What Does Leviticus 14:13 Mean?

(13) **And he shall slay the lamb.**—Better, *And the lamb shall be killed. *On ordinary occasions the sacrificer himself slaughtered the victim on the north side of the altar (see Leviticus 1:5); but as the convalescent was not as yet allowed to enter the court, other persons appointed for these occasions killed the sacrifice. Hence the ancient Chaldee Version of the so-called Jonathan ben Uzziel rightly renders it, “And the slaughterer shall slay the lamb.” The phrase is therefore better rendered in the passive, as is often the case in Hebrew. Before the sacrifice was slain the offerer had to lay his hands on the victim. (See Leviticus 1:4.) For the reason, however, already stated, the convalescent could not do it before the altar. The lamb was therefore brought to the door of the court where the leper stood, and the convalescent put his hands through the gate of Nicanor, and laid them on the victim. From this place the purification was performed of men who contracted defilement from a running issue, and of women when they brought their offerings after childbirth. (See Leviticus 12:6.) **In the place where he shall kill the sin offering.**—Better, *in the place where they kill, *&c, as exactly the same phrase is rendered by the Authorised Version in chap 4:33: that is, in the court of the sanctuary, on the north side of the altar (see Leviticus 1:11; Leviticus 6:25), which was more holy than the entrance where the convalescent stood. **For as the sin offering . . . —**The flesh of both these sacrifices was the perquisite of the officiating priest, and could only be eaten by him and the male members of his family within the court of the sanctuary, being of the class of sacrifices which were most holy. (See Leviticus 6:18.)