Leviticus 14:19

Translation
King James Version
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:
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KJV (with Strong's)
And the priest H3548 shall offer H6213 the sin offering H2403, and make an atonement H3722 for him that is to be cleansed H2891 from his uncleanness H2932; and afterward H310 he shall kill H7819 the burnt offering H5930:
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Complete Jewish Bible
The cohen is to offer the sin offering and make atonement for the person being purified because of his uncleanness; afterwards, he is to slaughter the burnt offering.
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Berean Standard Bible
Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering
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American Standard Version
And the priest shall offer the sin-offering, and make atonement for him that is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness: and afterward he shall kill the burnt-offering;
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World English Bible Messianic
“The priest shall offer the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness: and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering;
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And the Priest shall offer the sinne offring and make an atonement for him that is to bee clensed of his vncleannesse: then after shall he kill the burnt offring.
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Young's Literal Translation
`And the priest hath made the sin-offering, and hath made atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterwards he doth slaughter the burnt-offering;
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See also
Leviticus 14:12Leviticus 5:62 Corinthians 5:21Leviticus 12:6Leviticus 12:8Romans 8:3Leviticus 5:1
In the KJVVerse 3,131 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Leviticus 14:19 details a pivotal moment in the purification ritual for a person healed from tzara'at, a severe skin condition that rendered an individual ceremonially unclean and separated from the community and tabernacle worship. This verse describes the priest's essential role in offering a sin offering to make atonement for the cleansed individual's ritual uncleanness, followed by the presentation of a burnt offering. This sequence underscores the divine order of purification and reconciliation preceding full dedication and restoration to fellowship with God and His people.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Leviticus 14 provides an elaborate, two-stage ritual for the purification of someone healed from tzara'at, a condition often translated as "leprosy" but encompassing a broader range of severe skin diseases. The preceding verses (Leviticus 14:1-18) detail the initial rites performed outside the camp, including the inspection by the priest, the offering of two birds (one killed, one released), and the sprinkling of blood and living water. These initial steps declared the person healed and allowed them to re-enter the camp, though they remained ritually unclean for seven days. Leviticus 14:19 marks the culmination of this purification process, occurring on the eighth day when the cleansed individual presents themselves at the tabernacle entrance with specific offerings. This verse, therefore, transitions from the preliminary declaration of healing to the profound act of priestly mediation and sacrificial atonement, fully restoring the individual to a state of ritual purity and fellowship.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In ancient Israel, tzara'at was not merely a physical ailment but carried profound theological and social implications. It was often seen as a divine judgment or a manifestation of deep-seated impurity, leading to strict isolation from the community and the sacred space of the tabernacle (see the laws concerning the isolation of the leper). This separation underscored the absolute holiness of God and the necessity of purity for dwelling in His presence. The elaborate purification ritual, therefore, was not just about physical healing but about spiritual and social restoration. The offerings prescribed, particularly the sin offering (chatta't) and the burnt offering ('olah), were fundamental to Israelite worship and understanding of atonement. The sin offering addressed ritual impurity and unintentional sin, while the burnt offering symbolized complete dedication and consecration to God. The priest's indispensable role as mediator highlights the structured nature of access to God in the Old Covenant, where a holy God could only be approached through designated channels and prescribed rites, ensuring the sanctity of His dwelling place, the tabernacle (see the command to distinguish between the holy and unholy).
  • Key Themes: This verse contributes significantly to several key themes within Leviticus and the broader Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of Holiness and Purity, emphasizing God's absolute holiness and the necessity for His people to be pure to dwell in His presence and worship Him. The ritual highlights the pervasive nature of Uncleanness and the divine provision for its Atonement and Purification. The sequence of offerings underscores the theological principle that Reconciliation Precedes Dedication, teaching that one must first be made right with God before offering oneself in full devotion. Finally, the role of the priest reinforces the theme of Mediation, illustrating the divinely appointed means by which sinful humanity can approach a holy God.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Atonement (Hebrew, kâphar', H3722): The Hebrew word כָּפַר (kâphar) means "to cover," "to purge," "to make propitiation," or "to reconcile." In this context, it signifies the act by which the priest, through the sin offering, ritually "covers" or "purges" the uncleanness of the individual, thereby making them acceptable to God and restoring them to a state of purity. It's not necessarily for a specific moral transgression but for the state of ritual impurity that separated the individual from the holy community and God's presence. This covering allows for reconciliation and renewed communion.
  • Sin Offering (Hebrew, chaṭṭâʼâh', H2403): The Hebrew word חַטָּאת (chaṭṭâʼâh) refers to a specific type of sacrifice, the "sin offering." While it often dealt with unintentional moral sins, it was also prescribed for various ritual impurities, as seen here. Its primary function was to cleanse and purify, removing the defilement that hindered one's access to God's holy presence and the community. The blood of this offering was crucial for purification and expiation.
  • Burnt Offering (Hebrew, ʻôlâh', H5930): The Hebrew word עֹלָה (ʻôlâh) denotes the "burnt offering," which was entirely consumed on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication, consecration, and devotion to God. Unlike the sin offering, which focused on cleansing from impurity, the burnt offering was an act of worship and surrender, ascending to God as a "pleasing aroma." Its placement after the sin offering in this ritual sequence is highly significant, indicating that purification and atonement must precede full and acceptable dedication to God.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And the priest shall offer the sin offering,": This clause emphasizes the indispensable role of the priest as the divinely appointed mediator. Only the priest could perform these sacred rites, ensuring that the offering was made according to God's precise instructions. The "sin offering" (chaṭṭâʼâh) is specified as the first sacrifice, highlighting its priority in addressing the state of ritual uncleanness.
  • "and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness;": This phrase articulates the primary purpose of the sin offering in this context: to "make atonement" (kâphar) for the individual. The atonement here is for the ritual "uncleanness" (ṭumʼâh) caused by tzara'at, which had separated the person from God's holy presence and the covenant community. The offering ritually purges this impurity, allowing for reconciliation and restoration.
  • "and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:": This final clause specifies the sequence of sacrifices. The burnt offering (ʻôlâh), symbolizing complete dedication and worship, is to be killed after the sin offering has been presented and atonement made. This order is crucial, teaching that reconciliation and purification from defilement must precede and enable full, acceptable consecration and devotion to God. It signifies a progression from being made clean to offering oneself wholly to the Lord.

