Bible Strands
Leviticus 14:35
the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘Something like mildew has appeared in my house.’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The house owner approaches the priest to report a suspected infestation after God has placed a contamination in a Canaanite dwelling. This occurs during the inspection protocol for ritual purification following the initial divine sign.
The words — The Hebrew term כְּנֶגַע (ke./Ne.ga') literally means "like a plague," describing the initial appearance of the contamination. The verb נִרְאָה (nir.'Ah) indicates that this sign has visibly manifested in the structure.
The thread — The concept of divine contamination entering a dwelling parallels the warning in Deuteronomy 7:26 against bringing detestable things into a house. It also echoes the prophetic imagery in Zechariah 5:4 where a curse enters the house of a thief or false swearer.
Why it lands — The text requires immediate, unambiguous reporting of structural corruption to a religious authority before any investigation begins. It establishes that hidden spiritual decay must be brought to light through official channels rather than concealed.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:
Cross-references
- Psalms 91:10 no evil will befall you, no plague will approach your tent.
- Deuteronomy 7:26 And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.
- Zechariah 5:4 I will send it out, declares the LORD of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain inside his house and destroy it, down to its timbers and stones.”
- Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
- 1 Samuel 3:12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end.
- 1 Kings 13:34 And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.
- Proverbs 3:33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.