(14) And the priest shall take some of theblood.--During the second Temple two priests caught the blood of the trespass offering--one into a vessel, and the other into the hollow of his hand. The one who caught the blood in the vessel sprinkled it against the wall of the altar, whilst the other who had the blood in the hollow of his hand went to the convalescent, who was waiting in the porch of Nicanor opposite the eastern door, with his face turned to the west.
And the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear.--Still unable to enter the court of the sanctuary, because he had not as yet been cleansed, the restored leper put his head through the gate of Nicanor, when the priest who caught the blood in the hollow of his hand, and who stood within the court, close to the entrance, (because the blood of the expiatory sacrifices could not be brought beyond the limits of the court of Israel), put some of it on the cartilage of his right ear. He then put through his right hand, and the priest put some of the blood on his thumb; he then again put through his right foot, and the priest put some of the blood on the great toe. To expedite the process, the restored leper was also allowed to put through all the three members at once. If the cured leper had not a thumb on his right hand, or a toe on his right foot, or a right ear, he was never cleansed. The right members were chosen for these symbolical acts, as in the case of the consecration of the priest, because they are represented as the strongest, and are therefore the most able to execute the will of God, for which reason they were henceforth dedicated to His service. (See Leviticus 7:24.)
Verse 14. - And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed. The Mishna describes the ceremony as follows: - "The leper stands before the trespass offering, lays his hand upon it and kills it. Two priests catch up the blood one in a vessel, the other in his band. He who catches it up in the vessel goes and throws it on the side of the altar, and he who catches it in his hand goes and stands before the leper. And the leper who had previously bathed in the court of the lepers, goes and stands in the gate of Nicanor. Rabbi Jehudah says he needs not bathe. He thrusts in his head (viz. into the great court, which he may not yet enter), and the priest puts of the blood upon the tip of his ear; he thrusts in his hand, and he puts it upon the thumb of his hand; he thrusts in his foot, and he puts it upon the great toe of his foot" ('Negaim,' 14:7, quoted by Edersheim, 'Temple Service,' chapter 18.). No doubt, the ear, the thumb, and the great toe are selected for the purpose of showing, as in the case of the consecration of the priest, that the senses and the active powers of the restored Israelite must be dedicated hence, forth to God.
14:10-32 The cleansed leper was to be presented to the Lord, with his offerings. When God has restored us to enjoy public worship again, after sickness, distance, or otherwise, we should testify our thanksgiving by our diligent use of the liberty. And both we and our offerings must be presented before the Lord, by the Priest that made us clean, even our Lord Jesus. Beside the usual rites of the trespass-offering, some of the blood, and some of the oil, was to be put upon him that was to be cleansed. Wherever the blood of Christ is applied for justification, the oil of the Spirit is applied for sanctification; these two cannot be separated. We have here the gracious provision the law made for poor lepers. The poor are as welcome to God's altar as the rich. But though a meaner sacrifice was accepted from the poor, yet the same ceremony was used for the rich; their souls are as precious, and Christ and his gospel are the same to both. Even for the poor one lamb was necessary. No sinner could be saved, had it not been for the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God with his blood.
And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering,.... According to the Misnah (r), two priests received the blood of it, one in a vessel and the other in his hand; he that received it in a vessel went and sprinkled it upon the wall (or top, as Maimonides (s)) of the altar; and he that received it in his hand went to the leper, and the leper having dipped himself in the chamber of the lepers, went and stood in the gate of Nicanor:
and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot; as was done at the consecration of the high priest; see Gill on Exodus 29:20, Leviticus 8:24, now as the leper stood at the door of the tabernacle without the court, he was obliged to put in his head, his right hand, and his right foot, in order to have the blood put on them by the priest, who was in the court; and these were put in either separately one after another, or together: the tradition runs thus (t), he (the leper) thrust in his head, and (the priest) put (the blood) upon the tip of his ear; his hand, and he put it upon the thumb of his hand; his foot, and he put it upon the great toe of his foot: and the application of the blood to these parts showed that the leper had now a right to hear the word of God, to partake of all privileges, to touch anything without defiling it, and to go into any house or company where he thought fit, he was now at full liberty; more evangelically these things may signify the sanctification and cleansing of those parts, and of the whole man by the blood of Christ; and particularly may signify, that as the ear is unclean, uncircumcised, and unsanctified in a leprous sinner and even there are hearing sins in the best of men, the ear is sanctified, and hearing sins removed by the blood of Christ; and as the right hand, being the instrument of action, may denote the evil works of men, and even since the most righteous performances of the best of men are attended with sin, the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin, had need to be put upon them; and whereas the conversation of then, which the foot may be an emblem of, is sinful and vain, it is by the blood of Christ that they are redeemed from it; and the influence of that blood sprinkled on the conscience will oblige and constrain men to live and walk soberly, righteously, and godly.
(r) Ut supra. (Misn. Negaim, c. 14. sect. 8) (s) Ut supra. (Hilchot Mechosre Capharah, c. 4. sect. 2.) (t) Ut supra, (r)) sect. 9.
And the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear.--Still unable to enter the court of the sanctuary, because he had not as yet been cleansed, the restored leper put his head through the gate of Nicanor, when the priest who caught the blood in the hollow of his hand, and who stood within the court, close to the entrance, (because the blood of the expiatory sacrifices could not be brought beyond the limits of the court of Israel), put some of it on the cartilage of his right ear. He then put through his right hand, and the priest put some of the blood on his thumb; he then again put through his right foot, and the priest put some of the blood on the great toe. To expedite the process, the restored leper was also allowed to put through all the three members at once. If the cured leper had not a thumb on his right hand, or a toe on his right foot, or a right ear, he was never cleansed. The right members were chosen for these symbolical acts, as in the case of the consecration of the priest, because they are represented as the strongest, and are therefore the most able to execute the will of God, for which reason they were henceforth dedicated to His service. (See Leviticus 7:24.)
and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot; as was done at the consecration of the high priest; see Gill on Exodus 29:20, Leviticus 8:24, now as the leper stood at the door of the tabernacle without the court, he was obliged to put in his head, his right hand, and his right foot, in order to have the blood put on them by the priest, who was in the court; and these were put in either separately one after another, or together: the tradition runs thus (t), he (the leper) thrust in his head, and (the priest) put (the blood) upon the tip of his ear; his hand, and he put it upon the thumb of his hand; his foot, and he put it upon the great toe of his foot: and the application of the blood to these parts showed that the leper had now a right to hear the word of God, to partake of all privileges, to touch anything without defiling it, and to go into any house or company where he thought fit, he was now at full liberty; more evangelically these things may signify the sanctification and cleansing of those parts, and of the whole man by the blood of Christ; and particularly may signify, that as the ear is unclean, uncircumcised, and unsanctified in a leprous sinner and even there are hearing sins in the best of men, the ear is sanctified, and hearing sins removed by the blood of Christ; and as the right hand, being the instrument of action, may denote the evil works of men, and even since the most righteous performances of the best of men are attended with sin, the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin, had need to be put upon them; and whereas the conversation of then, which the foot may be an emblem of, is sinful and vain, it is by the blood of Christ that they are redeemed from it; and the influence of that blood sprinkled on the conscience will oblige and constrain men to live and walk soberly, righteously, and godly.
(r) Ut supra. (Misn. Negaim, c. 14. sect. 8) (s) Ut supra. (Hilchot Mechosre Capharah, c. 4. sect. 2.) (t) Ut supra, (r)) sect. 9.