Revised Standard Version and a number of other English versions begin a new paragraph at the beginning of this verse, but Good News Translation takes the first part of this verse as belonging to the previous paragraph (similarly Bible en français courant and Traduction oecuménique de la Bible). Some versions assume that the general rules begin at verse 18 (see New Jerusalem Bible). Translators are advised to follow the paragraphing of Good News Translation at this point.

Flesh: the word thus translated in Revised Standard Version could theoretically refer either to the meat of the peace offering mentioned in the previous verse or to meat in general. However, it is almost certain that it refers more specifically to the meat offered to the LORD. Therefore it may be advisable to translate “that meat” or “this meat,” clearly referring back to verse 18. Moffatt renders the term “sacrificial flesh.”

Unclean: that is, ritually unclean (see 5.2).

With fire: see verse 17.

All who are clean …: or “ritually clean” (see 5.2).

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .