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Leviticus 13:47-15:33
New English Translation

Infections in Garments, Cloth, or Leather

47 “When a garment has a diseased infection in it,[a] whether a wool or linen garment,[b] 48 or in the warp or woof[c] of the linen or the wool, or in leather or anything made of leather,[d] 49 if the infection[e] in the garment or leather or warp or woof or any article of leather is yellowish green or reddish, it is a diseased infection and it must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest is to examine and then quarantine the article with the infection for seven days.[f] 51 He must then examine the infection on the seventh day. If the infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the leather—whatever the article into which the leather was made[g]—the infection is a malignant disease. It is unclean. 52 He must burn the garment or the warp or the woof, whether wool or linen, or any article of leather which has the infection in it. Because it is a malignant disease it must be burned up in the fire. 53 But if the priest examines it and[h] the infection has not spread in the garment or in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, 54 the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the infection and quarantine it for another seven days.[i] 55 The priest must then examine it after the infection has been washed out, and if[j] the infection has not changed its appearance[k] even though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. You must burn it up in the fire. It is a fungus, whether on the back side or front side of the article.[l] 56 But if the priest has examined it and[m] the infection has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear it out of[n] the garment or the leather or the warp or the woof. 57 Then if[o] it still appears again in the garment or the warp or the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. Whatever has the infection in it you must burn up in the fire. 58 But the garment or the warp or the woof or any article of leather which you wash and infection disappears from it[p] is to be washed a second time and it will be clean.”

Summary of Infection Regulations

59 This is the law[q] of the diseased infection in the garment of wool or linen, or the warp or woof, or any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.[r]

Purification of Diseased Skin Infections

14 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “This is the law of the diseased person on the day of his purification, when[s] he is brought to the priest.[t] 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine the infection.[u] If the infection of the diseased person has been healed,[v] 4 then the priest will command that two live clean birds, a piece of cedar wood, a scrap of crimson fabric,[w] and some twigs of hyssop[x] be taken up[y] for the one being cleansed.[z] 5 The priest will then command that one bird be slaughtered[aa] into a clay vessel over fresh water.[ab] 6 Then[ac] he is to take the live bird along with the piece of cedar wood, the scrap of crimson fabric, and the twigs of hyssop, and he is to dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird slaughtered over the fresh water, 7 and sprinkle it seven times on the one being cleansed[ad] from the disease, pronounce him clean,[ae] and send the live bird away over the open countryside.[af]

The Seven Days of Purification

8 “The one being cleansed[ag] must then wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water, and so be clean.[ah] Then afterward he may enter the camp, but he must live outside his tent seven days. 9 When the seventh day comes[ai] he must shave all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, all his hair—and he must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and so be clean.[aj]

The Eighth-Day Atonement Rituals

10 “On the eighth day he[ak] must take two flawless male lambs, one flawless yearling female lamb, three-tenths of an ephah of choice wheat flour as a grain offering mixed with olive oil,[al] and one log of olive oil,[am] 11 and the priest who pronounces him clean will have the man who is being cleansed stand along with these offerings[an] before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.

12 “The priest is to take one male lamb[ao] and present it for a guilt offering[ap] along with the log of olive oil and present them as a wave offering before the Lord.[aq] 13 He must then slaughter[ar] the male lamb in the place where[as] the sin offering[at] and the burnt offering[au] are slaughtered,[av] in the sanctuary, because, like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest;[aw] it is most holy. 14 Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed,[ax] on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe[ay] of his right foot. 15 The priest will then take some of the log of olive oil and pour it into his own left hand.[az] 16 Then the priest is to dip his right forefinger into the olive oil[ba] that is in his left hand, and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. 17 The priest will then put some of the rest of the olive oil that is in his hand[bb] on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering, 18 and the remainder of the olive oil[bc] that is in his hand the priest is to put on the head of the one being cleansed. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord.

19 “The priest must then perform the sin offering[bd] and make atonement for the one being cleansed from his impurity. After that he[be] is to slaughter the burnt offering, 20 and the priest is to offer[bf] the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So the priest is to make atonement for him and he will be clean.

The Eighth-Day Atonement Rituals for the Poor Person

21 “If the person is poor and does not have sufficient means,[bg] he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering for a wave offering to make atonement for himself, one-tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of olive oil,[bh] 22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons,[bi] which are within his means.[bj] One will be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.[bk]

23 “On the eighth day he must bring them for his purification to the priest at the entrance[bl] of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, 24 and the priest is to take the male lamb of the guilt offering and the log of olive oil and wave them[bm] as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then he is to slaughter the male lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed,[bn] on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe[bo] of his right foot. 26 The priest will then pour some of the olive oil into his own left hand,[bp] 27 and sprinkle some of the olive oil that is in his left hand with his right forefinger[bq] seven times before the Lord. 28 Then the priest is to put some of the olive oil that is in his hand[br] on the right earlobe of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering, 29 and the remainder of the olive oil that is in the hand[bs] of the priest he is to put[bt] on the head of the one being cleansed to make atonement for him before the Lord.

30 “He will then make one of the turtledoves[bu] or young pigeons, which are within his means,[bv] 31 a sin offering and the other a burnt offering along with the grain offering.[bw] So the priest is to make atonement for the one being cleansed before the Lord. 32 This is the law of the one in whom there is a diseased infection,[bx] who does not have sufficient means for his purification.”[by]

Purification of Disease-Infected Houses

33 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 34 “When you enter the land of Canaan which I am about to give[bz] to you for a possession, and I put[ca] a diseased infection in a house in the land you are to possess,[cb] 35 then whoever owns the house[cc] must come and declare to the priest, ‘Something like an infection is visible to me in the house.’ 36 Then the priest will command that the house be cleared[cd] before the priest enters to examine the infection[ce] so that everything in the house[cf] does not become unclean,[cg] and afterward[ch] the priest will enter to examine the house. 37 He is to examine the infection, and if[ci] the infection in the walls of the house consists of yellowish green or reddish eruptions,[cj] and it appears to be deeper than the surface of the wall,[ck] 38 then the priest is to go out of the house to the doorway of the house and quarantine the house for seven days.[cl] 39 The priest must return on the seventh day and examine it, and if[cm] the infection has spread in the walls of the house, 40 then the priest is to command that the stones that had the infection in them be pulled and thrown[cn] outside the city into an unclean place. 41 Then they shall scrape[co] the house all around on the inside,[cp] and the plaster[cq] which they have scraped off[cr] must be dumped outside the city into an unclean place. 42 They are then to take other stones and replace those stones,[cs] and he is to take other plaster and replaster the house.

