Leviticus 14:53

Finally, he is to release the live bird into the open fields outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The text records a priestly directive given under the Mosaic covenant to Israel for completing the ritual cleansing of a contaminated house. The words — שִלַּח (shi.Lach) translates literally as "he will let go" or release, and חַיָּה (chai.Yah) means "living," specifying that only an unslaughtered bird is used in the rite. The thread — This release action parallels the earlier bird release in Leviticus 14:7 for personal skin disease cleansing and aligns with the atonement and cleansing pattern in Leviticus 14:20. Why it lands — The passage requires the observer to recognize that ritual purity is completed through a prescribed physical act of release, not merely through the application of blood or water.

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

וְשִׁלַּ֞חve./shi.Lachand/ he will let go אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַצִּפֹּ֧רha./tzi.Porthe/ bird הַֽחַיָּ֛הha./chai.Yah<the>/ living אֶל־'el-to מִח֥וּץmi./Chutzfrom/ [the] outside לָעִ֖ירla./'Irof the/ city אֶל־'el-to פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[the] surface of הַשָּׂדֶ֑הha./sa.Dehthe/ field וְכִפֶּ֥רve./khi.Perand/ he will make atonement עַל־'al-on הַבַּ֖יִתha./Ba.yitthe/ house וְטָהֵֽר׃ve./ta.Herand/ it will be pure

King James Version

But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

Cross-references

Leviticus 14:7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the skin disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and release the live bird into the open field.
Leviticus 14:20 and offer it on the altar, with the grain offering, to make atonement for him, and he will be clean.