9 Heb “And the priest shall command and he shall slaughter.” See the note on “be taken up” (v. ).
10 Heb “into a vessel of clay over living water.” The expression “living [i.e., ‘fresh’] water” (cf. Lev 14:50; 15:13; Num 19:17) refers to water that flows. It includes such water sources as artesian wells (Gen 26:19; Song of Songs 4:15), springs (Jer 2:13, as opposed to cisterns; cf. 17:13), and flowing streams (Zech 14:8). In other words, this is water that has not stood stagnant as, for example, in a sealed-off cistern. Although there are those who argue that the water and the blood rites are separate (e.g., E. S. Gerstenberger, Leviticus [], 175–76), it is usually agreed that v. 5b refers to the slaughtering of the bird in such a way that its blood runs into the bowl, which contained fresh water (see, e.g., N. H. Snaith, Leviticus and Numbers [], 74; G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [], ; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [], 1:; cf. esp. Lev 14:51b, “and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the fresh water”). This mixture of blood and water was then to be sprinkled on the person being cleansed from the disease.

In other versions

And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water.

Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.

Then the priest will order that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in a clay pot.

The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh water.

Then the priest shall command someone to slaughter one bird over fresh water in a clay vessel.

And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:

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