Leviticus 14:46

Leviticus 14:46 (KJV): "Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even."

Context

Leviticus 14 provides detailed instructions concerning the purification rituals for a severe skin condition known as tzara'at (often translated "leprosy," but more accurately referring to various skin afflictions or severe mold/mildew on objects and houses). This particular verse, Leviticus 14:46, falls within the section addressing tzara'at in a house (Leviticus 14:33-53). If a priest suspected a house was afflicted with this defiling condition, he would order it to be emptied and shut up for a period of seven days for inspection (Leviticus 14:38). This verse specifies that anyone who enters the quarantined house during this period of isolation, before it is declared clean or demolished, would contract ceremonial uncleanness until evening.

Key Themes

• Holiness and Purity: A central theme throughout the book of Leviticus is God's call for His people to maintain holiness and ritual purity. Even indirect contact with anything deemed "unclean" (like a quarantined house) could temporarily defile an individual, requiring purification.
• Separation and Protection: The laws surrounding tzara'at emphasized the need to separate the clean from the unclean, protecting the community from potential contagion (both physical and spiritual). The act of shutting up the house and declaring those who entered it unclean highlighted the seriousness of defilement.
• Divine Authority and Order: These meticulous regulations underscored God's meticulous care for the physical and spiritual well-being of Israel. They demonstrated His authority over all aspects of life, including public health and ceremonial protocols, ensuring order within the community.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "unclean" is tameh (טָמֵא), which denotes a state of ritual impurity. It is important to note that being tameh was not inherently sinful, but it rendered a person temporarily unfit for participation in the tabernacle worship or full communal life until they underwent the prescribed purification rites. The phrase "shut up" refers to the period of quarantine and inspection, during which the house was off-limits.

Practical Application

While the specific laws of ceremonial purity related to tzara'at are not directly binding on believers today, their underlying principles offer profound spiritual insights:

• The Nature of Defilement: This verse illustrates how defilement, whether physical or spiritual, can be contagious. Just as entering a quarantined house made one unclean, so too can exposure to sin or unholiness impact our spiritual state.
• God's Standard of Purity: The detailed regulations in Leviticus remind us of God's absolute standard of purity and His desire for His people to be set apart.
• The Need for Cleansing: The Old Testament purity laws continually pointed to humanity's need for a perfect cleanser. Ultimately, Jesus Christ fulfills these laws by offering a spiritual cleansing that purifies our consciences from dead works, enabling us to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). His sacrifice provides permanent spiritual purity that ritual washings could only symbolize.

Reflection

Leviticus 14:46, though seemingly a minor procedural detail, reinforces the pervasive and weighty nature of ceremonial uncleanness in ancient Israel. It highlights God's meticulous concern for the well-being and purity of His covenant people. Every aspect of their lives, even contact with a potentially contaminated dwelling, was governed by divine law to impress upon them the importance of holiness and the separation required to dwell in the presence of a holy God. This foreshadows the complete and lasting cleansing from sin offered through faith in Christ, who makes us truly clean.