The cleansed leper was now in a position to avail himself of the accustomed law of sacrifice as one completely restored. The ewe lamb was now offered in his behalf as a sin-offering, one of the young rams as a burnt-offering, and the fine flour mingled with oil as a meat-offering. read more
Restoration after healing (14:1-32)A lengthy ritual was laid down for the restoration of a cleansed leper or any other person who had been healed of an infectious skin disease. The ritual lasted more than a week, and began at the place where the person was temporarily living outside the camp (14:1-3; cf. v. 10).The cleansed person, previously ‘dead’ through his disease, symbolized his ‘death’ by killing a bird, symbolized his cleansing by draining the bird’s blood into a bowl of pure water, and... read more
Leviticus 14:20. The priest shall offer the burnt-offering— From the whole of the preceding account we learn what was the gift which our Saviour enjoined the leper, according to custom, to offer as a testimony to the priest, Matthew 8:4. For these gifts and various ceremonies were not only designed as testimonies to shew that the leper was perfectly cured, and men might therefore associate with him; but also, as being burdensome and chargeable, to make men cautious of contracting so loathsome a... read more
The ritual cleansing of abnormalities in human skin 14:1-32"If Leviticus 13 is bleak, speaking of separation from the holy presence, Leviticus 14 is full of hope, for in it the sufferer is restored to the covenant community. The Israelite learned even more about the nature of the holy God through these provisions for restoration to fellowship in the community." [Note: Ibid., p. 285.] The procedures described here were not curative but ritual. God prescribed no treatment for the cure of... read more
The second act of cleansing took place before the altar of burnt offerings and restored the former leper to fellowship with the sanctuary and God. First the leper was to offer a trespass offering (Leviticus 14:12). This offering compensated God for all the sacrifices, tithes, and firstfruits that the afflicted person could not present during his uncleanness. [Note: Wenham, The Book . . ., p. 210.] Another view is that the law prescribed a trespass offering because some sickness resulted from... read more
The Purification of the Leper. The Leprosy of HousesWhen a leper has been cured of his plague, and has satisfied the priest that his cure is complete, he is required to go through a ceremonial purification before being readmitted to his place in society. The ritual of purification consists of three parts. (1) Two living birds are brought, with a rod of cedar wood, a piece of scarlet wool, and a bunch of hyssop, to the priest, who kills one of the birds over water. The living bird and the cedar... read more
(20) Shall offer the burnt offering.—With the offering of the burnt offering, accompanied by the meat offering mentioned in Leviticus 14:10, concluded the second and last stage of the purification of the leper, which completely restored him to the privileges of the sanctuary. read more
THE CLEANSING OF THE LEPERLeviticus 14:1-32THE ceremonies for the restoration of the leper, when healed of his disease, to full covenant privileges, were comprehended in two distinct series. The first part of the ceremonial took place without the camp, and sufficed only to terminate his condition as one ceremonially dead, and allow of his return into the camp, and his association, though still under restriction, with his fellow Israelites. The second part of the ceremonial took up his case on... read more
4. The Cleansing of the Leper CHAPTER 14 1. The cleansing of the leper (Leviticus 14:1-32 ) 2. Leprosy in the house and its purification (Leviticus 14:33-54 ) The cleansing and restoration of the leper is full of significance, foreshadowing once more the blessed work of our Saviour. Two parts in this ceremonial are to be noticed first of all. The first thing done was to restore the leper among the people from whom he had been put away. The second part of the ceremony restored him fully to... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 14:19-20
The priest shall offer the sin offering. The sin offering is due, according to the regulation given in Leviticus 5:3 , in consequence of the man having been in a state of uncleanness. It is followed by the burnt offering and the meat offering, and then the man is restored to his state of legal cleanness, and of communion with God as well as with his fellows read more