Discovery BoxLeviticus 13:4-59
Context13:4 “If 1 it is a white bright spot on the skin of his body, but it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 2 and the hair has not turned white, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the infection for seven days. 3 13:5 The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if, 4 as far as he can see, the infection has stayed the same 5 and has not spread on the skin, 6 then the priest is to quarantine the person for another seven days. 7 13:6 The priest must then examine it again on the seventh day, 8 and if 9 the infection has faded and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person clean. 10 It is a scab, 11 so he must wash his clothes 12 and be clean. 13:7 If, however, the scab is spreading further 13 on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his purification, then he must show himself to the priest a second time. 13:8 The priest must then examine it, 14 and if 15 the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. 16 It is a disease.
13:9 “When someone has a diseased infection, 17 he must be brought to the priest. 13:10 The priest will then examine it, 18 and if 19 a white swelling is on the skin, it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 20 13:11 it is a chronic 21 disease on the skin of his body, 22 so the priest is to pronounce him unclean. 23 The priest 24 must not merely quarantine him, for he is unclean. 25 13:12 If, however, the disease breaks out 26 on the skin so that the disease covers all the skin of the person with the infection 27 from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see, 28 13:13 the priest must then examine it, 29 and if 30 the disease covers his whole body, he is to pronounce the person with the infection clean. 31 He has turned all white, so he is clean. 32 13:14 But whenever raw flesh appears in it 33 he will be unclean, 13:15 so the priest is to examine the raw flesh 34 and pronounce him unclean 35 – it is diseased. 13:16 If, however, 36 the raw flesh once again turns white, 37 then he must come to the priest. 13:17 The priest will then examine it, 38 and if 39 the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the person with the infection clean 40 – he is clean.
13:18 “When someone’s body has a boil on its skin 41 and it heals, 13:19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish white bright spot, he must show himself to the priest. 42 13:20 The priest will then examine it, 43 and if 44 it appears to be deeper than the skin 45 and its hair has turned white, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. 46 It is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil. 47 13:21 If, however, 48 the priest examines it, and 49 there is no white hair in it, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 50 13:22 If 51 it is spreading further 52 on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. 53 It is an infection. 13:23 But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, 54 it is the scar of the boil, so the priest is to pronounce him clean. 55
13:24 “When a body has a burn on its skin 56 and the raw area of the burn becomes a reddish white or white bright spot, 13:25 the priest must examine it, 57 and if 58 the hair has turned white in the bright spot and it appears to be deeper than the skin, 59 it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. 60 The priest is to pronounce the person unclean. 61 It is a diseased infection. 62 13:26 If, however, 63 the priest examines it and 64 there is no white hair in the bright spot, it is not deeper than the skin, 65 and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 66 13:27 The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if it is spreading further 67 on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is a diseased infection. 68 13:28 But if the bright spot stays in its place, has not spread on the skin, 69 and it has faded, then it is the swelling of the burn, so the priest is to pronounce him clean, 70 because it is the scar of the burn.
13:29 “When a man or a woman has an infection on the head or in the beard, 71 13:30 the priest is to examine the infection, 72 and if 73 it appears to be deeper than the skin 74 and the hair in it is reddish yellow and thin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. 75 It is scall, 76 a disease of the head or the beard. 77 13:31 But if the priest examines the scall infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 78 and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall infection for seven days. 79 13:32 The priest must then examine the infection on the seventh day, and if 80 the scall has not spread, there is no reddish yellow hair in it, and the scall does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 81 13:33 then the individual is to shave himself, 82 but he must not shave the area affected by the scall, 83 and the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall for another seven days. 84 13:34 The priest must then examine the scall on the seventh day, and if 85 the scall has not spread on the skin and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 86 then the priest is to pronounce him clean. 87 So he is to wash his clothes and be clean. 13:35 If, however, the scall spreads further 88 on the skin after his purification, 13:36 then the priest is to examine it, and if 89 the scall has spread on the skin the priest is not to search further for reddish yellow hair. 90 The person 91 is unclean. 13:37 If, as far as the priest can see, the scall has stayed the same 92 and black hair has sprouted in it, the scall has been healed; the person is clean. So the priest is to pronounce him clean. 93
13:38 “When a man or a woman has bright spots – white bright spots – on the skin of their body, 13:39 the priest is to examine them, 94 and if 95 the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean. 96
13:40 “When a man’s head is bare so that he is balding in back, 97 he is clean. 13:41 If his head is bare on the forehead 98 so that he is balding in front, 99 he is clean. 13:42 But if there is a reddish white infection in the back or front bald area, it is a disease breaking out in his back or front bald area. 13:43 The priest is to examine it, 100 and if 101 the swelling of the infection is reddish white in the back or front bald area like the appearance of a disease on the skin of the body, 102 13:44 he is a diseased man. He is unclean. The priest must surely pronounce him unclean because of his infection on his head. 103
13:45 “As for the diseased person who has the infection, 104 his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, 105 and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 13:46 The whole time he has the infection 106 he will be continually unclean. He must live in isolation, and his place of residence must be outside the camp.
