Leviticus 14:4

Leviticus 14:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
• New International Version (NIV)the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop.
• New King James Version (NKJV)then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.

Context of Leviticus 14:4

2“These are the instructions for making a person clean after a skin disease. He must be taken to the priest. 3The priest will go outside the camp and examine him. If the person is healed, the priest will order someone to get two living, clean birds, some cedar wood, red yarn, and a hyssop sprig to use for the cleansing. 5Then the priest will order someone to kill one bird over a clay bowl containing fresh water. 6The priest will take the living bird, the cedar wood, the red yarn, and the hyssop sprig and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.

Leviticus 14:4 word by word

וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלָקַ֧ח לַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר שְׁתֵּֽי־צִפֳּרִ֥ים חַיּ֖וֹת טְהֹר֑וֹת וְעֵ֣ץ אֶ֔רֶז וּשְׁנִ֥י תוֹלַ֖עַת וְאֵזֹֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then shall the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• commandצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• to takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• for him that is to be cleansedטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• birdsצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
• aliveחַיchay · aliveH2416
• cleanטָהוֹרţâhôr ţâhôr · pureH2889
• and cedarאֶ֫רֶז'erez · cedarH730
• woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
• and scarletתּוֹלֵעָהtôlâ‛ tôlê‛âh tôla‛ath tôla‛ath · wormH8438
• and scarletשָׁנִיshânîy · scarletH8144
• and hyssopאֵזוֹב'êzôb · hyssopH231

Cross-references for Leviticus 14:4

• Leviticus 1:14“If your offering to the Lord is a bird, you must sacrifice a mourning dove or pigeon.
• Leviticus 5:7“Now, if you cannot afford a sheep, you must bring to the Lord two mourning doves or two pigeons as a guilt offering for the sin you committed. One will be an offering for sin, the other a burnt offering.
• Leviticus 12:8If she cannot afford a lamb, she must use two mourning doves or two pigeons. One will be the burnt offering and the other the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for her, and she will be clean.”
• Leviticus 14:6The priest will take the living bird, the cedar wood, the red yarn, and the hyssop sprig and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
• Numbers 19:6The priest will take some cedar wood, a hyssop sprig, and some red yarn and throw them onto the burning cow.
• Hebrews 9:19As Scripture tells us, Moses told all the people every commandment. Then he took the blood of calves and goats together with some water, red yarn, and hyssop and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.
• Exodus 12:22Take the branch of a hyssop plant, dip it in the blood which is in a bowl, and put some of the blood on the top and sides of the doorframes ⌞of your houses⌟. No one may leave the house until morning.
• Numbers 19:18A person who is clean will take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and all the people who were in the tent ⌞with the dead body⌟. He must also sprinkle any person who has touched a human bone or a grave and any person who has touched someone who has been killed or who has died naturally.
• Psalms 51:7Purify me from sin with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Commentaries on Leviticus 14:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Two birds alive and clean, etc. - Whether these birds were sparrows, or turtledoves, or pigeons, we know not; probably any kind of clean bird, or bird proper to be eaten, might be used on this occasion, though it is more likely that turtle-doves or pigeons were employed, because these appear to have been the only birds offered in sacrifice. Of the cedarwood, hyssop, clean bird, and scarlet wool or fillet, were made an aspergillum, or instrument to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4These birds were provided by the priest for the man. They were not, like the offerings for the altar, brought by the man himself (compare Leviticus 14:4 with Leviticus 14:10), they were not presented nor brought near the sanctuary, nor was any portion of them offered on the altar. Cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop - These three substances were used as the common materials in rites of purification (compare Exodus 12:22; Numbers 19:8; Psalm 51:7; Hebrews…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The items listed here were part of the cleansing ceremony with the ashes of the red heifer (Numbers 19:6). Their exact significance is unclear (see also Hebrews 9:18–22). Hyssop was a small plant used for sprinkling blood and in purification rites (Exodus 12:22; Numbers 19:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. two birds--literally, "sparrows." The Septuagint, however, renders the expression "little birds"; and it is evident that it is to be taken in this generic sense from their being specified as "clean"--a condition which would have been altogether superfluous to mention in reference to sparrows. In all the offerings prescribed in the law, Moses ordered only common and accessible birds; and hence we may presume that he points here to such birds as sparrows…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 14:4

• Cedar
• Colors
• Hyssop
• Scapebird

In the dictionaries

• Ablution
• Bird
• Clean
• Cleanse
• Colour
• Hyssop
• Leprosy
• Purification
• Scrape
• Sparrow

Commentaries on Leviticus 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings