Leviticus 14:53
New International Version
Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

New Living Translation
he will release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. Through this process, the priest will purify the house, and it will be ceremonially clean.

English Standard Version
And he shall let the live bird go out of the city into the open country. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.”

Berean Standard Bible
Finally, he is to release the live bird into the open fields outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.

King James Bible
But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

New King James Version
Then he shall let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field, and make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.

New American Standard Bible
However, he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

NASB 1995
“However, he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

NASB 1977
“However, he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.”

Legacy Standard Bible
However, he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

Amplified Bible
But he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then he is to release the live bird into the open countryside outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he is to release the live bird into the open countryside outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

American Standard Version
but he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field: so shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.

Contemporary English Version
Finally, he will release the bird and let it fly away, ending the ceremony for purifying the house.

English Revised Version
but he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field: so shall he make atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then he will let the living bird fly from the city into the open country. He will make peace with the LORD for the house, and it will be clean.

Good News Translation
Then he shall let the live bird fly away outside the city over the open fields. In this way he shall perform the ritual of purification for the house, and it will be ritually clean.

International Standard Version
Then he is to send the bird away, outside the city, facing the fields, to make atonement for the house. Then it is to be considered clean.

Majority Standard Bible
Finally, he is to release the live bird into the open fields outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.

NET Bible
and he is to send the live bird away outside the city into the open countryside. So he is to make atonement for the house and it will be clean.

New Heart English Bible
but he shall let the living bird go out of the city into the open field. So shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean."

Webster's Bible Translation
But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

World English Bible
but he shall let the living bird go out of the city into the open field. So shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he has sent the living bird away to the outside of the city to the face of the field, and has made atonement for the house, and it has been clean.

Young's Literal Translation
and he hath sent away the living bird unto the outside of the city unto the face of the field, and hath made atonement for the house, and it hath been clean.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he sent away the living bird without the city to the face of the field, and he expiated for the house: and it was clean.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he hath let go the sparrow to fly freely away into the field, he shall pray for the house, and it shall be rightly cleansed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he has released the sparrow to fly freely away into the field, he shall pray for the house, and it shall be justly cleansed.

New American Bible
He shall then let the living bird fly away over the countryside outside the city. Thus he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.

New Revised Standard Version
and he shall let the living bird go out of the city into the open field; so he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he shall let the live bird fly out of the town into the open field and make an atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the living bird shall fly outside of the town before the face of the field and shall atone for the house and it shall be clean.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field; so shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he shall let the living bird go out of the city into the field, and shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cleansing a Home
52And he shall cleanse the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn. 53Finally, he is to release the live bird into the open fields outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean. 54This is the law for any infectious skin disease, for a scaly outbreak,…

Cross References
Hebrews 9:22
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Matthew 8:4
Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

Mark 1:44
“See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Luke 5:14
“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Hebrews 10:1-4
For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. / If it could, would not the offerings have ceased? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt the guilt of their sins. / Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, ...

Romans 3:25
God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:20
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, / but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

Numbers 19:2-9
“This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and has never been placed under a yoke. / Give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will have it brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. / Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. ...

2 Chronicles 29:24
And the priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

Psalm 51:7
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.


Treasury of Scripture

But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

Leviticus 14:20
And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

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Leviticus 14
1. The rites and sacrifices in cleansing the leper
33. The signs of leprosy in a house
48. The cleansing of that house














Then he is to release
The act of releasing signifies freedom and liberation. In the Hebrew context, the word used here is "shalach," which means to send away or let go. This action symbolizes the removal of impurity and the restoration of purity. It reflects the broader biblical theme of God’s desire to set His people free from sin and uncleanness, pointing forward to the ultimate liberation through Christ.

the live bird
The live bird represents life and renewal. In the purification ritual, two birds are used: one is sacrificed, and the other is set free. This duality symbolizes death and resurrection, a foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice and victory over death. The live bird, therefore, embodies hope and the promise of new beginnings, echoing the resurrection theme found throughout Scripture.

into the open field
The open field signifies a place of freedom and expansiveness, away from the confines of the city. In biblical times, the field was often seen as a place of provision and sustenance, where God’s creation flourishes. Releasing the bird into the open field symbolizes the removal of defilement from the community and the restoration of God’s order and blessing.

outside the city
This phrase highlights the separation between the holy and the profane. In ancient Israel, the city was a place of community and worship, while outside the city often represented the wilderness or places of impurity. By releasing the bird outside the city, the ritual underscores the complete removal of impurity from the sacred space, ensuring that the community remains holy and set apart for God.

In this way he will make atonement
Atonement is a central theme in Leviticus, derived from the Hebrew word "kaphar," meaning to cover or reconcile. This phrase indicates the priest’s role in mediating between God and the people, restoring the relationship that sin and impurity have disrupted. It points to the ultimate atonement made by Christ, who reconciles humanity to God through His sacrifice.

for the house
The house here refers to the dwelling place that has been afflicted by impurity. In a broader sense, it can symbolize the community or even the individual’s life. The purification of the house signifies the restoration of God’s presence and blessing, emphasizing the importance of holiness in every aspect of life.

and it will be clean
Cleanliness in Levitical terms is not just physical but spiritual, representing a state of purity and acceptability before God. The declaration of cleanliness signifies the completion of the purification process, restoring the house to a state of holiness. This reflects the transformative power of God’s grace, which cleanses and renews, making His people fit for His presence.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Finally, he is to release
וְשִׁלַּ֞ח (wə·šil·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

the live
הַֽחַיָּ֛ה (ha·ḥay·yāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

bird
הַצִּפֹּ֧ר (haṣ·ṣip·pōr)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6833: A little bird

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the open
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

fields
הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

outside
מִח֥וּץ (mi·ḥūṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

the city.
לָעִ֖יר (lā·‘îr)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

In this way he will make atonement
וְכִפֶּ֥ר (wə·ḵip·per)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3722: To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel

for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the house,
הַבַּ֖יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and it will be clean.
וְטָהֵֽר׃ (wə·ṭā·hêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2891: To be clean or pure


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OT Law: Leviticus 14:53 But he shall let the living bird (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 14:52
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