Leviticus 14:57

KJV

To teach when [it is] unclean, and when [it is] clean: this [is] the law of leprosy.

KJV (with Strong's)

To teach {H3384} when {H3117} it is unclean {H2931}, and when {H3117} it is clean {H2889}: this is the law {H8451} of leprosy {H6883}.

Complete Jewish Bible

to determine when it is clean and when it is unclean. This is the law concerning tzara'at."

Berean Standard Bible

to determine when something is clean or unclean. This is the law regarding skin diseases and mildew.”

American Standard Version

to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Leviticus 14:57 serves as the culminating statement for the extensive regulations concerning `tzara'at`, a range of defiling skin conditions and mildews meticulously detailed in chapters 13 and 14. This verse succinctly encapsulates the primary duty of the Levitical priest: to authoritatively discern and declare whether a person, garment, or house afflicted by `tzara'at` is ritually "unclean" or "clean," thereby determining their status within the holy community of Israel. It underscores the profound importance of ritual purity for maintaining the sanctity of the Israelite camp in the presence of a holy God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Leviticus 14:57 brings to a definitive close the most comprehensive and detailed section of the Pentateuch dealing with ritual purity and defilement, specifically concerning `tzara'at`. Chapters 13 and 14 meticulously outline the symptoms, diagnostic procedures, isolation protocols, and elaborate purification rites for individuals, garments, and houses affected by this condition. Chapter 13 focuses on the identification and isolation of `tzara'at`, while chapter 14 prescribes the intricate rituals for cleansing and reintegrating those who have been healed. Verse 57 functions as a concluding rubric, summarizing the entire body of instruction as "the law of `tzara'at`" and reiterating the priest's essential role as the authoritative interpreter and enforcer of these divine statutes. It acts as a final encapsulation of the preceding two chapters, emphasizing the purpose and scope of these detailed regulations within the broader framework of God's covenant with Israel.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Israel, `tzara'at` (often translated "leprosy" but encompassing more than modern Hansen's disease) was not merely a medical condition but primarily a state of ritual impurity that rendered an individual or object defiled and separated from the community and the Tabernacle. This separation was critical because God's holy presence dwelt in the midst of Israel, and any defilement threatened the sanctity of the camp. The priest's role, as highlighted in verses like [Leviticus 13:3](/leviticus/13-3 "Leviticus 13:3 - Priest's Inspection of Skin Condition"), was not that of a physician to heal the disease, but a ceremonial arbiter whose pronouncement of "unclean" (Hebrew: `tameh`) or "clean" (Hebrew: `tahor`) had profound spiritual and social implications. This system ensured the maintenance of communal holiness, reflecting God's absolute purity and His demand for His people to live in a manner consistent with His character, as outlined throughout [the book of Leviticus](/leviticus/1 "Leviticus - The Book of Holiness").
* **Key Themes:** This verse, as the conclusion to the `tzara'at` laws, contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes found in Leviticus and the broader Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of **Holiness and Purity**, emphasizing God's absolute purity and His demand for His people to reflect His character by maintaining ritual and moral holiness. The meticulous nature of the laws underscores the seriousness of defilement and the necessity of separation from anything that would profane God's presence. Relatedly, the theme of **Divine Authority and Instruction** is prominent, as the "law of leprosy" is presented as God's revealed will (`torah`), to be taught and upheld by His appointed priests. The priest's role also highlights the theme of **Mediation and Atonement**, as they were the divinely appointed intermediaries who facilitated the restoration of the defiled to a state of purity and fellowship with God and the community, foreshadowing the ultimate mediation of Christ as seen in passages like [Hebrews 9:11-14](/hebrews/9-11-14 "Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ's Superior Sacrifice").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Teach (Hebrew, יָרָה, _yârâh'_):** From a primitive root meaning "to flow as water" or "to throw," but in the Hiphil stem, as used here, it means "to point out (as if by aiming the finger)," "to teach," "to direct," "to inform," or "to instruct." This highlights the priest's authoritative role not merely in making a declaration, but in imparting divine knowledge and understanding of God's standards of purity to the people. It implies a pedagogical function, guiding Israel in how to live according to God's law.
* **Unclean (Hebrew, טָמֵא, _ṭâmêʼ'_):** This term refers to a state of ritual impurity or defilement. It does not necessarily imply moral sin or physical dirtiness, but a ceremonial status that rendered a person or object unfit for participation in the community's worship and often required temporary separation. The state of `ṭâmêʼ` was contagious and could spread defilement, necessitating strict adherence to the prescribed laws to protect the sanctity of the camp.
* **Clean (Hebrew, טָהֹר, _ṭâhôwr'_):** The opposite of `ṭâmêʼ`, signifying a state of ritual purity or undefilement. Being `ṭâhôwr` meant an individual or object was ritually fit to approach God, participate in communal life, and engage in worship. The elaborate cleansing rituals described in chapter 14 were designed to transition a `ṭâmêʼ` person or object back to a `ṭâhôwr` state, enabling their reintegration into the holy community.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"To teach when [it is] unclean, and when [it is] clean":** This phrase articulates the core responsibility of the priest regarding `tzara'at`. Their function was not to heal the physical ailment but to provide authoritative discernment and instruction regarding the ritual status of the individual or object. This involved meticulous inspection, application of the detailed criteria found in the preceding verses, and then the public declaration of "unclean" or "clean." This declaration had profound implications for the individual's social, spiritual, and communal life, determining their access to the camp, the Tabernacle, and their fellow Israelites. The priest served as the divinely appointed arbiter of ritual purity, ensuring the separation of the holy from the common, and the clean from the unclean.
* **"this [is] the law of leprosy":** This concluding statement serves as a definitive rubric, summarizing and encapsulating the entirety of the detailed regulations concerning `tzara'at` found in Leviticus 13 and 14. It declares that the preceding instructions constitute the complete and authoritative `torah` (instruction/law) on this specific matter. The phrase emphasizes the divine origin and binding nature of these commands, reinforcing that these are not mere human regulations but God's revealed will for maintaining holiness within His covenant community. It provides a formal closure to this specific legal corpus within Leviticus.

