Leviticus 14 - Introduction

Leviticus 14. consists of two distinct sections, the cleansing of the leper (Leviticus 14:1) and the leprosy of a house (Leviticus 14:33). Probably Leviticus 13 was the original document on leprosy, or Leviticus 14:1 would have preceded Leviticus 13:47 ff., while Leviticus 13:47 ff. and Leviticus 14:33 ff. would naturally have come together (as their subject-matter is placed in Leviticus 14:55). On the other hand, the law of ceremonial cleansing may be as old as Leviticus 13. Leviticus 13 deals with the tests whether leprosy is present or not (Leviticus 13:34 deals only with the object of a mistaken suspicion); Leviticus 14 deals only with what has to be done after leprosy has gone. Leviticus 14 shows into what a distant period the whole law must be pushed back. The articles to be dipped, the Jetting loose of the bird (cf. the goat for Azazel, Leviticus 16, and the red heifer, Numbers 19*), the shaving of the hair, all suggest ideas which had very possibly an original connexion with what would now be called magic getting rid of the spirit or demon of disease. With P, the remains of magical have not begun to yield to the beginnings of medical treatment. The interval of seven days (Leviticus 14:9) and the partial repetition of the ceremony may be the addition of later lawyers. The threefold sacrifice (guilt, with meal, sin, and burnt) recalls the general sacrificial law; but why guilt? There is no suggestion of the extra ⅕? th, as in Leviticus 5 f. and there are ritual differences, e.g. oil is used, and the whole offering is waved. The double sprinkling of the extremities (with blood and oil) reminds us of the consecration of priests (Leviticus 8), but ethnic parallels show that an older rite is here taken over; it is called a guilt offering, because, as additional to the sin and burnt offerings, it could be called nothing else. The whole rite had to be brought under the familiar categories. Even atonement (Leviticus 14:19), though there is of course no actual sin, is necessary, because rites like these alone can secure power to join again in the communio sacrorum. A modification for poverty is prescribed, as in Leviticus 5:11; Leviticus 12:8. If true leprosy alone had been intended, apart from eczema or skin-disease, the rite could hardly ever have been needed. But we cannot consider such a rite as this invented, or in the air. This chapter, as Leviticus 12, may have originally referred to local sanctuaries; but there would be even less difficulty about the journey to Jerusalem than in Leviticus 12.