TRV
Translation
King James Version
And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
Complete Jewish Bible
Next, the cohen is to take some of the two-thirds-pint of olive oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand,
Berean Standard Bible
Then the priest shall take some of the log of olive oil, pour it into his left palm,
American Standard Version
And the priest shall take of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand;
World English Bible Messianic
The priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The Priest shall also take of ye pint of oyle, and powre it into the palme of his left hand,
Young's Literal Translation
and the priest hath taken of the log of oil, and hath poured on the left palm of the priest,
Study This Verse
Commentary on Leviticus 14 verses 10–20
10 ¶ And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
11 And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD:
17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:
18 And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD.
19 And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
Observe, I. To complete the purification of the leper, on the eighth day, after the former solemnity performed without the camp, and, as it should seem, before he returned to his own habitation, he was to attend at the door of the tabernacle, and was there to be presented to the Lord, with his offering, Lev 14:11. Observe here, 1. That the mercies of God oblige us to present ourselves to him, Rom 12:1. 2. When God has restored us to the liberty of ordinances again, after restraint by sickness, distance, or otherwise, we should take the first opportunity of testifying our respect to God, and our affection to his sanctuary, by a diligent improvement of the liberty we are restored to. When Christ had healed the impotent man, he soon after found him in the temple, Joh 5:14. When Hezekiah asks, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? he means, "What is the sign that I shall recover?" intimating that if God restored him his health, so that he should be able to go abroad, the house of the Lord should be the first place he would go to. 3. When we present ourselves before the Lord we must present our offerings, devoting to God with ourselves all we have and can do. 4. Both we and our offerings must be presented before the Lord by the priest that made us clean, even our Lord Jesus, else neither we nor they can be accepted.
II. Three lambs the cleansed leper was to bring, with a meat-offering, and a log of oil, which was about half a pint. Now, 1. Most of the ceremony peculiar to this case was about the trespass-offering, the lamb for which was offered first, Lev 14:12. And, besides the usual rites with which the trespass-offering was offered, some of the blood was to be put upon the ear, and thumb, and great toe, of the leper that was to be cleansed (Lev 14:14), the very same ceremony that was used in the consecration of the priests, Lev 8:23, Lev 8:24. It was a mortification to them to see the same purification necessary for them that was for a leper. The Jews say that the leper stood without the gate of the tabernacle and the priest within, and thus the ceremony was performed through the gate, signifying that now he was admitted with other Israelites to attend in the courts of the Lord's house again, and was as welcome as ever; though he had been a leper, and though perhaps the name might stick by him as long as he lived (as we read of one who probably was cleansed by our Lord Jesus, who yet afterwards is called Simon the leper, Mat 26:6), yet he was as freely admitted as ever to communion with God and man. After the blood of the offering had been put with the priest's finger upon the extremities of the body, to include the whole, some of the oil that he brought, which was first waved and then sprinkled before the Lord, was in like manner put in the same places upon the blood. "The blood" (says the learned bishop Patrick) "seems to have been a token of forgiveness, the oil of healing," for God first forgiveth our iniquities and then healeth our diseases, Psa 103:3. See Isa 38:17. Wherever the blood of Christ is applied for justification the oil of the Spirit is applied for sanctification; for these two are inseparable and both necessary to our acceptance with God. Nor shall our former leprosy, if it be healed by repentance, be any bar to these glorious privileges. Cleansed lepers are as welcome to the blood and the oil as consecrated priests. Such were some of you, but you are washed. When the leper was sprinkled the water must have blood in it (Lev 14:5), when he was anointed the oil must have blood under it, to signify that all the graces and comforts of the Spirit, all his purifying dignifying influences, are owing to the death of Christ: it is by his blood alone that we are sanctified. 