Leviticus 14:34
New International Version
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mold in a house in that land,

New Living Translation
“When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew.

English Standard Version
“When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession,

Berean Standard Bible
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a contamination of mildew into a house in that land,

King James Bible
When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

New King James Version
“When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give you as a possession, and I put the leprous plague in a house in the land of your possession,

New American Standard Bible
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a spot of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession,

NASB 1995
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession,

NASB 1977
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession,

Legacy Standard Bible
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession,

Amplified Bible
“When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in your land,

Christian Standard Bible
“When you enter the land of Canaan that I am giving you as a possession, and I place a mildew contamination in a house in the land you possess,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When you enter the land of Canaan that I am giving you as a possession, and I place a mildew contamination in a house in the land you possess,

American Standard Version
When ye are come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

Contemporary English Version
After I have given you the land of Canaan as your permanent possession, here is what you must do, if I ever put mildew on the walls of any of your homes.

English Revised Version
When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"When you come to Canaan that I am going to give to you, mildew may appear in a house.

International Standard Version
"When you enter the land of Canaan that I'm about to give you as your own possession, and if I put a contagion in a house in the land that you possess,

Majority Standard Bible
?When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a contamination of mildew into a house in that land,

NET Bible
"When you enter the land of Canaan which I am about to give to you for a possession, and I put a diseased infection in a house in the land you are to possess,

New Heart English Bible
"When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in the land of your possession,

Webster's Bible Translation
When ye shall have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

World English Bible
“When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in the land of your possession,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving to you for a possession, and I have put a plague of leprosy in a house [in] the land of your possession,

Young's Literal Translation
When ye come in unto the land of Canaan, which I am giving to you for a possession, and I have put a plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession;

Smith's Literal Translation
When ye shall come into the land of Canaan which I give to you for a possession, and I gave the stroke of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
When you shall be come into the land of Chanaan, which I will give you for a possession, if there be the plague of leprosy in a house,

Catholic Public Domain Version
When you will have entered into the land of Canaan, which I will give to you as a possession, if there is the mark of leprosy in a building,

New American Bible
When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you to possess, if I put a fungal infection in any house of the land you occupy,

New Revised Standard Version
When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land of Canaan which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“When you enter the land of Canaan that I give to you as an inheritance and I shall put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your inheritance;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When ye are come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Whensoever ye shall enter into the land of the Chananites, which I give you for a possession, and I shall put the plague of leprosy in the houses of the land of your possession;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Signs of Home Contamination
33Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 34“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a contamination of mildew into a house in that land, 35the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘Something like mildew has appeared in my house.’…

Cross References
Numbers 5:2-3
“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body. / You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

Deuteronomy 7:1-2
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— / and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

Deuteronomy 28:21-22
The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has exterminated you from the land that you are entering to possess. / The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew; these will pursue you until you perish.

2 Kings 5:1-14
Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. / At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. / She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.” ...

2 Chronicles 26:19-21
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead. / When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. / So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land.

Isaiah 53:4
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

Ezekiel 36:25-27
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. / I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Matthew 8:2-4
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. / 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.”

Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Mark 1:40-44
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” / And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. ...

Luke 5:12-14
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. / “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.”

Luke 17:12-19
As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance / and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” / When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed. ...

John 9:1-7
Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, / and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” / Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him. ...

Acts 10:9-16
The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray. / He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. / He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ...

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

When you be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

When

Leviticus 23:10
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

Leviticus 25:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

Numbers 35:10
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

which I

Genesis 12:7
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Genesis 13:17
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

Genesis 17:8
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Exodus 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Deuteronomy 7:15
And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

1 Samuel 2:6
The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

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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














When you enter the land of Canaan
This phrase marks a significant transition for the Israelites, moving from a nomadic existence to settling in a promised land. The Hebrew word for "enter" (בּוֹא, bo) implies not just physical entry but also a spiritual and covenantal engagement with the land. Canaan, the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, represents the fulfillment of God's promises and a place where His people are to live out their covenant relationship with Him. Historically, Canaan was a land of diverse cultures and religious practices, which posed both opportunities and challenges for the Israelites to remain faithful to Yahweh.

that I am giving you as a possession
The phrase underscores the divine initiative and generosity of God. The Hebrew root for "giving" (נָתַן, natan) emphasizes a gift freely bestowed, highlighting God's grace. "Possession" (אֲחֻזָּה, achuzzah) indicates a permanent inheritance, a legal and familial claim to the land. This reflects the covenantal promise made to the patriarchs, affirming that the land is not just a temporary dwelling but an enduring heritage. Theologically, this possession is contingent upon Israel's faithfulness to God's commandments.

