Leviticus 14:9 kjv
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.
Leviticus 14:9 nkjv
But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows?all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean.
Leviticus 14:9 niv
On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair; they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean.
Leviticus 14:9 esv
And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.
Leviticus 14:9 nlt
On the seventh day they must again shave all the hair from their heads, including the hair of the beard and eyebrows. They must also wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. Then they will be ceremonially clean.
Leviticus 14 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 13:45-46 | "The leper who has the infection…shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." | Isolation due to uncleanness |
| Lev 14:1-8 | Earlier steps of leper's purification process involving birds, cedar, hyssop, scarlet. | Initial purification rite |
| Lev 14:10-20 | Subsequent offerings required for atonement and reconciliation. | Follow-up with atonement sacrifices |
| Lev 11:44-45 | "For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy." | Divine standard of holiness for His people |
| Lev 15:5-11 | Instructions for washing clothes and body after touching something unclean. | Common principle of ritual washing |
| Num 6:9-12 | If a Nazirite is defiled, they must shave their consecrated head and offer sacrifices. | Shaving hair as a sign of ritual renewal |
| Deut 23:10-11 | Instructions for physical cleanliness in the camp to maintain God's presence. | General command for cleanliness in the camp |
| 1 Pet 3:21 | "Baptism…now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience." | Symbolism of washing for inner cleansing |
| Tit 3:5 | "He saved us, not because of deeds done by us…but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration." | Spiritual regeneration and new life |
| Eph 5:26 | "that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." | Cleansing by Word of God and Spirit |
| Heb 10:22 | "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." | Purity needed to approach God's presence |
| Col 3:9-10 | "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self." | Metaphorical "shaving off" of old self |
| Rom 6:3-4 | "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?... so we too might walk in newness of life." | Baptism: death to old self, new life |
| Acts 22:16 | "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name." | Washing symbolic of sin removal |
| Matt 8:1-4 | Jesus cleanses a leper, telling him to show himself to the priest and offer the required gift. | Jesus heals, making ritual possible/unnecessary |
| Mk 1:40-45 | Jesus, moved with compassion, touches and heals a leper instantly. | Christ's power to make unclean clean |
| Lk 17:11-19 | Jesus heals ten lepers; one returns to give thanks. | Focus shifts to faith and gratitude |
| Jas 4:8 | "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts." | Spiritual call for inner purity |
| Rev 7:14 | "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." | Ultimate cleansing in Christ's sacrifice |
| 1 Jn 1:7 | "But if we walk in the light…the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." | Continuous cleansing by Christ's blood |
| Zech 3:3-5 | Joshua the high priest, with filthy garments, is given clean robes. | Symbol of removal of impurity |
Leviticus 14 verses
Leviticus 14 9 Meaning
Leviticus 14:9 describes a crucial, final step in the ritual purification of an individual healed from tzara'at (a severe skin condition often translated as leprosy). This verse mandates a radical and thorough cleansing, involving the complete shaving of all body hair and a dual washing of both clothes and body. It signifies the absolute removal of outward defilement, making the person ritually clean and ready for reintegration into the community and to participate in worship.
Leviticus 14 9 Context
This verse is part of Leviticus chapter 14, which details the elaborate two-stage ritual for the purification and reintegration of someone who has recovered from tzara'at. Prior to this verse, the afflicted person has already undergone an initial ritual outside the camp, involving two birds (one sacrificed, one released) and symbolic materials (Lev 14:1-8). The individual was then permitted back into the camp but had to remain outside their tent for seven days. Leviticus 14:9 describes the critical actions on this seventh day, concluding the period of ritual separation. This extreme thoroughness underscores the severe nature of tzara'at and the meticulous divine requirement for purity before full communal and worship participation. The entire process culminates in the performance of specific sacrifices on the eighth day (Lev 14:10-32), highlighting that outward cleansing rituals are a necessary precursor to atoning sacrifice and communion with a holy God.