13:47 “When a garment has a diseased infection in it, 107 whether a wool or linen garment, 108 13:48 or in the warp or woof 109 of the linen or the wool, or in leather or anything made of leather, 110 13:49 if the infection 111 in the garment or leather or warp or woof or any article of leather is yellowish green or reddish, it is a diseased infection and it must be shown to the priest. 13:50 The priest is to examine and then quarantine the article with the infection for seven days. 112 13:51 He must then examine the infection on the seventh day. If the infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the leather – whatever the article into which the leather was made 113 – the infection is a malignant disease. It is unclean. 13:52 He must burn the garment or the warp or the woof, whether wool or linen, or any article of leather which has the infection in it. Because it is a malignant disease it must be burned up in the fire. 13:53 But if the priest examines it and 114 the infection has not spread in the garment or in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather, 13:54 the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the infection and quarantine it for another seven days. 115 13:55 The priest must then examine it after the infection has been washed out, and if 116 the infection has not changed its appearance 117 even though the infection has not spread, it is unclean. You must burn it up in the fire. It is a fungus, whether on the back side or front side of the article. 118 13:56 But if the priest has examined it and 119 the infection has faded after it has been washed, he is to tear it out of 120 the garment or the leather or the warp or the woof. 13:57 Then if 121 it still appears again in the garment or the warp or the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. Whatever has the infection in it you must burn up in the fire. 13:58 But the garment or the warp or the woof or any article of leather which you wash and infection disappears from it 122 is to be washed a second time and it will be clean.”
13:59 This is the law 123 of the diseased infection in the garment of wool or linen, or the warp or woof, or any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean. 124
[13:4] 2 tn Heb “and deep is not its appearance from the skin”; cf. NAB “does not seem to have penetrated below the skin.”
[13:4] 3 tn Heb “and the priest will shut up the infection seven days.”
[13:5] 4 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:5] 5 tn Heb “the infection has stood in his eyes”; ASV “if in his eyes the plague be at a stay.”
[13:5] 6 tn Although there is no expressed “and” at the beginning of this clause, there is in the corresponding clause of v. 6, so it should be assumed here as well.
[13:5] 7 tn Heb “a second seven days.”
[13:6] 8 tn That is, at the end of the second set of seven days referred to at the end of v. 5, a total of fourteen days after the first appearance before the priest.
[13:6] 10 tn Heb “he shall make him clean.” The verb is the Piel of טָהֵר (taher, “to be clean”). Here it is a so-called “declarative” Piel (i.e., “to declare clean”), but it also implies that the person is put into the category of being “clean” by the pronouncement itself (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 176; cf. the corresponding opposite in v. 3 above).
[13:6] 11 tn On the term “scab” see the note on v. 2 above. Cf. NAB “it was merely eczema”; NRSV “only an eruption”; NLT “only a temporary rash.”
[13:6] 12 tn Heb “and he shall wash his clothes.”
[13:7] 13 tn Heb “And if spreading [infinitive absolute] it spreads [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.
[13:8] 14 tn The “it” is not expressed but is to be understood. It refers to the “infection” (cf. the note on v. 2 above).
[13:8] 15 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:8] 16 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’, cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:9] 17 tn Heb “When there is an infection of disease in a man.” The term for “a man; a human being” (אָדָם, ’adam; see the note on Lev 1:2 and cf. v. 2 above) refers to any person among “mankind,” male or female. For the rendering “diseased infection” see the note on v. 2 above.
[13:10] 18 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.” The pronoun “it” is unexpressed, but it should be assumed and it refers to the infection (cf. the note on v. 8 above).
[13:10] 19 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:10] 20 tn Heb “and rawness [i.e., something living] of living flesh is in the swelling”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “quick raw flesh.”
[13:11] 21 tn The term rendered here “chronic” is a Niphal participle meaning “grown old” (HALOT 448 s.v. II ישׁן nif.2). The idea is that this is an old enduring skin disease that keeps on developing or recurring.
[13:11] 22 tn Heb “in the skin of his flesh” as opposed to the head or the beard (v. 29; cf. v. 2 above).
