Leviticus 14:47

Study note

Setting — Moses transmits Yahweh’s regulations to the priests and Israelite community concerning the purification process for houses marked by mildew. The command applies during the interim period after diagnosis but before the priest’s final inspection.

The words — The verb יְכַבֵּס (ye.kha.Bes) translates literally as "he will wash" and governs the action for both the sleeper and the eater. The noun בְּגָדָיו (be.ga.Da/v) specifies "his garments" as the required object of cleansing.

The thread — The washing mandate mirrors the protocol in Leviticus 11:25 for handling unclean animal carcasses and the cleansing sequence in Leviticus 14:8 for a person undergoing purification. These passages establish a consistent ritual pattern where contact with defilement demands garment washing.

Why it lands — The text mandates immediate laundering of clothing for anyone who rested or ate inside a contaminated dwelling. It sets a concrete operational boundary between ritual purity and exposure to localized impurity.

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.