#### Literary Devices
Leviticus 14:57 employs several significant literary devices that enhance its meaning and function. Primarily, it serves as a **Summary** or **Recapitulation**, providing a concise concluding statement for the extensive legal material presented in the preceding chapters (Leviticus 13-14). This acts as a formal closure to the detailed discussion of `tzara'at`, bringing the complex instructions to a definitive end. The verse also utilizes **Antithesis** or **Contrast** through the stark juxtaposition of "unclean" and "clean" (`ṭâmêʼ` and `ṭâhôwr`). This sharp binary highlights the fundamental distinction central to Israelite ritual purity and underscores the priest's critical role in making this crucial discernment. Furthermore, the phrase "this [is] the law of leprosy" functions as a **Legal Formula** or **Colophon**, a common construct in Leviticus that underscores the divine authority and binding nature of the preceding instructions. It lends a sense of finality and absolute command to the detailed regulations, reinforcing their status as God's `torah`. The repetition of the core concepts of purity and impurity also provides **Emphasis**, drawing the reader's attention to the central theme of discernment and the paramount importance of maintaining ritual holiness within God's covenant community.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 14:57, as the capstone of the `tzara'at` laws, powerfully underscores several enduring theological truths. It highlights God's absolute holiness and His demand for purity within His covenant people. The meticulous nature of these laws demonstrates that defilement, whether physical or spiritual, separates individuals from God's presence and the holy community. The priest's role as the one who discerns and declares purity or impurity points to the necessity of divine instruction and authoritative guidance in understanding and navigating the path of holiness. These laws, while ceremonial, served as a tangible object lesson, teaching Israel about the pervasive nature of defilement and the need for divine intervention and prescribed means of cleansing to restore fellowship with a holy God. Ultimately, they foreshadowed a greater cleansing and a perfect High Priest who would not merely declare clean, but make clean.

* [Leviticus 11:44-45](/leviticus/11-44-45 "Leviticus 11:44-45 - Be Holy, For I Am Holy")
* [Hebrews 7:11-12](/hebrews/7-11-12 "Hebrews 7:11-12 - Need for a New Priesthood")
* [Malachi 2:7](/malachi/2-7 "Malachi 2:7 - The Priest's Lips Should Preserve Knowledge")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific ceremonial laws of `tzara'at` are no longer practiced by believers today, having been fulfilled and superseded by Christ's work, the underlying principles of discernment, holiness, and the need for cleansing remain profoundly relevant. We are called to cultivate spiritual discernment, recognizing that our world is fraught with influences that can defile our minds, hearts, and actions. Just as the priest distinguished between clean and unclean, we must learn to distinguish between truth and error, righteousness and sin, and what truly honors God versus what compromises our walk with Him. This requires a deep immersion in God's Word and reliance on the Holy Spirit's guidance, enabling us to "test everything; hold fast what is good" ([1 Thessalonians 5:21](/1_thessalonians/5-21 "1 Thessalonians 5:21 - Test Everything")). Furthermore, these laws remind us of God's unchanging call to holiness. We are to pursue purity in thought, word, and deed, understanding that sin still defiles and separates us from the fullness of fellowship with God. Our ultimate cleansing comes not from ritual, but from the atoning work of Christ, yet our daily lives are to reflect the holiness of the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, living as "holy in all your conduct" ([1 Peter 1:15](/1_peter/1-15 "1 Peter 1:15 - Be Holy in All Your Conduct")).

