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Leviticus 14:50
And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:

Numbers 5:17
And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and putit into the water:

2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

that one of the birds be slaughtered
The use of birds, often sparrows or doves, in purification rituals symbolizes innocence and purity. The act of slaughtering signifies the necessity of a life given for cleansing, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is described as the Lamb of God inJohn 1:29.

over fresh water
Fresh water, or "living water," is a symbol of life and purification. In biblical symbolism, water often represents cleansing and renewal, as seen in the New Testament with the concept of baptism (John 3:5). The use of fresh water here underscores the need for spiritual renewal and cleansing from impurity.

in a clay pot
Clay pots were common in ancient Israel, representing the earthen and humble nature of humanity. The use of a clay pot in this ritual may symbolize the fragility and temporality of human life. In2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul refers to believers as "jars of clay," highlighting the contrast between human weakness and divine power.

• The verse opens with a word that ties this instruction to the previous steps in the cleansing ritual for someone healed of a skin disease (Leviticus 14:3-4).

• It signals sequence and immediacy—the ceremony must happen right after the priest verifies healing (cf.Luke 5:14, where Jesus sends the cleansed leper “at once” to the priest).

• The flow reminds us that God’s order matters; cleansing follows examination, just as salvation follows conviction (John 16:8-9).

• God assigns the priest to direct every action, underscoring that cleansing comes under divine authority, not personal preference (Deuteronomy 17:9;Malachi 2:7).

• The priest acts as mediator—an Old-Testament picture pointing to Christ, our great High Priest (Hebrews 5:1-5).

• Obedience to the priest’s word illustrates obedience to God’s Word, which is always the path to purity (Psalm 19:7-11).

• Two “clean birds” (Leviticus 14:4) were required; one would die, the other would live.

• The single bird chosen for death represents substitution—one life given so another (and the healed person) may go free (Romans 5:8).

• Even a small, inexpensive creature shows God makes provision for all, rich or poor (Leviticus 5:7;Matthew 10:29).

• “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

• The bird’s death graphically displays the cost of sin and impurity (Isaiah 53:5).

• It foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice, where perfect blood accomplished permanent cleansing (1 Peter 1:18-19).

• The phrase can also be rendered “living water,” meaning flowing or spring water—pure, not stagnant (Jeremiah 17:13).

• Blood and water mingling prefigure the blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side (John 19:34).

• Together they picture both forgiveness (blood) and ongoing cleansing (water), echoed in1 John 1:7-9 andEphesians 5:26.

• The earthen vessel stresses humility and mortality; we are “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

• Contact with blood made the pot unusable afterward (Leviticus 6:28), symbolizing that holiness affects everyday life.

• The pairing of divine cleansing with an ordinary pot hints at the Incarnation—Christ taking on human flesh (John 1:14) to bring purity into our earthly reality.

Leviticus 14:5 describes a priest-directed act where one bird is killed over running water in a clay pot. Each detail—God’s timing, priestly authority, substitutionary death, the mingling of blood and living water, and the use of an earthen vessel—forms a vivid portrait of how the Lord literally provides cleansing. The ritual points ahead to Jesus, whose blood and living water bring complete, once-for-all purification to those who obey His Word.

In an earthen vessel over running water.--Better, overan earthen vessel upon(orinto) living water,that is, the bird was killed over the dish, so as to let the blood flow into the water. The vessel had to be a new one; into it was poured a fourth part of a log, or as much as aneggand a-half of "living water:" that is, water taken from a running stream or a perennial spring, where its continual motion resembles life, in contradistinction to stale or stagnant water. Water which had already been used for other purposes, salt water, rain water, or water which had been melted or warmed, was illegal. When the blood had thus been wrung into it, a hole was dug, and the bird was buried in the presence of the priest and the patient.