Literary Devices

The verse employs several significant literary devices. Symbolism is paramount, as the sin offering symbolizes the necessary covering and cleansing for ritual impurity, while the burnt offering symbolizes complete dedication and ascent to God. The priest himself is a symbol of mediation, representing the necessary bridge between a holy God and an unclean humanity. There is also a clear progression or sequence in the sacrificial acts: the sin offering precedes the burnt offering. This ordered progression is not arbitrary but conveys a profound theological truth: purification and reconciliation with God must occur before one can offer oneself in full, acceptable devotion. This sequential presentation reinforces the foundational principle that holiness and purity are prerequisites for true fellowship and worship.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Leviticus 14:19 profoundly illustrates the Old Testament's emphasis on atonement, purification, and the order of reconciliation with a holy God. It reveals that human impurity, whether moral or ritual, creates a barrier to fellowship with God, necessitating a divinely ordained means of cleansing. The sin offering underscores God's provision for dealing with defilement, while the subsequent burnt offering highlights that true worship and dedication flow from a state of purity and reconciliation. This sequence establishes a pattern: God first makes us clean, enabling us to then offer ourselves fully to Him. The priest's mediation further emphasizes humanity's inability to approach God directly in their fallen state, underscoring the need for a divinely appointed intermediary.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

This ancient ritual, though seemingly distant, offers profound insights into our spiritual journey. We, too, are often afflicted by a spiritual tzara'at—the pervasive uncleanness of sin—that separates us from God's holy presence and from the fullness of fellowship within His community. Just as the Israelite needed a priest and a prescribed offering for cleansing, we require divine intervention for our spiritual purification. The sequence of offerings in Leviticus 14:19 serves as a timeless reminder: our reconciliation with God, achieved through His gracious provision of atonement, must always precede our acts of worship and dedication. We cannot truly offer ourselves wholly to God until we have first been cleansed and made right with Him. This calls us to humbly acknowledge our spiritual defilement and embrace the cleansing grace offered to us. Only then can our "burnt offering" of life be truly pleasing to Him.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what ways do I recognize "spiritual uncleanness" in my own life that separates me from God or others?
  • How does the order of the sin offering before the burnt offering inform my understanding of justification and sanctification in my own spiritual walk?
  • What does it mean for me to offer my life as a "burnt offering" of complete dedication to God today, having already received His atonement?

FAQ

Why was a sin offering required for tzara'at if it wasn't necessarily a moral sin?

Answer: In the Old Testament, "sin" (Hebrew: chaṭṭâʼâh) encompassed more than just moral transgression; it also referred to ritual impurity or a state of defilement that rendered an individual unfit to enter God's holy presence or participate in the community's worship. Tzara'at was considered a severe form of such ritual uncleanness, often seen as a physical manifestation of the brokenness and defilement that entered the world through sin. While not always a direct punishment for a specific moral failing, it created a profound separation that required atonement to restore fellowship. The sin offering, therefore, served to "cover" or "purge" this ritual impurity, allowing the cleansed individual to be reconciled with God and re-integrated into the holy community, much like other ritual impurities described throughout Leviticus 15.

What is the significance of the burnt offering being killed after the sin offering?

Answer: The specific order of the offerings in Leviticus 14:19 is highly significant and teaches a crucial theological principle. The sin offering, which addresses and atones for uncleanness, comes first. This signifies that purification and reconciliation with God are foundational and must precede any act of full dedication or worship. Only after one has been cleansed and made right with God can they then offer themselves wholly and acceptably to Him. The burnt offering, which symbolized complete consecration and devotion, is therefore a response to the atonement received. This sequence mirrors the spiritual truth that God first acts to cleanse and forgive us, and in response, we are then enabled and compelled to offer our lives as living sacrifices of worship and obedience (see Paul's exhortation in Romans).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Leviticus 14:19, with its intricate ritual of atonement and purification, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Levitical priest, standing between a holy God and an unclean individual, foreshadows Christ, our Great High Priest, who perfectly mediates on our behalf. The sin offering, which provided temporary covering for ritual impurity, points to Jesus as the definitive Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His once-for-all sacrifice on the cross serves as the perfect and eternal atonement, cleansing us not merely from ritual uncleanness but from the deep-seated spiritual tzara'at of sin that truly separates us from God (see the eternal redemption secured by Christ). Just as the burnt offering followed the sin offering, symbolizing full dedication after cleansing, so too, our response to Christ's complete atonement is to offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, now able to approach Him with confidence because we have been made clean by the blood of Jesus (compare the confidence we have to enter the Holy Place). In Christ, the need for repeated sacrifices is abolished, and full restoration to fellowship with God is eternally secured.

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Commentary on Leviticus 14 verses 10–20

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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