43 “If the infection returns and breaks out in the house after he has pulled out the stones, scraped the house, and it is replastered,[ct] 44 the priest is to come and examine it, and if[cu] the infection has spread in the house, it is a malignant disease in the house. It is unclean. 45 He must tear down the house,[cv] its stones, its wood, and all the plaster of the house, and bring all of it[cw] outside the city to an unclean place. 46 Anyone who enters[cx] the house all the days the priest[cy] has quarantined it will be unclean until evening. 47 Anyone who lies down in the house must wash his clothes. Anyone who eats in the house must wash his clothes.

48 “If, however, the priest enters[cz] and examines it, and the[da] infection has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest is to pronounce the house clean because the infection has been healed. 49 Then he[db] is to take two birds, a piece of cedar wood, a scrap of crimson fabric, and some twigs of hyssop[dc] to purify[dd] the house, 50 and he is to slaughter one bird into a clay vessel over fresh water.[de] 51 He must then take the piece of cedar wood, the twigs of hyssop, the scrap of crimson fabric, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. 52 So he is to purify the house with the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the live bird, the piece of cedar wood, the twigs of hyssop, and the scrap of crimson fabric, 53 and he is to send the live bird away outside the city[df] into the open countryside. So he is to make atonement for the house and it will be clean.

Summary of Purification Regulations for Infections

54 “This is the law for all diseased infections, for scall,[dg] 55 for the diseased garment,[dh] for the house,[di] 56 for the swelling,[dj] for the scab,[dk] and for the bright spot,[dl] 57 to teach when something is unclean and when it is clean.[dm] This is the law for dealing with infectious disease.”[dn]

Male Bodily Discharges

15 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man[do] has a discharge[dp] from his body,[dq] his discharge is unclean. 3 Now this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge[dr]—whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, he is unclean. All the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge,[ds] this is his uncleanness.[dt]

4 “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean,[du] and any furniture he sits on will be unclean.[dv] 5 Anyone who touches his bed[dw] must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.[dx] 6 The one who sits on the furniture the man with a discharge sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 The one who touches the body[dy] of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If the man with a discharge spits on a person who is ceremonially clean,[dz] that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 9 Any means of riding[ea] that the man with a discharge rides on will be unclean. 10 Anyone who touches anything that was under him[eb] will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items[ec] must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 11 Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water[ed] must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 A clay vessel[ee] which the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed in water.

Purity Regulations for Male Bodily Discharges

13 “‘When the man with the discharge becomes clean from his discharge he is to count off for himself seven days for his purification, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in fresh water,[ef] and be clean. 14 Then on the eighth day he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons,[eg] and he is to present himself[eh] before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and give them to the priest, 15 and the priest is to make one of them a sin offering[ei] and the other a burnt offering.[ej] So the priest[ek] is to make atonement for him before the Lord for[el] his discharge.

16 “‘When a man has a seminal emission,[em] he must bathe his whole body in water[en] and be unclean until evening, 17 and he must wash in water any clothing or leather that has semen on it, and it will be unclean until evening. 18 As for a woman whom a man goes to bed with, then has a seminal emission,[eo] they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

Female Bodily Discharges

19 “‘When a woman has a discharge[ep] and her discharge is blood from her body,[eq] she is to be in her menstruation[er] seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. 20 Anything she lies on during her menstruation will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 Anyone who touches any furniture she sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 If there is something on the bed or on the furniture she sits on,[es] when he touches it[et] he will be unclean until evening, 24 and if a man actually goes to bed[eu] with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him,[ev] then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean.

25 “‘When a woman’s discharge of blood flows[ew] many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it flows beyond the time of her menstruation,[ex] all the days of her discharge of impurity will be like the days of her menstruation—she is unclean. 26 Any bed she lies on all the days of her discharge will be to her like the bed of her menstruation, any furniture she sits on will be unclean like the impurity of her menstruation, 27 and anyone who touches them will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.[ey]

Purity Regulations for Female Bodily Discharges

28 “‘If[ez] she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean. 29 Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons[fa] and she must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 30 and the priest is to make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.[fb] So the priest[fc] is to make atonement for her before the Lord from her discharge of impurity.

