Put off his garments, and put on other garments: languages have a wide variety of ways of expressing the idea of “changing clothes.” Translators should look for the most natural equivalent rather than following the form of the Revised Standard Version too closely. The clothing removed is the priestly clothing described in verse 10. But no details are given in the text as to the nature of the other garments that are put on. Probably these were the priest’s ordinary clothes worn when he was not performing his priestly duties.

A clean place: see 4.12.

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 .