Leviticus 14:20 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 14:20 mean?

Leviticus 14:20 describes how the priest completes a ritual for someone who has been healed from a skin disease by offering specific sacrifices on the altar. After these offerings, the priest makes atonement for the person, and the person is declared clean.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses for the priests about restoring someone to the community after a skin disease, often called "leprosy" in older translations. The process involves both a burnt offering and a grain offering, performed at the altar by the priest. The verse highlights the role of the priest as a mediator, and the importance of ritual actions in restoring a person’s status among the people.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 14:20

• כֹּהֵן (kohen, H3548): This word means "priest." The priest is the key figure performing the ritual, acting on behalf of both God and the person seeking cleansing.
• עֹלָה (olah, H5930): This is the "burnt offering," a sacrifice entirely consumed by fire, symbolizing complete dedication or surrender to God.
• מִנְחָה (minchah, H4503): This is the "meat offering" or grain offering, which is a gift of flour, oil, and sometimes incense, not meat as we use the word today.
• מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach, H4196): This is the "altar," the place where sacrifices are made, marking the physical center of the ritual.
• כִּפֶּר (kipper, H3722): This word means "to make atonement," which often carries the sense of covering over or reconciling, restoring the relationship between the person and the community or God.
• טָהֵר (taher, H2891): This word means "to be clean" or "to be purified," marking the person as ritually acceptable again.

Why Leviticus 14:20 matters

• Leviticus 14:20 clarifies that ritual purity after a skin disease is not automatic; it requires specific actions by the priest and offerings at the altar.
• The verse shows the careful process for restoring someone to full participation in the community, emphasizing both physical healing and ritual acceptance.
• The mention of both a burnt offering and a grain offering highlights the completeness of the ritual, involving both dedication (burnt offering) and thanksgiving or tribute (grain offering).