:

• "for the leper of leprosy": This phrase specifically refers to an individual human being afflicted by the ritual tzara'at. It signifies that the laws of diagnosis, separation, and purification apply directly to people with these severe conditions, highlighting their unique position in requiring intervention for restoration.
• "and for the house": This broadens the application of the tzara'at laws beyond humans and even garments (mentioned in 14:54). It demonstrates that uncleanness could infect structures, rendering them uninhabitable until purified or destroyed. This shows God's concern for the holiness of the very environment in which His people lived.
• "and for the swellings": This particular term points to specific, less severe-sounding yet ritually significant, skin eruptions categorized under tzara'at. It underscores the meticulousness of the law, indicating that even minor afflictions, if determined to be tzara'at, fell under the strict guidelines for cleanliness and quarantine. It suggests the need for careful priestly discernment of even seemingly small blemishes that could indicate deeper impurity.

Leviticus 14 55 Bonus Section

The specificity of "for the leper of leprosy, and for the house, and for the swellings" (as opposed to just saying "for all tzara'at") highlights the layered understanding of uncleanness. It emphasizes that tzara'at manifested in different forms and impacted different objects (human body, architectural structures). The repeated listing serves as an emphatic conclusion, reinforcing the authority and reach of the Mosaic Law concerning ritual purity. This divine structure of diagnosis and cleansing foreshadows a profound theological principle: sin, as a spiritual form of "leprosy," also infects individuals, contaminates environments (through practices and cultures), and manifests in specific "eruptions" of behavior or attitude. Just as the Levitical priest had a defined role in ancient Israel, Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, holds ultimate authority to diagnose and cleanse sin (spiritual uncleanness), providing a pathway for complete spiritual restoration not just for specific ailments, but for the entire human condition.

Leviticus 14 55 Commentary

Leviticus 14:55 acts as a conclusive summary for the preceding chapters' elaborate laws regarding tzara'at. It succinctly itemizes the primary entities subject to these comprehensive priestly instructions: the individual afflicted by the disease, the infected dwelling, and specific skin eruptions (sappahat) detailed as manifestations of tzara'at. This verse reiterates the exhaustive nature of divine legislation, ensuring no form of the condition or affected entity is overlooked in the meticulous pursuit of communal ritual purity. The underlying message is that God's holy presence among His people necessitated an orderly, God-prescribed system to address anything that might defile His dwelling or His covenant community. The precise enumeration here highlights the priestly responsibility for careful discernment and the Israelite obligation to obey these divine ordinances, providing a clear path from uncleanness back to the clean status required for fellowship with a holy God and fellow Israelites. This serves as a foreshadowing of the comprehensive cleansing Christ provides, making clean not just the outward but the inner spiritual defilement of sin.