Leviticus 14:6
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What's striking here is how the entire bundle – the live bird, cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop – is dipped into the blood. This isn't just about the spilled blood signifying atonement; it’s about the living elements being symbolically united with that sacrifice before the cleansing ritual begins.
He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes the final steps in the purification ritual for someone who has recovered from leprosy. After the prescribed sacrifices, the priest performs a symbolic cleansing using a live bird, cedarwood, hyssop, scarlet yarn, and the blood of a previously slain bird mixed with fresh water. This act prepares the individual to be fully reintegrated into the community after their isolation.
Ever wonder why specific, seemingly random items were used in ancient rituals? This verse bundles together symbolic elements that tell a profound story.
In Leviticus 14:6, we see a ritual for cleansing from leprosy. The priest takes a live bird, cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. These are then dipped into the blood of a bird that was just killed over fresh water.
What's the Big Deal?
When these elements are dipped in the blood of the slain bird and fresh water, it's a powerful picture: life, strength, the cost of sin, and the application of God's purification all brought together.
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This isn't just about ancient hygiene; it's a prophetic picture pointing forward. One element in this ritual remarkably foreshadows Christ's work.
The live bird in this cleansing ritual is deeply symbolic, pointing to Jesus Christ.
A Prophetic Picture
Understand the original words
tsippor · Hebrew Noun
A small, feathered creature used in the ritual cleansing of a person recovering from skin disease; symbolic of the life that is restored and released through the cleansing process.
erez · Hebrew Noun
A type of wood, often associated with majesty, durability, and incorruptibility; used in the construction of the Temple and in various purification rites.
shani · Hebrew Noun
A bright red material often representing blood, life, or sacrificial atonement; used in various purification rituals, including the rite for the cleansing of leprosy.
ezob · Hebrew Noun
A small, fragrant plant used throughout the Old Testament for purification rites, often representing humility and the need for spiritual cleansing.
dam · Hebrew Noun
The vital fluid that carries life; in the Old Testament, it is the primary instrument of atonement and cleansing, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
mayim hayim · Hebrew Noun phrase
Water that is flowing or from a spring, symbolizing life, purity, and the transformative power of God's cleansing.
This passage describes how the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer, sanctified those who were defiled, mirroring the purification ritual in Leviticus where blood and water are used to cleanse.
1 Peter 1:2Peter speaks of consecration by the Spirit and sprinkling with blood, which echoes the Levitical cleansing ritual, signifying a spiritual cleansing from sin.
Mark 1:40-42In this account, Jesus touches and heals a leper, demonstrating compassion and power over the very disease that required such elaborate cleansing rituals under the Law.
1 John 1:7John writes that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, a profound spiritual parallel to the literal cleansing from leprosy through blood and water.
gillLeviticus 14:6: "As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:"
As for the living bird, he shall take it,.... And dispose of it as after directed; for there was an use for that: and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop; which were all bound up in one bundle, but whether the living bird was joined to them is a question; according to J…
calvinLeviticus 14:1-57: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar-wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
Avem vivam tollet, et lignum cedrinum, et cuccum vermiculi, et hyssopum: et tinget illa, et avem vivam in sanguine avis mactatae super aquas vivas.
And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven time…
What's striking here is how the entire bundle – the live bird, cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop – is dipped into the blood. This isn't just about the spilled blood signifying atonement; it’s about the living elements being symbolically united with that sacrifice before the cleansing ritual begins.
This passage describes the final steps in the purification ritual for someone who has recovered from leprosy. After the prescribed sacrifices, the priest performs a symbolic cleansing using a live bird, cedarwood, hyssop, scarlet yarn, and the blood of a previously slain bird mixed with fresh water. This act prepares the individual to be fully reintegrated into the community after their isolation.
This passage describes the final steps in the purification ritual for someone who has recovered from leprosy. After the prescribed sacrifices, the priest performs a symbolic cleansing using a live bird, cedarwood, hyssop, scarlet yarn, and the blood of a previously slain bird mixed with fresh water. This act prepares the individual to be fully reintegrated into the community after their isolation.
"He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water." — What's striking here is how the entire bundle – the live bird, cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop – is dipped into the blood. This isn't just about the spilled blood signifying atonement; it’s abo…
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Last reviewed October 2026
