Live-Wire Bible Study - Day 37 - Leviticus 12–14 · Hebrews 5 · Psalm 111 - FeedTheGoodHorse
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Day 32: Leviticus 12–14 · Hebrews 5 · Psalm 111 · Commentary · Commentary² · Audio
The Bible text is included for reading continuity; it is accurate in substance, aligned with major modern translations, and may be read alongside any Bible you prefer.1
Special Note about the following Bible text: The following translation uses the Hebrew terms tamé (טָמֵא) and tahor (טָהוֹר) instead of the traditional “unclean” and “clean.” These terms describe ritual status in relation to sanctuary access, not moral fault, shame, or physical dirtiness. A fuller explanation will follow in a dedicated article.
Leviticus 12
Jehovah spoke to Moses:
Speak to the sons of Israel:
If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she will be tamé seven days. As in the days of her menstrual tamé-status, she will be tamé. On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin is to be circumcised. Then she is to remain in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She is not to touch anything holy or come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed.
If she bears a female child, she will be tamé two weeks, as in her tamé-status. Then she is to remain in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.
When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. The priest is to present them before Jehovah and make atonement for her, and she will be tahor from the flow of her blood. This is the instruction for the woman who bears a child, whether male or female.
If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering. The priest is to make atonement for her, and she will be tahor.
Leviticus 13
Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron:
When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes an affliction on the skin, he is to be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. The priest is to examine the affliction. If the hair in it has turned white and the appearance is deeper than the skin, it is an affliction of a skin disease. The priest is to examine him and pronounce him tamé.
If the bright spot is white but does not appear deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to isolate the person seven days. On the seventh day he is to examine him. If the affliction has not changed and has not spread, he is to isolate him seven days more. On the seventh day the priest is to examine him again. If the affliction has faded and has not spread, the priest is to pronounce him tahor; it is a scab. He is to wash his garments and be tahor.
If the scab spreads after he has shown himself to the priest for his tahor-status movement, he is to appear again before the priest. If it has spread, the priest is to pronounce him tamé; it is a skin disease.
When an affliction of a skin disease is on a person, he is to be brought to the priest. If there is a white swelling that has turned the hair white and raw flesh appears in it, it is a chronic skin disease. The priest is to pronounce him tamé; he is not to isolate him, for he is tamé.
If the skin disease breaks out and covers all the skin from head to foot, as far as the priest can see, the priest is to examine him. If it has covered all his body, he is to pronounce him tahor; it has all turned white, and he is tahor. But whenever raw flesh appears, he will be tamé. The priest is to examine the raw flesh and pronounce him tamé; the raw flesh is tamé, it is a skin disease. If the raw flesh turns white again, he is to come to the priest. If the affliction has turned white, the priest is to pronounce him tahor; he is tahor.
Leviticus 14
Jehovah spoke to Moses:
This is the instruction for the one with a skin disease on the day of his tahor-status movement. He is to be brought to the priest. The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the affliction is healed, the priest is to command that two live tahor birds be taken for the one being restored to tahor-status, along with cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. One bird is to be killed in an earthen vessel over fresh water. The priest is to take the live bird, the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop and dip them in the blood of the bird killed over the fresh water. He is to sprinkle it seven times on the one being restored to tahor-status, pronounce him tahor, and release the live bird into the open field.
The one being restored to tahor-status is to wash his garments, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water, and he will be tahor. Afterward he may enter the camp but remain outside his tent seven days. On the seventh day he is to shave off all his hair, wash his garments, and bathe his body in water, and he will be tahor.
On the eighth day he is to bring the prescribed offerings. The priest is to present him before Jehovah, offer the guilt offering with oil, apply blood to his right ear, thumb, and toe, apply oil to the same places, and make atonement for him. The priest is to offer the sin offering and the burnt offering and make atonement for him, and he will be tahor.
If he is poor and cannot afford the regular offering, he is to bring what he can afford, and the priest is to perform the same procedure and make atonement for him before Jehovah.
This is the instruction for the one who has an affliction of a skin disease and cannot afford the regular offering for his tahor-status movement.
Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron:
When you enter the land of Canaan and I put an affliction of a skin disease in a house, the owner is to report it to the priest. The priest is to examine the house. If the affliction appears greenish or reddish and deeper than the surface, the house is to be shut up seven days.
If it spreads, the affected stones are to be removed and taken to a tamé place outside the city. The house is to be scraped and replastered.
If the affliction returns and spreads, it is a persistent skin disease in the house; it is tamé. The house is to be torn down, and its materials taken to a tamé place.
If the affliction does not spread after replastering, the priest is to pronounce the house tahor. The bird ritual is to be performed for the house. The priest is to make atonement for the house, and it will be tahor.
This is the instruction for any affliction of skin disease in a person, garment, or house, to teach when something is tamé and when it is tahor.
Hebrews 5
Every high priest is taken from among humans and appointed on behalf of humans in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and wandering, since he himself is also surrounded by weakness. Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins, both for the people and for himself.
