Leviticus 14:21
in Leviticus 14If, however, the person is poor and cannot afford these offerings, he is to take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, along with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of olive oil,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if he be poor, and cannot get so much, then he shall take one he-lamb for a trespass-offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering, and a log of oil;
KJV
And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
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This verse in Leviticus 14
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd if he be poor - he shall take one lamb - There could be no cleansing without a sacrifice. On this ground the apostle has properly observed that all things under the law are purged with blood; and that without shedding of blood there is no remission. Even if the person be poor, he must provide one lamb; this could not be dispensed with: - so every soul to whom the word of Divine revelation comes, must bring that Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. There is no redemption but in his blood.
This site's exposition
if he be poor, and cannot get
on Leviticus 14:21-32
Twelve verses run the whole rite again for a man who cannot afford it, and no step of the ceremony is dropped. Two of the three lambs become two turtledoves or two young pigeons and the flour falls from three tenth deals to one, while the log of oil, the waving, the seven sprinklings and the blood on ear, thumb and toe stand exactly as before. The animal that poverty never removes is the lamb of the trespass offering. Matthew Henry notes that the same ceremony was used for the poor as for the rich.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But it is observable that though a meaner sacrifice was accepted from the poor, yet the very same ceremony was used for them as was for the rich; for their souls are as precious and Christ and his gospel are the same to both. Let not us therefore have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons, Jam. ii.
And if he be poor, and cannot get so much,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb--a kind and considerate provision for an extension of the privilege to lepers of the poorer class. The blood of their smaller offering was to be applied in the same process of purification and they were as publicly and completely cleansed as those who brought a costlier offering (Ac 10:34).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| דַּ֣ל | dal | [is] poor | H1800 → | |
| ה֗וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and not | H369 → | 789 times |
| יָדוֹ֮ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מַשֶּׂגֶת֒ | maseget | [is] reaching | H5381 → | 50 times |
| וְ֠לָקַח | velakach | and he will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| כֶּ֣בֶשׂ | keves | a male lamb | H3532 → | 107 times |
| אֶחָ֥ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אָשָׁ֛ם | ʾasham | a guilt offering | H817 → | 46 times |
| לִתְנוּפָ֖ה | litnufah | to a wave-offering | H8573 → | 30 times |
| לְכַפֵּ֣ר | lekhaper | to make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עָלָ֑יו | ʾalav | on himself | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְעִשָּׂר֨וֹן | veisaron | and a tenth of | H6241 → | 33 times |
| סֹ֜לֶת | solet | fine flour | H5560 → | 53 times |
| אֶחָ֨ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בָּל֥וּל | balul | mixed | H1101 → | 43 times |
| בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶן | bashemen | with <the> oil | H8081 → | 193 times |
| לְמִנְחָ֖ה | leminchah | to a grain offering | H4503 → | 211 times |
| וְלֹ֥ג | velog | and a log of | H3849 → | 5 times |
| שָֽׁמֶן׃ | shamen | oil | H8081 → | 193 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
דַּ֣ל[is] poor
dalH1800 →
ה֗וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְאֵ֣יןand not
veeinH369 →789 times
יָדוֹ֮hand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
מַשֶּׂגֶת֒[is] reaching
masegetH5381 →50 times
וְ֠לָקַחand he will take
velakachH3947 →966 times
כֶּ֣בֶשׂa male lamb
kevesH3532 →107 times
אֶחָ֥דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
אָשָׁ֛םa guilt offering
ʾashamH817 →46 times
לִתְנוּפָ֖הto a wave-offering
litnufahH8573 →30 times
לְכַפֵּ֣רto make atonement
lekhaperH3722 →102 times
עָלָ֑יוon himself
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וְעִשָּׂר֨וֹןand a tenth of
veisaronH6241 →33 times
סֹ֜לֶתfine flour
soletH5560 →53 times
אֶחָ֨דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בָּל֥וּלmixed
balulH1101 →43 times
בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶןwith <the> oil
bashemenH8081 →193 times
לְמִנְחָ֖הto a grain offering
leminchahH4503 →211 times
וְלֹ֥גand a log of
velogH3849 →5 times
שָֽׁמֶן׃oil
shamenH8081 →193 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 2:8He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth…
it leads to
- Psalms 113:7–8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- Daniel 2:48
Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
- James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Daniel 6:3
Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
- Ecclesiastes 4:14
For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
- Psalms 113:7–8
Through
Proverbs 17:5He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
- Job 31:29
If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
- Proverbs 14:31
Through
Leviticus 12:8But if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. Then the priest will make atonement…
it leads to
- Leviticus 5:7
If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt…
- Leviticus 5:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.