2. Besides this there must be a sin-offering and a burnt-offering, a lamb for each, Lev 14:19, Lev 14:20. By each of these offerings, it is said, the priests shall make atonement for him. (1.) His moral guilt shall be removed; the sin for which the leprosy was sent shall be pardoned, and all the sins he had been guilty of in his afflicted state. Note, The removal of any outward trouble is then doubly comfortable to us when at the same time God gives us some assurance of the forgiveness of our sins. If we receive the atonement, we have reason to rejoice, Rom 5:11. (2.) His ceremonial pollution shall be removed, which had kept him from the participation of the holy things. And this is called making an atonement for him, because our restoration to the privileges of God's children, typified hereby, is owing purely to the great propitiation. When the atonement is made for him he shall be clean, both to his own satisfaction and to his reputation among his neighbours; he shall retrieve both his credit and his comfort, and both these true penitents become entitled to, both ease and honour, by their interest in the atonement. The burnt-offering, besides the atonement that was made by it, was a thankful acknowledgment of God's mercy to him: and the more immediate the hand of God was both in the sickness and in the cure the more reason he had thus to give glory to him, and thus, as our Saviour speaks (Mar 1:44), to offer for his cleansing all those things which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 10–20. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Leviticus 14:15 meticulously details a specific action within the purification ritual for an individual healed of tzara'at, a severe skin affliction. This verse precisely instructs the priest to take a measured quantity of oil—a "log"—and pour it into the palm of his own left hand. This preparatory step is crucial for the subsequent anointings and offerings on the seventh day of the purification process, underscoring the divine demand for precision, reverence, and thoroughness in sacred rites, symbolizing the complete and divinely orchestrated restoration of the individual to ceremonial cleanness and full reintegration into the covenant community.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Leviticus 14 presents the comprehensive two-stage ritual for the purification of a person healed from tzara'at, a condition often translated as "leprosy" but encompassing various severe skin ailments. The first stage, outlined in Leviticus 14:1-9, involves a preliminary cleansing outside the camp, utilizing two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, followed by shaving and washing. The healed person then remains outside their tent for seven days. Leviticus 14:10-32 details the second stage, occurring on the eighth day, which involves bringing specific offerings—two male lambs, one ewe lamb, fine flour, and a log of oil—to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Our verse, Leviticus 14:15, is an integral part of this second stage, immediately preceding the application of blood and oil to the healed person's earlobe, thumb, and big toe, signifying complete consecration and restoration to fellowship.
Historical & Cultural Context: In ancient Israel, tzara'at was more than a physical disease; it carried profound social, ceremonial, and theological implications. Individuals afflicted were considered ritually unclean, leading to their ostracization from the community and exclusion from worship, as vividly described in Leviticus 13. This isolation was not punitive but a necessary measure to maintain the holiness of the camp, reflecting God's absolute purity and separation from impurity. The elaborate purification ritual, therefore, served as a dramatic act of divine grace and mercy, enabling the restoration of a marginalized individual back into the covenant community. The priest functioned as the divinely appointed mediator, meticulously executing these rites to ensure the individual's proper cleansing and re-entry, emphasizing the necessity of an intermediary for approaching a holy God and the communal nature of Israelite worship and identity.
