But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
LEVITICUS 14:9KJVWhat does Leviticus 14:9 mean?
Leviticus 14:9 describes the final steps for a person being cleansed from a skin disease, requiring them to shave off all their hair—including their head, beard, and eyebrows—wash their clothes, and bathe in water to be declared clean. This verse outlines a thorough physical process meant to mark the person’s complete transition back into the community.
Moses is relaying God’s instructions to the Israelites about how someone who had a skin disease (often called “leprosy” in older translations) could be officially restored after healing. The detailed actions—shaving all hair, washing clothes (Hebrew בֶּגֶד, beged), and bathing—emphasize a total break from impurity and a fresh start, both physically and symbolically, before the person could rejoin normal life.
The Hebrew behind Leviticus 14:9
- שָׁעַף (galach, H1548) — “shave”: This word is used twice in the verse, stressing the complete removal of all hair. The repetition highlights the thoroughness required for ritual purity.
- בֶּגֶד (beged, H899) — “clothes”: The instruction to wash clothes is a separate act from bathing, showing that both the person and their garments needed cleansing.
- בָּשָׂר (basar, H1320) — “flesh”: The command to wash the “flesh” points to a full-body washing, not just hands or face, underlining the seriousness of the ritual.
- טָהֵר (taher, H2891) — “clean”: This word means to be ritually pure, not just physically clean, marking the person as fit to rejoin worship and community life.
Why Leviticus 14:9 matters
- This verse clears up that ritual purity involved more than just physical healing; it required visible, public actions that everyone could see, making the restoration process clear to the whole community.
- The focus on shaving every part of the head, including eyebrows, shows the seriousness of the separation from impurity and the importance of starting over completely.
- Leviticus 14:9 connects to the wider passage by showing that restoration was a process, not an instant event, involving careful steps that highlighted God’s concern for both health and holiness among the Israelites.