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the meticulous nature of the `tzara'at` laws reveal God's character, and what does this imply for our pursuit of holiness today?**
* **In what areas of your life do you need greater spiritual discernment to distinguish between what is "clean" (pleasing to God) and "unclean" (defiling)?**
* **Considering the priest's role as a teacher of God's law, how can believers today grow in their understanding and application of biblical truth for their lives and for guiding others?**

### FAQ
**What was `tzara'at` (often translated "leprosy") in ancient Israel?**

Answer: `Tzara'at` was a broad term in ancient Israel that encompassed a variety of defiling skin conditions, as well as mildew or mold on garments and in houses. It was not solely the modern medical condition of Hansen's disease (leprosy). The primary concern was not the physical ailment itself, but the state of ritual impurity it caused, which separated the afflicted person or object from the holy community and the Tabernacle. The detailed laws in [Leviticus 13](/leviticus/13 "Leviticus 13 - Laws Concerning Skin Diseases") and [Leviticus 14](/leviticus/14 "Leviticus 14 - Laws Concerning Cleansing from Skin Diseases") provided the criteria for identifying and handling these conditions, ensuring the purity of God's dwelling place among His people.

**Why was it so important for the priests to distinguish between "unclean" and "clean"?**

Answer: The distinction between "unclean" (Hebrew: `tameh`) and "clean" (Hebrew: `tahor`) was foundational to Israel's covenant relationship with God. God's holy presence dwelt in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) in the midst of the Israelite camp. Any defilement threatened this divine presence and the sanctity of the community. The priests, as God's appointed arbiters, were responsible for maintaining the ritual purity of the camp. Their declarations determined who could participate in communal life and worship, ensuring that the people lived in a manner that honored God's holiness and preserved the integrity of the covenant. This is a recurring theme throughout [the book of Leviticus](/leviticus/1 "Leviticus - The Book of Holiness"), which consistently emphasizes the need for a holy people to dwell with a holy God.

**Do these laws apply to Christians today?**

Answer: While the specific ceremonial laws of `tzara'at` are no longer binding on Christians, as they were part of the Old Covenant's system of ritual purity, the theological principles they teach remain profoundly relevant. These laws pointed to the pervasive nature of sin as defilement, the holiness of God, and humanity's desperate need for a perfect cleansing. In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is our perfect High Priest, and His sacrifice cleanses us from all spiritual defilement ([Hebrews 9:14](/hebrews/9-14 "Hebrews 9:14 - Christ's Blood Purifies Conscience")). Christians are called to pursue moral and spiritual holiness, discerning between good and evil ([Hebrews 5:14](/hebrews/5-14 "Hebrews 5:14 - Discerning Good and Evil")) and living lives that reflect the purity of Christ, not through ritualistic observances but through faith and obedience to God's Word. The external rituals of the Old Testament found their ultimate spiritual reality in Christ.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 14:57, with its emphasis on the priest's crucial role in discerning and declaring purity, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our great High Priest. The Old Testament laws concerning `tzara'at` vividly illustrated humanity's pervasive spiritual defilement by sin and the inherent inability of human effort or ritual to truly cleanse it. They pointed to the desperate need for a perfect mediator and a complete, internal purification. Jesus, unlike the Levitical priests who could only declare a person clean, possessed the divine authority to actually make them clean. His encounters with lepers, such as the one described in [Matthew 8:1-4](/matthew/8-1-4 "Matthew 8:1-4 - Jesus Cleanses a Leper"), demonstrate His power to touch and heal, thereby reversing the very defilement that separated individuals from God and community. Through His perfect life, atoning death on the cross, and glorious resurrection, Christ became the ultimate sacrifice and the inexhaustible source of true spiritual cleansing, purifying us from the defilement of sin that the `tzara'at` laws symbolized ([1 John 1:7](/1_john/1-7 "1 John 1:7 - Cleansing by Christ's Blood")). He is the one who perfectly "teaches" us what is truly clean and unclean in God's sight, not through external rituals but by transforming our hearts and minds through His Spirit and His Word ([John 15:3](/john/15-3 "John 15:3 - Abiding in Christ's Word")). As our High Priest, He continually intercedes for us, enabling us to draw near to a holy God with confidence, having been made perfectly clean and righteous by His blood ([Hebrews 4:14-16](/hebrews/4-14-16 "Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus, Our Great High Priest")). He is the one who not only declares us clean but makes us so, ushering us into a new covenant of grace and true holiness.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Leviticus 10:10

And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Jeremiah 15:19

Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

Ezekiel 44:23

And they shall teach my people [the difference] between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Deuteronomy 24:8

Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, [so] ye shall observe to do.