No one takes this honor for himself but receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest. The one who said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have fathered you,”
also said in another place,
“You are a priest into the age
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one able to save him out of death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Having been brought to completion, he became the source of rescue for the age for all who obey him, being addressed by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain since you have become dull in hearing. By now you ought to be teachers, yet you again need someone to teach you the basic elements of God’s message. You have come to need milk, not solid food. Everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, since he is an infant. Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their senses trained through practice to distinguish good from evil.
Psalm 111
Praise the Lord.
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Splendor and majesty mark his work,
and his righteousness stands forever.
He has made his wonders remembered.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He gives food to those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works
by giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are truth and justice;
all his instructions are trustworthy.
They are established forever and ever,
done in truth and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awe-inspiring is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
All who practice it have good understanding.
His praise stands forever.
Commentary - Day 37
37 - Leviticus 12–14 · Hebrews 5 · Psalm 111
Leviticus 12 begins with birth and blood. A woman who bears a child enters a period of tamé-status. She does not touch anything holy or come into the sanctuary until the days are completed. On the eighth day the son is circumcised. When the days are fulfilled, offerings are brought at the entrance of the tent of meeting. A lamb and a bird, or two birds if she cannot afford a lamb. The priest presents them before Jehovah and makes atonement, and she is tahor from the flow of her blood. The movement is counted in sevens and in completed days, and it is marked by access withheld and access restored.
Leviticus 13 slows the process further. Swelling, scab, bright spot. Hair turned white. Depth beneath the skin. The priest examines. Seven days of isolation. Examination again. Spread or no spread. Pronounced tamé. Pronounced tahor. A chronic condition is not isolated but declared. A full covering that turns entirely white is pronounced tahor, while raw flesh appearing within brings tamé-status. The pattern is careful, repeated, and public. Status is named by examination, spread, and time.
Leviticus 14 describes the day of tahor-status movement. The priest goes outside the camp. Two live tahor birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, hyssop. One bird killed in an earthen vessel over fresh water. The other dipped and released into the open field. Sprinkled seven times. The restored person washes garments, shaves hair, bathes in water, and remains outside his tent seven days. On the eighth day offerings are brought. Blood is applied to the right ear, thumb, and toe. Oil is placed on the same places. The pattern echoes earlier markings in Leviticus. The restored one is marked before re-entry. Atonement is made, and he is tahor.
The same language extends to garments and even to houses. Greenish or reddish marks deeper than the surface. Stones removed and taken to a tamé place outside the city. Scraping and replastering. If the affliction persists, the house is torn down. If it does not spread, the priest pronounces the house tahor and performs the bird ritual. The instruction concludes by naming its purpose: to teach when something is tamé and when it is tahor.
Hebrews 5 turns to priesthood. Every high priest is taken from among humans and appointed on behalf of humans in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He must also offer for himself, since he is surrounded by weakness. No one takes this honor for himself but receives it when called by God, as Aaron was called.
The text then speaks of Christ not glorifying himself to become high priest but being addressed: “You are my Son,” and “You are a priest into the age according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one able to save him from death, and he was heard. Though Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Having been brought to completion, he became the source of rescue into the age for those who obey him, being addressed by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
The warning that follows speaks of hearing and growth. By now you ought to be teachers, yet you need milk and not solid food. Solid food is for the mature, for those whose senses are trained through practice to distinguish good from evil. The language of distinguishing appears again, now applied to discernment.
Psalm 111 answers with praise grounded in works and instruction. The works of the Lord are great, studied by those who delight in them. His instructions are trustworthy, established forever, done in truth and uprightness. He gives food. He remembers his covenant. He sent redemption to his people. Holy and awe-inspiring is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; those who practice it have good understanding.
Leviticus names tamé and tahor through examination, isolation, washing, shaving, offering, removal, and restoration. Hebrews names a high priest called by God, marked by weakness, learning obedience, and being addressed according to Melchizedek. Psalm 111 names works, covenant, and wisdom. The texts remain with bodies, houses, priests, offerings, hearing, and instruction, and they end by naming what is to be distinguished and what is to be remembered.
Leviticus 12 measures tamé-status after childbirth in days and restricts contact with holy things and sanctuary entry until purification is complete; offerings are brought at the tent entrance, with a poverty option of two birds. Leviticus 13 details priestly examination of skin afflictions, repeated seven-day isolations, and shifting judgments of tamé or tahor based on spread, depth, white hair, and raw flesh. Leviticus 14 describes tahor-status movement: the priest goes outside the camp; two tahor birds, cedar, scarlet, and hyssop are used with fresh water and sevenfold sprinkling; washing, shaving, and timed waiting follow. On the eighth day offerings are brought, with blood and oil applied to right ear, thumb, and toe; poverty alternatives remain. The same logic extends to houses, with stones removed to a tamé place or the whole house torn down.
Hebrews 5 frames priesthood as a calling from God, taken from among humans and marked by weakness; Christ is named Son and priest in Melchizedek’s order, learning obedience through suffering. It warns against dull hearing, contrasting milk and solid food and training to distinguish good and evil. Psalm 111 answers with praise for the Lord’s works, trustworthy instructions, covenant remembrance, and wisdom beginning in fear of the Lord.
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