The
Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “This shall be the ritual for the
leprous person at the time of his cleansing: He shall be brought to
the priest; the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall
make an examination. If the disease is healed1
in the leprous person, the priest shall command that two living clean
birds and cedarwood and crimson yarn and hyssop be brought for the
one who is to be cleansed.2
The priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered over
fresh water in an earthen vessel.3
He shall take the living bird with the cedarwood and the crimson
yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird4
in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water.
He shall sprinkle it seven times upon the one who is to be cleansed
of the leprous disease; then he shall pronounce him clean, and he
shall let the living bird go into the open field.5
The one who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off
all his hair, and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean.6
After that he shall come into the camp, but shall live outside his
tent seven days.7
On the seventh day he shall shave all his hair: of head, beard,
eyebrows; he shall shave all his hair.8
Then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe his body in water, and he
shall be clean.”9
“On the eighth day10 he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish, and a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil.11 The priest who cleanses shall set the person to be cleansed, along with these things, before the Lord,12 at the entrance of the tent of meeting. The priest shall take one of the lambs, and offer it as a guilt offering,13 along with the log of oil, and raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord. He shall slaughter the lamb in the place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered in the holy place; for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest: it is most holy. The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot. The priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand, and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.14 Some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement15 on his behalf before the Lord: the priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness.16 Afterward he shall slaughter the burnt offering; and the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar.17 Thus the priest shall make atonement on his behalf and he shall be clean.”18
“But if he is poor and cannot afford so much,19 he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be elevated,20 to make atonement on his behalf, and one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and a log of oil; also two turtledoves or two pigeons, such as he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. On the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the Lord; and the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord. The priest shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering and shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot. The priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord. The priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot, where the blood of the guilt offering was placed. The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. And he shall offer, of the turtledoves or pigeons such as he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering; and the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one being cleansed. This is the ritual for the one who has a leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.”21
1 It doesn't specify how the priest determines that the person is healed, but perhaps it is similar to the diagnosis of the disease in the previous chapter.
“On the eighth day10 he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish, and a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil.11 The priest who cleanses shall set the person to be cleansed, along with these things, before the Lord,12 at the entrance of the tent of meeting. The priest shall take one of the lambs, and offer it as a guilt offering,13 along with the log of oil, and raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord. He shall slaughter the lamb in the place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered in the holy place; for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest: it is most holy. The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot. The priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand, and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.14 Some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement15 on his behalf before the Lord: the priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness.16 Afterward he shall slaughter the burnt offering; and the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar.17 Thus the priest shall make atonement on his behalf and he shall be clean.”18
“But if he is poor and cannot afford so much,19 he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be elevated,20 to make atonement on his behalf, and one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and a log of oil; also two turtledoves or two pigeons, such as he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. On the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the Lord; and the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord. The priest shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering and shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot. The priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord. The priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot, where the blood of the guilt offering was placed. The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. And he shall offer, of the turtledoves or pigeons such as he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering; and the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one being cleansed. This is the ritual for the one who has a leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.”21
1 It doesn't specify how the priest determines that the person is healed, but perhaps it is similar to the diagnosis of the disease in the previous chapter.
2
The use of these materials is quite novel compared to the ceremonies
that have already been discussed.
3
Apparently not on the alter – again, quite a novel ceremony.
4
Quite striking.
5
I am curious what the release of the bird has to do with it. Does
that represent the bird taking away the unclean disease?
6
This would indeed be a reasonably comprehensive way to try to ensure
that no lasting vectors remained.
7
Fascinating – even after being shown clean, there is an additional
quarantine period from his own things just to make sure.
8
Obviously, he would be quite conspicuous over this time, as he
already was when he was banished to outside the settlement.
9
One last cleaning/washing/shaving to make sure no remnants of the
disease remain.
10
Though everything that could physically stop the disease is done, an
additional sacrifice is still required for holiness.
11
Three lambs seems a large price to pay.
12
The sacrifice is made before the Lord, with choice and blemish-less
things.
13
The need for a guilt offering implies that the disease was the
result of something that should incure guilt.
14
An extensive ceremony, at the end of a very long process.
15
Atonement for what?
16
The tie between uncleanliness due to disease and the need to be
atoned for guilt is troubling. Jesus addressed this in his actions
towards lepers in the Gospels.
17
Guilt offering by itself is not enough, multiple additional
sacrifices are made.
18
When it's over, it's over. The man is clean.
19
The large cost of the ceremony is recognized, and concessions are
made for the poor.
20
One lamb would still be quite expensive for a poor person.
21
Other than the two doves in place of two of the lambs, the ritual
seems to be identical.
Take-home: This extensive ceremony may in some ways protect the one afflicted by the disease, as it ensures the community he is now clean. However, the potential for stigma still appears much greater than the potential for eventual cleanliness. It is possible, of course, that stigma towards such disease already existed, and so the implementation of such a ceremony is an improvement over the previous situation. My Study Bible likens many of the steps to a “new birth”, signifying that the person has returned to the full life of the community.
Take-home: This extensive ceremony may in some ways protect the one afflicted by the disease, as it ensures the community he is now clean. However, the potential for stigma still appears much greater than the potential for eventual cleanliness. It is possible, of course, that stigma towards such disease already existed, and so the implementation of such a ceremony is an improvement over the previous situation. My Study Bible likens many of the steps to a “new birth”, signifying that the person has returned to the full life of the community.
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