This elaborate symbolism was partly intelligible even then. Two birds, like the two goats on the Atonement Day. Did both in some sense symbolize the man? The first one was not exactly a sacrifice. Its death points to the physical death which was the end of the disease, but also in some sense its death symbolized the death by which cleansing was secured.
(a) The purifying water is made by blood added to it, i.e. cleansing by sacrifice.
By water and by blood.'
(b) The sevenfold sprinkling. The cedar, symbol of incorruptibility; the scarlet, of full vital energy; the hyssop, of purifying. So the thought was suggested of the communication of cleansing, full health and in-corruption, undecaying strength; all physical contrasts to leprosy sevenfold.
(c) The free, glad activity. The freed bird. The restored leper.
