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:

LEVITICUS 14:28KJV
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Leviticus 14:28 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 14:28 mean?

Leviticus 14:28 describes a ritual where a priest puts oil on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of a person being cleansed, placing it on the same spots where the blood of a trespass offering was applied. This action is part of the process for someone being purified from a skin disease, showing both a physical and symbolic restoration.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses for the priests about how to carry out the cleansing ceremony for someone healed from a serious skin condition. The priest is to use oil in a very specific way, mirroring earlier steps with the blood, to mark the person as fully restored to the community. This careful ritual highlights the seriousness of rejoining the people and being made whole again.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 14:28

  • "Priest" (כֹּהֵן, kohen): This word refers to the official religious leader responsible for performing rituals, showing that the act must be done by someone with authority and training.
  • "Oil" (שֶׁמֶן, shemen): Oil here is used as a symbol of healing, blessing, and consecration, not just as a physical substance.
  • "Cleansed" (טָהֵר, taher): This word means to be made ritually clean, not just physically healed, emphasizing the spiritual aspect of the ritual.
  • "Place" (מָקוֹם, maqom): The verse notes that the oil goes on the "place" where the blood was put, showing a deliberate connection between the two actions and their meaning.

Why Leviticus 14:28 matters

  • This verse clarifies that cleansing from impurity in ancient Israel was not just about physical health but involved a careful, symbolic process led by a priest, connecting the person back to God and the community.
  • The repeated use of the right side (ear, thumb, toe) and the same spots as the blood offering highlights the completeness of the restoration—hearing, doing, and walking are all symbolically purified.
  • Understanding this ritual helps make sense of the larger context in Leviticus, where holiness, community, and ritual purity are central themes, and it shows the care taken in restoring someone to full participation in worship and daily life.

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 14:17 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:

“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 14:25 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:

“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 14:25 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:
  • 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.