Key Themes: This verse, within the broader context of Leviticus 14, contributes to several key themes. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Holiness and Purity, demonstrating God's unwavering demand for ceremonial cleanness within His covenant people, essential for maintaining His presence among them. Secondly, it highlights Divine Order and Precision, as evidenced by the meticulous instructions for every step of the ritual, including the exact measure of oil and the specific actions of the priest. This precision emphasizes that God's ways are not arbitrary but purposeful and perfect. Thirdly, the passage speaks to Restoration and Reintegration, illustrating God's compassionate provision for those who were outcast due to impurity, offering a pathway back into full fellowship. Finally, the role of the priest and the sacrificial elements point to the theme of Mediation and Atonement, foreshadowing the ultimate need for a perfect mediator and a complete atoning sacrifice to address the deeper spiritual uncleanness of sin, a theme echoed in Hebrews 9.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs Precision and Meticulous Detail as primary literary devices. The exact measurement of the "log of oil" and the specific instruction for the priest to use his "left hand" are not incidental; they underscore the divine demand for absolute adherence to the prescribed ritual. This level of detail serves to emphasize the sanctity of the purification process and the seriousness with which God views ceremonial cleanness and the restoration of His people. Furthermore, Symbolism is profoundly evident in the oil itself, which, as a component of the anointing ritual, represents consecration, divine blessing, and the impartation of spiritual purity, preparing the individual for full re-entry into the holy community and a renewed life.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 14:15, as an integral part of the purification ritual for tzara'at, profoundly illustrates God's deep concern for purity, wholeness, and restoration within His covenant community. The meticulous steps, including the specific measure of oil and the priestly mediation, underscore that true cleansing and re-entry into fellowship with a holy God are not self-initiated but divinely prescribed and facilitated. This ritual foreshadows the comprehensive and perfect cleansing from sin, which is ultimately provided through a greater High Priest and a superior sacrifice. The oil, symbolizing anointing and the Spirit, points to the spiritual enablement necessary for a life of holiness and communion with God, reminding us that God is the source of all true purification and spiritual renewal.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific ritual for tzara'at is no longer practiced today, Leviticus 14:15 offers enduring spiritual truths for believers. It reminds us that God is a God of order, holiness, and profound compassion, who cares deeply about our purity and restoration. Just as the healed person needed a divinely appointed priest and specific elements for cleansing, we too recognize our desperate need for divine intervention to be made whole from the defilement of sin. The oil's symbolism of the Holy Spirit encourages us to acknowledge the Spirit's vital and transformative role in our sanctification—our ongoing process of being made holy and set apart for God. We are called to live lives consecrated to God, empowered by the indwelling Spirit, trusting that God desires our complete spiritual integration and flourishing within His family, cleansed and consecrated for His eternal purposes.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "log" of oil in this ritual?
Answer: The "log" (לֹג, log) refers to a precise unit of liquid measure, approximately 0.3 liters or about two-thirds of a pint. Its specific mention in Leviticus 14:15 underscores God's demand for exactness and obedience in the performance of sacred rituals. It emphasizes that every detail of the purification process was divinely ordained and held profound significance, leaving no room for arbitrary interpretation or casual execution. This precision highlights the sanctity of the ritual and the seriousness with which God views ceremonial purity and the restoration of His people to His presence.
Why did the priest pour the oil into his "left hand"?
Answer: The instruction for the priest to pour the oil into his "left hand" (as seen in Leviticus 14:15) is primarily a practical detail related to the subsequent steps of the ritual. By holding the oil in his left hand, the priest's right hand would remain free to perform the actions of dipping his finger into the oil (and blood) and applying it to specific parts of the healed person's body (the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot), as meticulously described in Leviticus 14:16-17. While some traditions might seek deeper symbolism, the immediate context strongly suggests a methodical and orderly approach to ensure the sacred rites were performed efficiently, reverently, and without error.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 14:15, with its meticulous instructions for the oil offering and the priest's role, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Levitical priest, acting as a mediator for physical and ceremonial cleansing, foreshadows Christ, our ultimate and perfect High Priest, who offers a single, eternal sacrifice for our complete spiritual cleansing from the defilement of sin, as beautifully articulated in Hebrews 9:11-14. The oil, symbolizing anointing and the Holy Spirit, points directly to Jesus, who was anointed by the Spirit without measure (John 3:34) and began His public ministry proclaiming His anointing to bring good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, and freedom to the captives (Luke 4:18-19). Just as the oil in the Levitical ritual consecrated the healed person for re-entry into the community, so too does the Holy Spirit, poured out through Christ's finished work, consecrate believers, making us new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and integrating us into the spiritual body of Christ, His church. Our spiritual cleansing and restoration are not achieved by an earthly priest or a measured log of oil, but by the precious, atoning blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live lives of holiness and brings us into full and eternal communion with God.