and I put a mildew contamination
Here, the text introduces the concept of divine sovereignty over all aspects of life, including health and purity. The Hebrew word for "mildew" (צָרַעַת, tsara'at) is often translated as "leprosy" in older versions, but it refers to a variety of skin and surface afflictions. The idea that God "puts" (נָתַן, natan) this contamination suggests a test or trial, a means to draw the people closer to Him through obedience and reliance on His instructions for purification. It serves as a reminder of the fallen nature of the world and the need for divine intervention and holiness.

in a house in the land you possess
This phrase brings the focus to the domestic sphere, indicating that God's laws and presence extend into the everyday lives of His people. The "house" (בַּיִת, bayit) symbolizes not just a physical structure but the family and community life within it. The presence of contamination in a house serves as a metaphor for spiritual and moral impurity that can infiltrate the community. The land "you possess" reiterates the covenantal relationship and the responsibility of the Israelites to maintain purity and holiness in the land given to them by God.

(34) When ye be come into the land of Canaan.--We have here the first of four instances in Leviticus of a law being given prospectively, having no immediate bearing on the condition of the people of Israel (see Leviticus 19:23; Leviticus 23:10; Leviticus 25:2). This may be the reason why it is separated from the law of leprous men and garments, which we should naturally expect it would follow, instead of being preceded by the law of cleansing, and why it occupies the position of an appendix. Because it is here said "the land of Canaan," the authorities during the second Temple maintained that this supernatural plague of leprous houses was peculiar to Palestine, and was unknown in any other country. They moreover adduce the words "in a house of the land of your possession" to account for the fact that houses in Palestine not in the possession of the Israelites,--i.e., houses of Gentiles--were exempt from this distemper, that the synagogues throughout the country which had no official dwelling-houses attached to them were never visited by this loathsome disease, and that none of the houses in Jerusalem were ever afflicted with it, because the holy city was never divided among the tribes. Whatever we may think of their interpretation, the testimony of these eye-witnesses who had to administer the laws of leprosy, that out of Palestine, that in certain houses in Palestine, and that in the whole of Jerusalem, this kind of distemper was unknown, remains unshaken.

And I put the plague of leprosy.--The plague is here described as a supernatural one, proceeding from the immediate hand of God. Ordinary leprosy, as we are told by the authorities in the time of Christ, comes upon man for the following sins: "for idolatry, for profaning the name of the Lord, unchastity, theft, slander, false witness, false judgment, perjury, infringing the borders of a neighbour, devising malicious plans, or creating discord between brothers." House leprosy is sent by God if the owner of a plot of land on the sacred soil builds his house with materials unlawfully acquired. Hence the ancient Chaldee Version of Jonathan renders the first part of this verse by, "And if there be a man who buildeth his house with stolen goods, then I will put the plague," &c.

Verse 34. - When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession. This is the first instance of a law being given which has no bearing on the present condition of the Israelites. but is to regulate their conduct when they had come into the promised land. From the time of Abraham downwards, the assurance of their entrance into that land had been possessed by the people of Israel (Genesis 17:8), and the expectation of the speedy fulfillment of that promise had been quickened by their exodus from Egypt, and the preparations made to march through the wilderness. There would, therefore, be nothing surprising to them in receiving instructions to guide their conduct when the entrance should have been effected. As the question is one of leprosy, it is natural that it should be treated of with the leprosy of the human subject and the leprosy of garments; but as it is not of immediate application, it is placed at the end, and dealt with after the rest of the subject has been discussed, being appended to the law of cleansing the leper, instead of preceding it. And I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession. This expression has led to the idea that the leprosy of houses was a special infliction at God's hand in a manner different flora other inflictions or diseases; but the words do not mean that. All that is done is in a sense done by God, inasmuch as his providence rules over all; and, therefore, by whatever secondary cause a thing may be brought about, it is he that does it. It is God that feeds the birds (Luke 12:24), God that clothes the grass (Luke 12:28), nor does one sparrow fall to the ground without him (Matthew 10:29). It is he, therefore, that puts the plague in a house, as the Lord of all things (cf. Isaiah 45:6, 7, "I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things"). The expression militates, though not strongly, against the notion that the house caught the leprosy from the leper that lived in it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“When
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you enter
תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ (ṯā·ḇō·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the land
אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Canaan,
כְּנַ֔עַן (kə·na·‘an)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3667: Canaan -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their land West of the Jordan

which
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I
אֲנִ֛י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am giving
נֹתֵ֥ן (nō·ṯên)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you
לָכֶ֖ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

as your possession,
לַאֲחֻזָּ֑ה (la·’ă·ḥuz·zāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 272: Something seized, a possession

and I put
וְנָתַתִּי֙ (wə·nā·ṯat·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

a contamination
נֶ֣גַע (ne·ḡa‘)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5061: Mark -- a blow, a spot

of mildew
צָרַ֔עַת (ṣā·ra·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6883: Leprosy

into a house
בְּבֵ֖ית (bə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

in that land,
אֶ֥רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Law: Leviticus 14:34 When you have come into the land (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 14:33
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