Summary of Purification Regulations for Bodily Discharges

31 “‘Thus you[fd] are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they[fe] do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst. 32 This is the law for the one with a discharge: for the one who has a seminal emission[ff] and becomes unclean by it,[fg] 33 for the one who is sick in her menstruation, for the one with a discharge, whether male or female,[fh] and for a man who goes to bed[fi] with an unclean woman.’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 13:47 tn Heb “And the garment, if there is in it a mark of disease.”
  2. Leviticus 13:47 tn Heb “in a wool garment or in a linen garment.”
  3. Leviticus 13:48 sn The warp (vertical) and woof (horizontal) thread may be two different sets of thread not yet woven together, or they may refer to two different kinds of thread already woven, in which case one might have the disease in it while the other does not. See the explanation in J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:809-10.
  4. Leviticus 13:48 tn Heb “in any handiwork of skin” (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV); most other modern English versions have “leather.”
  5. Leviticus 13:49 tn Heb “and the infection is.” This clause is conditional in force, and is translated as such by almost all English versions.
  6. Leviticus 13:50 tn Heb “And the priest shall see the infection and he shall shut up the infection seven days.”
  7. Leviticus 13:51 tn Heb “to all which the leather was made into a handiwork.”
  8. Leviticus 13:53 tn Heb “And if the priest sees and behold”; NASB “and indeed.”
  9. Leviticus 13:54 tn Heb “a second seven days.”
  10. Leviticus 13:55 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
  11. Leviticus 13:55 tn Heb “the infection has not changed its eye.” Smr has “its/his eyes,” as in vv. 5 and 37, but here it refers to the appearance of the article of cloth or leather, unlike vv. 5 and 37 where there is a preposition attached and it refers to the eyes of the priest.
  12. Leviticus 13:55 tn The terms “back side” and “front side” are the same as those used in v. 42 for the “back or front bald area” of a man’s head. The exact meaning of these terms when applied to articles of cloth or leather is uncertain. It could refer, for example, to the inside versus the outside of a garment, or the back versus the front side of an article of cloth or leather. See J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:814, for various possibilities.
  13. Leviticus 13:56 tn Heb “And if the priest saw and behold….”
  14. Leviticus 13:56 tn Heb “and he shall tear it from.”
  15. Leviticus 13:57 tn Heb “And if”; NIV, NCV “But if”; NAB “If, however.”
  16. Leviticus 13:58 tn Heb “and the infection turns aside from them.”
  17. Leviticus 13:59 sn The Hebrew term translated “law” (תּוֹרָה, torah) introduces here a summary or colophon for all of Lev 13. Similar summaries are found in Lev 7:37-38; 11:46-47; 14:54-57; and 15:32-33.
  18. Leviticus 13:59 tn These are declarative Piel forms of the verbs טָהֵר (taher) and טָמֵא (tameʾ) respectively (cf. the notes on vv. 3 and 6 above).
  19. Leviticus 14:2 tn Heb “and.” Here KJV, ASV use a semicolon; NASB begins a new sentence with “Now.”
  20. Leviticus 14:2 tn The alternative rendering, “when it is reported to the priest” may be better in light of the fact that the priest had to go outside the camp. Since he or she had been declared “unclean” by a priest (Lev 13:3) and was, therefore, required to remain outside the camp (13:46), the formerly diseased person could not reenter the camp until he or she had been declared “clean” by a priest (cf. Lev 13:6 for “declaring clean”). See especially J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:831, who supports this rendering both here and in Lev 13:2 and 9. B. A. Levine, however, prefers the rendering in the text (Leviticus [JPSTC], 76 and 85). It is the most natural meaning of the verb (i.e., “to be brought” from בּוֹא [boʾ, “to come”] in the Hophal stem, which means “to be brought” in all other occurrences in Leviticus other than 13:2, 9, and 14:2; see only 6:30; 10:18; 11:32; and 16:27), it suits the context well in 13:2, and the rendering “to be brought” is supported by 13:7b, “he shall show himself to the priest a second time.” Although it is true that the priest needed to go outside the camp to examine such a person, the person still needed to “be brought” to the priest there. The translation of vv. 2-3 employed here suggests that v. 2 introduces the proceeding and then v. 3 goes on to describe the specific details of the examination and purification.
  21. Leviticus 14:3 tn Heb “and he shall be brought to the priest and the priest shall go out to from outside to the camp and the priest shall see [it].” The understood “it” refers to the skin infection itself (see the note on 13:3 above). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Leviticus 14:3 tn Heb “And behold, the diseased infection has been healed from the diseased person.” The expression “diseased infection” has been translated as simply “infection” to avoid redundancy here in terms of English style.
  23. Leviticus 14:4 tn The term rendered here “crimson fabric” consists of two Hebrew words and means literally, “crimson of worm” (in this order only in Lev 14:4, 6, 49, 51, 52 and Num 19:6; for the more common reverse order, “worm of crimson,” see, e.g., the colored fabrics used in making the tabernacle, Exod 25:4, etc.). This particular “worm” is an insect that lives on the leaves of palm trees, the eggs of which are the source for a “crimson” dye used to color various kinds of cloth (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 86). That a kind of dyed “fabric” is intended, not just the dye substance itself, is made certain by the dipping of it along with the other ritual materials listed here into the blood and water mixture for sprinkling on the person being cleansed (Lev 14:6; cf. also the burning of it in the fire of the red heifer in Num 19:6). Both the reddish color of cedar wood and the crimson colored fabric seem to correspond to the color of blood and may, therefore, symbolize either “life,” which is in the blood, or the use of blood to “make atonement” (see, e.g., Gen 9:4 and Lev 17:11). See further the note on v. 7 below.
