then the priest shall come in and look; and behold, if the plague has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew in the house. It is unclean.
Parallel translations
- KJV Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
- BSB the priest must come and inspect it. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean.
- NKJV then the priest shall come and look; and indeed if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house. It is unclean.
- NASB then the priest shall come in and make an inspection. If he sees that the spot has indeed spread in the house, it is a malignant spot in the house; it is unclean.
- NLT the priest must return and inspect the house again. If he finds that the mildew has spread, the walls are clearly contaminated with a serious mildew, and the house is defiled.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The priest comes and confirms the plague has spread; it is a destructive mildew and the house is unclean. It matters because a recurring, spreading contamination proves the dwelling is malignantly defiled.
Overview
On re-inspection the priest confirms the spreading rot as a destructive, incurable contamination, declaring the house unclean. The verdict shows that corruption which keeps spreading despite remedy is judged ruinous. This sober diagnosis underscores the seriousness with which God treats persistent defilement, pointing to the judgment awaiting what cannot be cleansed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Lev 13:51–52He shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructive mildew. It is unclean.
- Zech 5:4I will cause it to go out,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the middle of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones.”
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 14:44 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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