Leviticus 14 9 Word analysis
And it shall be on the seventh day (יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי - yom ha-shevi'i): The "seventh day" is highly significant in biblical thought, often symbolizing completion, rest, and new beginnings (as seen in creation and Sabbath). Here, it marks the culmination of the purification period and the preparation for ritual restoration and fresh entry into community life. It emphasizes that cleansing is a deliberate process over time.
that he shall shave (יְגַלַּח - yegallakh) all his hair off: The Hebrew verb yegallakh implies a thorough, complete shave, leaving no hair. This radical act is not merely cosmetic; it is a profound symbolic stripping away of all vestiges of the former defiled state. Hair, being external and continuously growing, could metaphorically hold contamination, making its complete removal a powerful visual representation of total purification. It signifies a fresh, uncontaminated start.
his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: The specific enumeration (head, beard, eyebrows) followed by the emphatic repetition ("even all his hair") underscores the absolute and comprehensive nature of the shaving. No part of the body should retain hair; the removal is total. This specific detail reinforces the idea of utter detachment from the condition and its impurity, and also the humble, unadorned state of someone presenting themselves for cleansing. It speaks to a level of commitment and sacrifice in becoming clean.
and he shall wash (כּבּס - kibas) his clothes: This signifies external cleansing, implying that the very garments worn during the period of impurity were defiled and must be ceremonially cleansed to remove any trace of the tzara'at. The act of washing clothes is a common element in Old Testament purification rituals.
also he shall wash (רחץ - rachatz) his body in water: This washing of the physical body signifies internal purification, a cleansing of the self from defilement. The dual washing (clothes and body) ensures complete ritual purity – externally (what was worn) and personally (the individual's physical self). It prepares the person to approach a holy God.
and he shall be clean (טָהוֹר - tahor): This declarative statement marks the official, ritual outcome. The individual is no longer unclean (tame') but now tahor – ceremonially clean and eligible for communal interaction and participation in sacred rites. This "cleanness" is primarily ritual and prepares for the deeper atonement provided by subsequent sacrifices.
Words-group Analysis:
- "shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off": This phrase emphasizes an exhaustive and uncompromising physical transformation. It's an act of profound humility and complete renunciation of the defiled past. This extreme measure points to the severity of tzara'at as not just a physical ailment but a state of profound impurity requiring drastic action for restoration.
- "he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his body in water": This pairing highlights the comprehensiveness of the cleansing ritual, addressing both external garments that touched the afflicted body and the body itself. This layered washing demonstrates the totality of the purification, removing contamination from every aspect associated with the leper's defiled state.
Leviticus 14 9 Bonus section
The thoroughness described in Leviticus 14:9 is distinctive, far exceeding normal purification rites. This intensive hair removal (often associated with mourning or severe defilement in other contexts) serves here as a singular, emphatic declaration of new identity and separation from a past that ostracized the individual. It suggests that recovery from severe spiritual "illness" or entrenched sin requires a radical removal of old habits, appearances, and connections that signified that state. The 'leper' became utterly bare, dependent on the prescribed ritual to be restored. This pre-sacrificial stripping down reflects humility and complete submission to God's ordained process of cleansing. It's not just physical hygiene, but a powerful visual testament to the transformation from ritually 'dead' to 'clean' and able to enter life fully again.
Leviticus 14 9 Commentary
Leviticus 14:9 delineates a non-negotiable step in the return from defilement to cleanness for the one healed of tzara'at. The commanded shaving of all hair (head, beard, eyebrows, everything) is an extraordinary and vivid symbol of radical change, an outward manifestation of shedding the old, contaminated identity. It's a humbling act, reducing the person to an unadorned state, ready for a new beginning. Coupled with the washing of both clothes and body, the verse ensures a complete external cleansing, marking a definitive separation from the impurity of tzara'at. This rigorous purification was vital for an Israelite to rejoin the holy community and engage in worship, highlighting the profound importance of physical and ritual purity in ancient Israel for communion with a holy God. It foreshadows the spiritual cleansing from sin that God provides, emphasizing that restoration often involves a shedding of old ways and a thorough spiritual "washing" by His grace.