  24. Leviticus 14:4 sn Twigs of hyssop (probably one or several species of marjoram thymus), a spice and herb plant that grows out of walls in Palestine (see 1 Kgs 4:33 [5:13 HT], HALOT 27 s.v. אֵזוֹב, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 195), were particularly leafy and therefore especially useful for sprinkling the purifying liquid (cf. vv. 5-7). Many of the details of the ritual procedure are obscure. It has been proposed, for example, that the “cedar wood” was a stick to which the hyssop was bound with the crimson material to make a sort of sprinkling instrument (Hartley, 195). In light of the burning of these three materials as part of the preparation of the ashes of the red heifer in Num 19:5-6, however, this seems unlikely.
  25. Leviticus 14:4 tn The MT reads literally, “And the priest shall command and he shall take.” Clearly, the second verb (“and he shall take”) contains the thrust of the priest’s command, which suggests the translation “that he take” (cf. also v. 5a). Since the priest issues the command here, he cannot be the subject of the second verb because he cannot be commanding himself to “take” up these ritual materials. Moreover, since the ritual is being performed “for the one being cleansed,” the antecedent of the pronoun “he” cannot refer to him. The LXX, Smr, and Syriac versions have the third person plural here and in v. 5a, which corresponds to other combinations with the verb וְצִוָּה (vetsivvah) “and he (the priest) shall command” in this context (see Lev 13:54; 14:36, 40). This suggests an impersonal (i.e., “someone shall take” and “someone shall slaughter,” respectively) or perhaps even passive rendering of the verbs in 14:4, 5 (i.e., “there shall be taken” and “there shall be slaughtered,” respectively). The latter option has been chosen here.
  26. Leviticus 14:4 tn Heb “the one cleansing himself” (i.e., Hitpael participle of טָהֵר, taher, “to be clean”).
  27. Leviticus 14:5 tn Heb “And the priest shall command and he shall slaughter.” See the note on “be taken up” (v. 4).
  28. Leviticus 14:5 tn Heb “into a vessel of clay over living water.” The expression “living [i.e., ‘fresh’] water” (cf. Lev 14:50; 15:13; Num 19:17) refers to water that flows. It includes such water sources as artesian wells (Gen 26:19; Song of Songs 4:15), springs (Jer 2:13, as opposed to cisterns; cf. 17:13), and flowing streams (Zech 14:8). In other words, this is water that has not stood stagnant as, for example, in a sealed-off cistern. sn Although there are those who argue that the water and the blood rites are separate (e.g., E. S. Gerstenberger, Leviticus [OTL], 175-76), it is usually agreed that v. 5b refers to the slaughtering of the bird in such a way that its blood runs into the bowl, which contained fresh water (see, e.g., N. H. Snaith, Leviticus and Numbers [NCBC], 74; G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 208; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:836-38; cf. esp. Lev 14:51b, “and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the fresh water”). This mixture of blood and water was then to be sprinkled on the person being cleansed from the disease.
  29. Leviticus 14:6 tc Heb “the live bird he [i.e., the priest] shall take it.” Although the MT has no ו (vav, “and”) at the beginning of this clause, a few medieval Hebrew mss and Smr have one and the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate translate as if it is there. The “but” in the present translation reflects this text critical background, the object-first word order in the clause with the resumptive pronoun at the end, and the obvious contrast between the slaughtered bird in v. 5 and the live bird in v. 6.
  30. Leviticus 14:7 tn Heb “the one cleansing himself” (i.e., Hitpael participle of טָהֵר [taher, “to be clean”]).
  31. Leviticus 14:7 tn Heb “and he shall make him clean.” The verb is the Piel of טָהֵר (taher, “to be clean”), here used as a so-called “declarative” Piel (i.e., “to declare clean”; cf. 13:6, etc.).
  32. Leviticus 14:7 sn The reddish color of cedar wood and the crimson colored fabric called for in v. 4 (see the note there, esp. the association with the color of blood) as well as the priestly commands to bring “two live” birds (v. 4a), to slaughter one of them “over fresh water” (literally “living water,” v. 5b), and the subsequent ritual with the (second) “live” bird (vv. 6-7) combine to communicate the concept of “life” and “being alive” in this passage. This contrasts with the fear of death associated with the serious skin diseases in view here (see, e.g., Aaron’s description of Miriam’s skin disease in Num 12:12, “Do not let her be like the dead one when it goes out from its mother’s womb and its flesh half eaten away”). Since the slaughtered bird here is not sacrificed at the altar and is not designated as an expiatory “sin offering,” this ritual procedure probably symbolizes the renewed life of the diseased person and displays it publicly for all to see. It is preparatory to the expiatory rituals that will follow (vv. 10-20, esp. vv. 18-20), but is not itself expiatory. Thus, although there are important similarities between the bird ritual here, the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:20-22), and the red heifer for cleansing from corpse contamination (Num 19), this bird ritual is different in that the latter two constitute “sin offerings” (Lev 16:5, 8-10; Num 19:9, 17). Neither of the birds in Lev 14:4-7 is designated or treated as a “sin offering.” Nevertheless, the very nature of the live bird ritual itself and its obvious similarity to the scapegoat ritual suggests that the patient’s disease has been removed far away so that he or she is free from its effects both personally and communally.
  33. Leviticus 14:8 tn Heb “the one cleansing himself” (i.e., Hitpael participle of טָהֵר [taher, “to be clean”]).
  34. Leviticus 14:8 tn Heb “and he shall be clean” (so ASV). The end result of the ritual procedures in vv. 4-7 and the washing and shaving in v. 8a is that the formerly diseased person has now officially become clean in the sense that he can reenter the community (see v. 8b; contrast living outside the community as an unclean diseased person, Lev 13:46). There are, however, further cleansing rituals and pronouncements for him to undergo in the tabernacle as outlined in vv. 10-20 (see Qal “be[come] clean” in vv. 9 and 20, Piel “pronounce clean” in v. 11, and Hitpael “the one being cleansed” in vv. 11, 14, 17, 18, and 19). Obviously, in order to enter the tabernacle he must already “be clean” in the sense of having access to the community.
