Leviticus 14:49

He is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop to purify the house;

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The priest inspects a replastered house to confirm the mildew has stopped spreading before administering a purification rite. The instruction occurs within the Levitical regulations for cleansing dwellings affected by ritual defilement.

The words — The verb לָקַח (la.Kach) translates to "he will take," and חַטֵּא (cha.Te') means "to cleanse from sin." These terms anchor the priest’s action in acquiring materials specifically for ritual purification.

The thread — This purification sequence mirrors the bird, cedar, scarlet, and hyssop ritual prescribed for cleansing a leper in Leviticus 14:4. Both passages use identical materials to declare an unclean condition clean.

Why it lands — The reader must recognize that ritual cleansing requires specific, tangible elements and priestly mediation. The text demands obedience to a prescribed procedure before declaring a space clean.

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

וְלָקַ֛חve./la.Kachand/ he will take לְחַטֵּ֥אle./cha.Te'to/ cleanse from sin אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַבַּ֖יִתha./Ba.yitthe/ house שְׁתֵּ֣יshe.Teitwo צִפֳּרִ֑יםtzi.po.Rimbirds וְעֵ֣ץve./'Etzand/ wood of אֶ֔רֶז'E.rezcedar וּשְׁנִ֥יu./she.Niand/ scarlet of תוֹלַ֖עַתto.La.'ata worm וְאֵזֹֽב׃ve./'e.Zoand/ hyssop

King James Version

And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

Cross-references

Leviticus 14:4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.