And for the purification thereof he shall take two sparrows, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

And he shall take, to purge the house from the defilement, two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop;

'And he hath taken for the cleansing of the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop;

And in order to make the house clean, let him take two birds and cedar-wood and red thread and hyssop;

And for its purification, he shall take two sparrows, and cedar wood, and vermillion, as well as hyssop,

Tollet itaque ad purificandam domum duos passeres, et lignum cedrinum, et coccum vermiculi, ct hyssopum.

Cleanse the house - Strictly, "purge the house from sin." The same word is used in Leviticus 14:52; and in Leviticus 14:53 it is said, "and make an atonement for it." Such language is used figuratively when it is applied to things, not to persons. The leprosy in houses, the leprosy in clothing, and the terrible disease in the human body, were representative forms of decay which taught the lesson that all created things, in their own nature, are passing away, and are only maintained for their destined uses during an appointed period, by the power of Yahweh.

And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and (o) scarlet, and hyssop:
(o) It seems that this was a lace or string to bind the hyssop to the wood, and so was made a sprinkle: the apostle to the Hebrews calls it scarlet wool, (Hebrews 9:19).

And he shall take to cleanse the house,.... The priest, or by his fellow priest, as Aben Ezra, though some interpret it of the master of the house; in Leviticus 14:49, an account is given of the manner of cleansing a leprous house, which is the same with that of cleansing a leprous man, see notes on Leviticus 14:4-7,
Two birds. The birds here indeed are not described as "alive and clean", Leviticus 14:4; but both are plainly implied and the house is said to be cleansed with the blood of the slain bird, as well as with the living bird; and it was the upper door post of the house which was sprinkled seven times with it, but there were no sacrifices offered; in this case, as in the cleansing of the leper, the atonement for it was made by the other rites, which were sufficient to render it habitable again, and free for use, either of the owner or any other person:
and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. See Gill on Leviticus 14:4.