  35. Leviticus 14:9 tn Heb “And it shall be on the seventh day.”
  36. Leviticus 14:9 tn Heb “and he shall be clean” (see the note on v. 8).
  37. Leviticus 14:10 tn The subject “he” probably refers to the formerly diseased person in this case (see the notes on Lev 1:5a, 6a, and 9a).
  38. Leviticus 14:10 tn This term is often rendered “fine flour,” but it refers specifically to wheat as opposed to barley (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 10) and, although the translation “flour” is used here, it may indicate “grits” rather than finely ground flour (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:179; see the note on Lev 2:1). The unit of measure is most certainly an “ephah” even though it is not stated explicitly (see, e.g., Num 28:5; cf. 15:4, 6, 8), and three-tenths of an ephah would amount to about a gallon, or perhaps one-third of a bushel (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 196; Milgrom, 845). Since the normal amount of flour for a lamb is one-tenth of an ephah (Num 28:4-5; cf. 15:4), three-tenths is about right for the three lambs offered in Lev 14:10-20.
  39. Leviticus 14:10 tn A “log” (לֹג, log) of oil is about one-sixth of a liter, or one-third of a pint, or two-thirds of a cup.
  40. Leviticus 14:11 tn The MT here is awkward to translate into English. It reads literally, “and the priest who pronounces clean (Piel participle of טָהֵר, taher) shall cause to stand (Hiphil of עָמַד, ʿamad) the man who is cleansing himself (Hitpael participle of טָהֵר) and them” (i.e., the offerings listed in v. 10; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity). Alternatively, the Piel of טָהֵר could be rendered “who performs the cleansing/purification” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:827), perhaps even as a technical term for one who holds the office of “purification priest” (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 87). It is probably better, however, to retain the same meaning here as in v. 7 above (see the note there regarding the declarative Piel use of this verb).
  41. Leviticus 14:12 tn Heb “And the priest shall take the one lamb.”
  42. Leviticus 14:12 tn See the note on Lev 5:15 above. The primary purpose of the “guilt offering” (אָשָׁם, ʾasham) was to “atone” (כִּפֶּר, kipper, “to make atonement,” see v. 18 below and the note on Lev 1:4) for “trespassing” on the Lord’s “holy things,” whether sacred objects or sacred people. It is, therefore, closely associated with the reconsecration of the Lord’s holy people as, for example, here and in the case of the corpse contaminated Nazirite (Num 6:11b-12). Since the nation of Israel was “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” to the Lord (Exod 19:6; cf. the blood splashed on all the people in Exod 24:8), the skin diseased person was essentially a member of the “holy nation” who had been expelled from the community. Therefore, he or she had been desecrated and the guilt offering was essential to restoring him or her to the community. In fact, the manipulation of blood and oil in the guilt offering ritual procedure for the healed person (see vv. 14-18 below) is reminiscent of that employed for the ordination offering in the consecration of the holy Aaronic priests of the nation (Exod 29:19-21; Lev 8:22-30).
  43. Leviticus 14:12 tn Heb “wave them [as] a wave offering before the Lord” (NAB similar). See the note on Lev 7:30 and the literature cited there. Other possible translations include “elevate them [as] an elevation offering before the Lord” (cf. NRSV) or “present them [as] a presentation offering before the Lord.” To be sure, the actual physical “waving” of a male lamb seems unlikely, but some waving gesture may have been performed in the presentation of the offering (cf. also the “waving” of the Levites as a “wave offering” in Num 8:11, etc.).
  44. Leviticus 14:13 tn Heb “And he shall slaughter.”
  45. Leviticus 14:13 tn Heb “in the place which.”
  46. Leviticus 14:13 sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term “sin offering.”
  47. Leviticus 14:13 sn See the note on Lev 1:3 regarding the “burnt offering.”
  48. Leviticus 14:13 tn Since the priest himself presents this offering as a wave offering (v. 12), it would seem that the offering is already in his hands and he would, therefore, be the one who slaughtered the male lamb in this instance rather than the offerer. Smr and LXX make the second verb “to slaughter” plural rather than singular, which suggests that it is to be taken as an impersonal passive (see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:852).
  49. Leviticus 14:13 tn Heb “the guilt offering, it [is] to the Lord.” Regarding the “guilt offering,” see the note on Lev 5:15.
  50. Leviticus 14:14 tn Heb “and the priest shall put [literally ‘give’] on the lobe of the ear of the one being cleansed, the right one.”
  51. Leviticus 14:14 tn The term for “big toe” (בֹּהֶן, bohen) is the same as that for “thumb.” It refers to the larger appendage on either the hand or the foot.
  52. Leviticus 14:15 tn Heb “And the priest…shall pour on the left hand of the priest.” As the Rabbis observe, the repetition of “priest” as the expressed subject of both verbs in this verse may suggest that two priests were involved in this ritual (see m. Nega’im 14:8, referred to by J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:852), but the seemingly unnecessary repetition of “priest” in several verses throughout the chapter argues against this (see esp. vv. 3, 14, 18, 20, 24, and 26). Moreover, in this case, “priest” may be repeated to avoid confusing the priest’s hand with that of the one being cleansed (cf. v. 14).
  53. Leviticus 14:16 tn Heb “his right finger from the oil.”
  54. Leviticus 14:17 tn Heb “on his hand.”
  55. Leviticus 14:18 tn Heb “and the remainder in the oil.”
  56. Leviticus 14:19 tn Heb “do [or “make”] the sin offering.”
  57. Leviticus 14:19 tn Heb “And after[ward] he [i.e., the offerer] shall slaughter.” The LXX adds “the priest” as the subject of the verb (as do several English versions, e.g., NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT), but the offerer is normally the one who does the actually slaughtering of the sacrificial animal (cf. the notes on Lev 1:5a, 6a, and 9a).
  58. Leviticus 14:20 tn Heb “cause to go up.”
  59. Leviticus 14:21 tn Heb “and his hand does not reach”; NAB, NRSV “and cannot afford so much (afford these NIV).”
  60. Leviticus 14:21 tn See the notes on v. 10 above.
