When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

LEVITICUS 14:34KJV
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Leviticus 14:34 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 14:34 mean?

Leviticus 14:34 says that when the Israelites enter the land of Canaan, which God is giving them to own, God may allow a disease like leprosy to appear in a house there. The verse introduces the idea that even houses in the promised land can be affected by a plague, and God claims responsibility for allowing it.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses and Aaron, giving instructions for when the people of Israel settle in Canaan. The situation is about what to do if a house in their new land shows signs of a serious disease, often called "leprosy" but likely meaning any spreading mold or mildew. The verse sets up the laws that follow, which explain how to handle such a problem in the community.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 14:34

  • "plague" (נֶגַע, negaʿ): This Hebrew word means a blow, strike, or affliction, and here it refers to a physical mark or disease affecting a house. It highlights that the problem is seen as a serious, almost personal affliction.
  • "leprosy" (צָרַעַת, tsaraʿat): While translated as "leprosy," this word covers a range of skin diseases and, in this context, refers to mold or mildew in a house. It is not limited to the disease known today as leprosy.
  • "put" (נָתַן, natan): This verb means "to give" or "to place." Here, it is used to say that God "puts" the plague in the house, emphasizing that such events are understood as being under God's control.

Why Leviticus 14:34 matters

  • The verse clarifies that even in the land God gives, problems like disease or impurity can still arise, and these are not outside God's knowledge or authority.
  • It introduces the idea that holiness and purity are not just personal but also affect the community's living spaces, including their homes.
  • The verse connects to the larger section of Leviticus, which gives detailed instructions for dealing with impurity, showing that God's laws cover all areas of life, not just worship or personal behavior.

Where else these words appear

“leprosy” Hebrew H6883 · used in 33 verses

  • Leviticus 13:2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
  • Leviticus 13:27 And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
  • Leviticus 14:32 This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.

“possession” Hebrew H272 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Leviticus 25:45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
  • Joshua 22:4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.

“plague” Hebrew H5061 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 12:17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
  • Leviticus 13:43 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
  • Leviticus 14:37 And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;

“Canaan” Hebrew H3667 · used in 91 verses

  • Genesis 9:18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
  • Genesis 45:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
  • Numbers 35:14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.