Bible Strands
Leviticus 14:51
Then he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The instruction addresses a priest conducting a ritual cleansing for a house affected by mildew. This directive occurs within the ceremonial procedures for restoring ritual purity after a plague.
The words — The Hebrew לָקַח (la.Kach) literally means "he will take," marking the priest's required action of gathering the materials. The noun אֵזֹב (e.Zo) translates directly to "hyssop," identifying the specific plant used as the sprinkling instrument.
The thread — The cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn are grouped with the slaughtered and live birds in the immediate context of Leviticus 14:50 and 14:52. The hyssop element resurfaces in Psalm 51:7 as a symbol of washing and cleansing.
Why it lands — The text demands precise obedience to a multi-step physical ritual involving specific materials and a sevenfold sprinkling. It requires the reader to recognize that ritual restoration follows a fixed, repeated pattern rather than arbitrary action.
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 shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:
Cross-references
- Psalms 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.