  61. Leviticus 14:22 tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168 with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
  62. Leviticus 14:22 tn Heb “which his hand reaches”; NRSV “such as (which NIV) he can afford.”
  63. Leviticus 14:22 tn Heb “and one shall be a sin offering and the one a burnt offering.” The versions struggle with whether or not “one” should or should not have the definite article in its two occurrences in this verse (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB all have the English definite article with both). The MT has the first without and the second with the article.
  64. Leviticus 14:23 tn Heb “to the doorway of”; KJV, ASV “unto the door of.”
  65. Leviticus 14:24 tn Heb “and the priest shall wave them.” In the present translation “priest” is not repeated a second time in the verse for stylistic reasons. With regard to the “waving” of the “wave offering,” see the note on v. 12 above.
  66. Leviticus 14:25 tn Heb “and the priest shall put [literally ‘give’] on the lobe of the ear of the one being cleansed, the right one.”
  67. Leviticus 14:25 tn The term for “big toe” (בֹּהֶן, bohen) is the same as that for “thumb.” It refers to the larger appendage on either the hand or the foot.
  68. Leviticus 14:26 tn Heb “And from the oil the priest shall pour out on the left hand of the priest.” Regarding the repetition of “priest” in this verse see the note on v. 15 above.
  69. Leviticus 14:27 tn Heb “and the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger from the oil which is on his left hand.”
  70. Leviticus 14:28 tn Heb “on his hand.”
  71. Leviticus 14:29 tn Heb “on the hand.”
  72. Leviticus 14:29 tn Heb “give.”
  73. Leviticus 14:30 tn Heb “the one from the turtledoves.”
  74. Leviticus 14:30 tc Heb “from which his hand reaches.” The repetition of virtually the same expression at the beginning of v. 31 in the MT is probably due to dittography (cf. the LXX and Syriac). However, the MT may be retained if it is understood as “one of the turtledoves or young pigeons that are within his means—whichever he can afford” (see J. Milgrom’s translation in Leviticus [AB], 1:828, contra his commentary, 862; cf. REB).
  75. Leviticus 14:31 tn Heb “and the one a burnt offering on the grain offering.”
  76. Leviticus 14:32 tn Heb “This is the law of who in him [is] a diseased infection.”
  77. Leviticus 14:32 tn Heb “who his hand does not reach in his purification”; NASB “whose means are limited for his cleansing”; NIV “who cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing.”
  78. Leviticus 14:34 tn Heb “which I am giving” (so NAB, NIV).
  79. Leviticus 14:34 tn Heb “give.”
  80. Leviticus 14:34 tn Heb “in the house of the land of your possession” (KJV and ASV both similar).
  81. Leviticus 14:35 tn Heb “who to him the house.”
  82. Leviticus 14:36 tn Heb “And the priest shall command and they shall clear the house.” The second verb (“and they shall clear”) states the thrust of the priest’s command, which suggests the translation “that they clear” (cf. also vv. 4a and 5a above), and for the impersonal passive rendering of the active verb (“that the house be cleared”) see the note on v. 4 above.
  83. Leviticus 14:36 tn Heb “to see the infection”; KJV “to see the plague”; NASB “to look at the mark (mildew NCV).”
  84. Leviticus 14:36 tn Heb “all which [is] in the house.”
  85. Leviticus 14:36 sn Once the priest pronounced the house “unclean” everything in it was also officially unclean. Therefore, if they emptied the house of its furniture, etc. before the official pronouncement by the priest those possessions would thereby remain officially “clean” and avoid destruction or purification procedures.
  86. Leviticus 14:36 tn Heb “and after thus.”
  87. Leviticus 14:37 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
  88. Leviticus 14:37 tn For “yellowish green and reddish” see Lev 13:49. The Hebrew term translated “eruptions” occurs only here and its meaning is uncertain. For a detailed summary of the issues and views see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:870. The suggestions include, among others: (1) “depressions” from Hebrew שָׁקַע (shaqaʿ, “sink”) or קָעַר (qaʾar) as the root of the Hebrew term for “bowl” (LXX, Targums, NAB, NASB, NIV; see also B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 90), (2) “streaks” (ASV, NJPS), (3) and “eruptions” as a loan-word from Egyptian sqr r rwtj (“eruption; rash”); cf. Milgrom, 870; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 198-99. The latter view is taken here.
  89. Leviticus 14:37 tn The Hebrew term קִיר (qir, “wall”) refers to the surface of the wall in this case, which normally consisted of a coating of plaster made of limestone and sand (see HALOT 1099 s.v. קִיר 1.a; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:871; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 199).
  90. Leviticus 14:38 tn Heb “and he shall shut up the house seven days.”
  91. Leviticus 14:39 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “If the mark has indeed spread.”
  92. Leviticus 14:40 tn Heb “and the priest shall command and they shall pull out the stones which in them is the infection, and they shall cast them.” The second and third verbs (“they shall pull out” and “they shall throw”) state the thrust of the priest’s command, which suggests the translation “that they pull out…and throw” (cf. also vv. 4a, 5a, and 36a above), and for the impersonal passive rendering of the active verb (“be pulled and thrown”) see the note on v. 4 above.
  93. Leviticus 14:41 tc The MT reads “he shall scrape” or possibly “he shall have [it] scraped.” The Sam. Pentateuch, LXX, Syriac, and Targums read the plural.
  94. Leviticus 14:41 tn Heb “from house all around.”
  95. Leviticus 14:41 tn Heb “dust” (so KJV) or “rubble”; NIV “the material”; NLT “the scrapings.”
  96. Leviticus 14:41 tc The MT reads הִקְצוּ (hiqtsu, possibly “they caused to be cut off”) seemingly from קָצָה, (qatsah “to cut off”; HALOT 1120 s.v. קָצָה 1). The original Greek does not have this clause. The Sam. Pentateuch has הקיצו (with uncertain meaning). The BHS editors and HALOT 1123-24 s.v. I קצע hif.a suggest emending the verb to הִקְצִעוּ (hiqtsiʿu, adding the ע (ʿayin) to match the same verb at the beginning of this verse; cf. some Greek mss, Syriac, and the Targums). The emendation seems reasonable and is accepted by many commentators, but the root קָצָה (qatsah, “to cut off”) does occur in the Bible (2 Kgs 10:32; Hab 2:10) and in postbiblical Hebrew (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 179, notes 41c and 43d; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:873; cf. also קָצַץ, qatsats, “to cut off”).
