Bible Strands
Leviticus 14:44
the priest must come and inspect it. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God instructs Moses and the priests through Levitical ritual law regarding the inspection of a house previously treated for mildew. The moment occurs after initial repairs when the priest must return to assess whether contamination has returned.
The words — פָּשָׂה (pa.Sah) translates literally as "it has spread," describing the progression of the affliction. צָרַעַת (tza.Ra.'at) denotes a "serious disease" or plague that renders the structure ritually unclean.
The thread — This pattern of inspecting and diagnosing contamination appears in Leviticus 13:51 regarding fabrics and leather. The motif of divine judgment entering a home is echoed in Zechariah 5:4.
Why it lands — The text demands immediate, objective verification of contamination before declaring something unclean. It requires the reader to accept that persistent corruption cannot be patched but must be removed.
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
Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 13:51 On the seventh day the priest shall reexamine it, and if the mildew has spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather, then regardless of how it is used, it is a harmful mildew; the article is unclean.
- 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.”