Bible Strands
Leviticus 14:8
The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative records Moses relaying divine instructions to the priests and the Israelite community at the precise moment following the sevenfold sprinkling and release of the live bird. This directive initiates the physical preparation phase for the individual recovering from a skin disease.
The words — The Hebrew verb כִּבֵּס (khi.Bes) denotes the act of washing garments, while גִּלַּח (gi.Lach) commands the complete removal of the body’s hair. Both terms specify the mandatory physical actions required before the ritual can proceed.
The thread — This purification sequence echoes the clothing-washing requirement in Leviticus 11:25 and the priestly consecration rites in Numbers 8:7. The New Testament later references this water symbolism in 1 Peter 3:21.
Why it lands — The text demands complete physical compliance before the individual may reenter the camp, establishing obedience to prescribed boundaries as the condition for restored community status.
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 11:25 and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Numbers 8:7 This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.
- 1 Peter 3:21 And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- Exodus 19:10 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
- Exodus 19:14 When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
- Leviticus 8:6 Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
- Leviticus 8:33 You must not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are complete; for it will take seven days to ordain you.
- Leviticus 13:5 On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if he sees that the infection is unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest must isolate him for another seven days.
- Leviticus 14:9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.
- Leviticus 14:20 and offer it on the altar, with the grain offering, to make atonement for him, and he will be clean.