  97. Leviticus 14:42 tn Heb “and bring into under the stones.”
  98. Leviticus 14:43 tn Heb “after he has pulled out the stones, and after scraping (variant form of the Hiphil infinitive construct, GKC 531) the house, and after being replastered (Niphal infinitive construct).”
  99. Leviticus 14:44 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “If he sees that the mark has indeed spread.”
  100. Leviticus 14:45 tn Smr, LXX, Syriac, and Tg. Ps.-J. have the plural verb, perhaps suggesting a passive translation, “The house…shall be torn down” (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT, and see the note on v. 4b above).
  101. Leviticus 14:45 tn Once again, Smr, LXX, and Syriac have the plural verb, perhaps to be rendered passive, “shall be brought.”
  102. Leviticus 14:46 tn Heb “the one who comes into.”
  103. Leviticus 14:46 tn Heb “he,” referring to the priest (see v. 38). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  104. Leviticus 14:48 tn Heb “And if the priest entering [infinitive absolute] enters [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.
  105. Leviticus 14:48 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “and the mark has not indeed spread.”
  106. Leviticus 14:49 tn The pronoun “he” refers to the priest mentioned in the previous verse.
  107. Leviticus 14:49 tn Regarding these ritual materials, see the note on v. 4 above.
  108. Leviticus 14:49 tn Regarding the Piel of חָטָא (khataʾ, cf. v. 52) meaning to “purify” or “decontaminate,” see the notes on Lev 8:15 and 9:15. sn In Lev 8:15, for example, the “sin offering” is used to “purify” the burnt offering altar. As argued above (see the note on v. 7 above), these ritual materials and the procedures performed with them do not constitute a “sin offering” (contrast vv. 19 and 31 above). In fact, no sin offering was required for the purification of a house.
  109. Leviticus 14:50 tn See the note on v. 5 above.
  110. Leviticus 14:53 tn Heb “to from outside to the city.”
  111. Leviticus 14:54 tn Heb “and for the scall”; NASB “a scale”; NIV “any infectious skin disease.” Cf. Lev 13:29-37.
  112. Leviticus 14:55 sn Cf. Lev 13:47-59.
  113. Leviticus 14:55 sn Cf. Lev 14:33-53.
  114. Leviticus 14:56 sn Cf. Lev 13:9-28, 43.
  115. Leviticus 14:56 sn Cf. Lev 13:2.
  116. Leviticus 14:56 sn Cf. Lev 13:4, 18-28, 38-39. For explanations of all these terms for disease in Lev 14:56 see 13:2.
  117. Leviticus 14:57 tn Heb “to teach in the day of the unclean and in the day of the clean.”
  118. Leviticus 14:57 tn Heb “This is the law of the disease.” Some English versions specify this as “skin disease” (e.g., NIV, NLT), but then have to add “and mildew” (NIV) or “and infectious mildew” (NLT) because a house would not be infected with a skin disease.sn For an explanation of the term “disease” see Lev 13:2.
  119. Leviticus 15:2 tn Heb “Man man.” The duplication is a way of saying “any man” (cf. Lev 17:3; 22:18, etc.; see the distributive repetition of the noun in GKC 395-96 §123.c).
  120. Leviticus 15:2 tn The term “discharge” actually means “to flow,” whether referring to a full flow as at a spring of water (Ps 78:20 and parallels) or in reference to the promised land as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod 3:8 and parallels).
  121. Leviticus 15:2 tn Heb “when there is a discharge from his flesh.” It is well-recognized that the term “flesh” (i.e., “body”) in this chapter refers regularly and euphemistically to the male and female genital members or areas of the body (HALOT 164 s.v. בָּשָׂר 5.b; see also, e.g., B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 93). The euphemism has been retained in this translation since it is intended in the Hebrew text. Some English versions partially remove the euphemism (e.g., NAB “from his private parts”; NRSV “from his member”) while some remove it completely (e.g., NLT “a genital discharge”; TEV “from his penis”; CEV “with an infected penis”).
  122. Leviticus 15:3 tn The LXX has “this the law of his uncleanness…” (cf. v. 32 and compare, e.g., 13:59; 14:2, 56).
  123. Leviticus 15:3 tc Smr, LXX, and the Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll from Qumran (11QpaleoLev; Fragment G contains Lev 14:52-15:5 and 16:2-4, and agrees with the LXX of Lev 15:3b) are in essential (although not complete) agreement against the MT in Lev 15:3b and are to be preferred in this case. The shorter MT text has probably arisen due to a lengthy haplography. See K. A. Mathews, “The Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev) and the Text of the Hebrew Bible,” CBQ 48 (1986): 177-78, 198; D. N. Freedman, “Variant Readings in the Leviticus Scroll from Qumran Cave 11, ” CBQ 36 (1974): 528-29; D. N. Freedman and K. A. Mathews, The Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll, 32. The MT of Lev 15:3 reads: “Now this is his uncleanness in [regard to] his discharge—whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness.” Smr adds after MT’s “blocks his discharge” the following: “he is unclean; all the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness.” Thus, the MT appears to skip from Smr הוא טמא “he is unclean” in the middle of the verse to טמאתו/הו יא “this is his uncleanness” at the end of the verse, leaving out “he is unclean; all the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge” (cf. the BHS footnote). 11Q1 (paleoLeva frag. G) is indeed fragmentary, but it does have ימי ז בו כל “…in him, all the days of the fl[ow],” supporting Smr and LXX tradition. The LXX adds after MT “blocks his discharge” the following: “all the days of the flow of his body, by which his body is affected by the flow,” followed by “it is his uncleanness” (i.e., the last two words of the MT). sn The contrast between the dripping or flowing from the male sexual member as opposed to there being a blockage is important. One might not understand that even though a blockage actually causes a lack of discharge, it is still unclean.
  124. Leviticus 15:3 tn Heb “it is his uncleanness.” The last clause resumes the point of the first clause in this verse, while the material in between acts as parenthetic clarification. This verse introduces the regulations that follow in vv. 4ff.
  125. Leviticus 15:4 tn Heb “All the bed which the man with a discharge sits on it shall be unclean”; cf. NLT “Any bedding.”
