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:

LEVITICUS 14:17KJV
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Leviticus 14:17 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 14:17 mean?

Leviticus 14:17 describes how a priest is to take the remaining oil in his hand and put it on the person being cleansed—specifically on the tip of their right ear, the thumb of their right hand, and the big toe of their right foot—on top of the blood from the guilt offering. This is part of a ritual for someone being purified from a skin disease.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for priests to follow when someone is being restored to the community after being healed from a serious skin condition. The ritual involves both blood and oil, with the oil applied to the same places as the blood, symbolizing a complete cleansing and restoration. The detailed actions show the seriousness and care involved in welcoming someone back into the life of Israel.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 14:17

  • שֶׁמֶן (shemen, "oil"): This word refers to olive oil, which was often used in rituals for anointing and consecration. Here, the oil represents healing, blessing, and being set apart for God.
  • יָד (yad, "hand"): The oil is placed in the priest’s palm, showing the personal involvement of the priest in the ritual.
  • כֹּהֵן (kohen, "priest"): The priest is the one who performs the act, highlighting his role as a mediator between God and the people.
  • אָזֵן (ozen, "ear"), בֹּהֶן (bohen, "thumb" and "toe"), יָמִין (yamin, "right"): The right ear, thumb, and big toe are singled out, often understood as representing the whole person’s ability to hear, act, and walk in God’s ways.

Why Leviticus 14:17 matters

  • This verse shows that restoration to the community after illness was not just physical but also spiritual and social, involving careful ritual steps.
  • The repetition of applying both blood and oil to the same body parts emphasizes the completeness of the cleansing—covering what a person hears, does, and where they go.
  • Understanding these details helps clarify that ancient Israel’s laws cared deeply about both health and belonging, not just ritual for its own sake.

Where else these words appear

“tip” Hebrew H8571 · used in 7 verses

  • Exodus 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
  • Leviticus 8:24 And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.
  • Leviticus 14:25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and 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:

“thumb” Hebrew H931 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
  • Leviticus 8:24 And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.
  • Leviticus 14:28 And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand 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 place of the blood of the trespass offering:

“right” Hebrew H3233 · used in 19 verses

  • Exodus 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
  • Leviticus 14:27 And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
  • 2 Chronicles 3:17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

“offering” Hebrew H817 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 26:10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
  • Leviticus 7:37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
  • Numbers 18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.