  126. Leviticus 15:4 tn Heb “and all the vessel which he sits on it shall be unclean”; NASB “everything on which he sits.”
  127. Leviticus 15:5 tn Heb “And a man who touches in his bed”; NLT “touch the man’s bedding.”
  128. Leviticus 15:5 tn Heb “he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening” (cf. also vv. 6-8, 10-11, etc.).
  129. Leviticus 15:7 tn Heb “And the one who touches in the flesh.” In this instance, “flesh” (or “body”) probably refers literally to any part of the body, not the genitals specifically (see the discussion in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:914).
  130. Leviticus 15:8 tn Heb “And if the man with a discharge spits in the clean one.”
  131. Leviticus 15:9 tn The Hebrew term for “means of riding” is a cognate noun from the verb “ride” later in this verse. It refers to anything on which one may ride without the feet touching the ground including, for example, a saddle, a (saddle) blanket, or a seat on a chariot (see, e.g., J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:916).
  132. Leviticus 15:10 tn Heb “which shall be under him.” The verb is perhaps a future perfect, “which shall have been.”
  133. Leviticus 15:10 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the previously mentioned items which were under the unclean person) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  134. Leviticus 15:11 tn Heb “And all who the man with the discharge touches in him and his hands he has not rinsed in water.”
  135. Leviticus 15:12 tn The Hebrew term כְּלִי (keli) can mean “vessel” (v. 12a) or “utensil, implement, article” (v. 12b). An article of clay would refer to a vessel or container of some sort, while one made of wood would refer to some kind of tool or instrument.
  136. Leviticus 15:13 tn For the expression “fresh water” see the note on Lev 14:5 above.
  137. Leviticus 15:14 tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168 with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
  138. Leviticus 15:14 tc The MT has the Qal form of the verb בּוֹא (boʾ) “to come” here, but the LXX (followed generally by the Syriac and Tg. Ps.-J.) reflects the Hiphil form of the same verb, “to bring” as in v. 29 below. In v. 29, however, there is no additional clause “and give them to the priest,” so the Hiphil is necessary in that context while it is not necessary here in v. 14.
  139. Leviticus 15:15 sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term “sin offering.”
  140. Leviticus 15:15 tn Heb “and the priest shall make them one a sin offering and the one a burnt offering.” See the note on Lev 1:3 regarding the “burnt offering.”
  141. Leviticus 15:15 tn Heb “And the priest.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here.
  142. Leviticus 15:15 tn Heb “from”; see the note on 4:26.
  143. Leviticus 15:16 tn Heb “And a man when a lying of seed goes out from him”; KJV, ASV “any man’s seed of copulation”; NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT “an emission of semen.”
  144. Leviticus 15:16 tn Heb “and he shall bathe all his flesh in water.”
  145. Leviticus 15:18 tn Heb “And a woman whom a man lies down with her, a lying of seed.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed for sexual relations. The phrase “a lying down of seed” or “an emission of seed” is adverbial, specifying the circumstance with which the regulation is concerned.
  146. Leviticus 15:19 tn See the note on Lev 15:2 above.
  147. Leviticus 15:19 tn Heb “blood shall be her discharge in her flesh.” The term “flesh” here refers euphemistically to the female sexual area (cf. the note on v. 2 above).
  148. Leviticus 15:19 tn See the note on Lev 12:2 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:925-27.
  149. Leviticus 15:23 tn Heb “and if on the bed it (הוּא, huʾ) is or on the vessel which she sits on it, when he touches it….” The translation and meaning of this verse is a subject of much debate in the commentaries (see the summary in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:938-40). It is difficult to determine what הוּא refers to, whether it means “he” referring to the one who does the touching, “it” for the furniture or the seat in v. 22, “she” referring to the woman herself (see Smr היא rather than הוא), or perhaps anything that was lying on the furniture or the bed of vv. 21-22. The latter view is taken here (cf. J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 202).
  150. Leviticus 15:23 tn The MT accent suggests that “when he touches it” goes with the preceding line, but it seems to be better to take it as an introduction to what follows (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 202).
  151. Leviticus 15:24 tn Heb “actually lies down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” acts as a euphemism, implying going to bed for sexual relations.
  152. Leviticus 15:24 tn Heb “and if a man indeed lies with her and her menstrual impurity is on him.”
  153. Leviticus 15:25 tn Heb “And a woman when the flow of her blood flows.”
  154. Leviticus 15:25 tn Heb “in not the time of her menstruation or when it flows on her menstruation.”
  155. Leviticus 15:27 tn See the note on v. 5 above.
  156. Leviticus 15:28 tn Heb “And if….” Although this clause is parallel to v. 13 above, it begins with וְאִם (veʾim, “and if”) here rather than וְכִי (vekhi, “and when/if”) there.
  157. Leviticus 15:29 tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168 with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).
  158. Leviticus 15:30 tn Heb “And the priest shall make the one a sin offering and the one a burnt offering.”
  159. Leviticus 15:30 tn Heb “And the priest.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here.
  160. Leviticus 15:31 tn Heb “And you shall.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV).
  161. Leviticus 15:31 tn Heb “and they.” Here the Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) indicates a negative purpose (“lest,” so NAB, NASB).
  162. Leviticus 15:32 tn Heb “and who a lying down of seed goes out from him.”
  163. Leviticus 15:32 tn Heb “to become unclean in it.”
  164. Leviticus 15:33 tn Heb “and the one with a discharge, his discharge to the male and the female.”
  165. Leviticus 15:33 tn Heb “who lies down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” acts as a euphemism, implying going to bed for sexual relations.
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