[13:11] 23 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’, cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:11] 24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the priest) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:11] 25 sn Instead of just the normal quarantine isolation, this condition calls for the more drastic and enduring response stated in Lev 13:45-46. Raw flesh, of course, sometimes oozes blood to one degree or another, and blood flows are by nature impure (see, e.g., Lev 12 and 15; cf. J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 191).
[13:12] 26 tn Heb “And if spreading [infinitive absolute] it spreads out [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.
[13:12] 27 tn Heb “all the skin of the infection,” but see v. 4 above.
[13:12] 28 tn Heb “to all the appearance of the eyes of the priest.”
[13:13] 29 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.” The pronoun “it” is unexpressed, but it should be assumed and it refers to the infection (cf. the note on v. 8 above).
[13:13] 30 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[13:13] 31 tn Heb “he shall pronounce the infection clean,” but see v. 4 above. Also, this is another use of the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher; cf. the note on v. 6 above).
[13:13] 32 tn Heb “all of him has turned white, and he is clean.”
[13:14] 33 tn Heb “and in the day of there appears in it living flesh.” Some English versions render this as “open sores” (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT).
[13:15] 34 tn Heb “and the priest shall see the living flesh.”
[13:15] 35 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’; cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:16] 36 tn Heb “Or if/when.”
[13:16] 37 tn Heb “the living flesh returns and is turned/changed to white.” The Hebrew verb “returns” is שׁוּב (shuv), which often functions adverbially when combined with a second verb as it is here (cf. “and is turned”) and, in such cases, is usually rendered “again” (see, e.g., GKC 386-87 §120.g). Another suggestion is that here שׁוּב means “to recede” (cf., e.g., 2 Kgs 20:9), so one could translate “the raw flesh recedes and turns white.” This would mean that the new “white” skin “has grown over” the raw flesh (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 79).
[13:17] 38 tn Heb “and the priest shall see it.”
[13:17] 39 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[13:17] 40 tn Heb “the priest shall pronounce the infection clean,” but see v. 4 above. Also, this is another use of the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher, cf. the note on v. 6 above).
[13:18] 41 tc Heb (MT) reads, “And flesh if/when there is in it, in its skin, a boil.” Smr has only “in it,” not “in its skin,” and a few medieval Hebrew
[13:19] 42 tn Some English versions translate “it shall be shown to [or “be seen by”] the priest,” taking the infection to be the subject of the verb (e.g., KJV, NASB, RSV, NRSV). Based on the Hebrew grammar there is no way to be sure which is intended.
[13:20] 43 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.” The pronoun “it” is unexpressed, but it should be assumed and it refers to the infection (cf. the note on v. 8 above).
[13:20] 44 tn Heb “and behold.”
[13:20] 45 tn Heb “and behold its appearance is low (שָׁפָל, shafal) ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, “lower than”) the skin.” Compare “deeper” in v. 3 above where, however, a different word is used (עָמֹק, ’amoq), and see the note on “swelling” in v. 1 above (cf. J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 192; note that, contrary to the MT, Tg. Onq. has עָמֹק in this verse as well as v. 4). The alternation of these two terms (i.e., “deeper” and “lower”) in vv. 25-26 below shows that they both refer to the same phenomenon. Some have argued that “this sore was lower than the surrounding skin” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:773, 788), in which case “swelling” would be an inappropriate translation of שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et) in v. 19. It seems unlikely, however, that the surface of a “boil” would sink below the surface of the surrounding skin. The infectious pus etc. that makes up a boil normally causes swelling.
[13:20] 46 tn The declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’, cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:20] 47 tn Heb “It is an infection of disease. In the boil it has broken out.” For the rendering “diseased infection” see the note on v. 2 above.
[13:21] 49 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[13:21] 50 tn Heb “and the priest will shut him up seven days.”
[13:22] 52 tn Heb “is indeed spreading.”
[13:22] 53 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’, cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:23] 54 tn Heb “and if under it the bright spot stands, it has not spread.”
[13:23] 55 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher, cf. the note on v. 6 above).
[13:24] 56 tn Heb “Or a body, if there is in its skin a burn of fire.”
[13:25] 57 tn Heb “and the priest shall see it.”
[13:25] 58 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:25] 59 tn Heb “and its appearance is deep ‘from’ [comparative מִן (min) meaning ‘deeper than’] the skin.”
[13:25] 60 tn Heb “it is a disease. In the burn it has broken out.”
[13:25] 61 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’; cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:25] 62 tn For the rendering “diseased infection” see the note on v. 2 above.
[13:26] 64 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “and indeed.”
[13:26] 65 tn Heb “and low it is not ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, “lower than”) the skin.” See the note on v. 20 above. Cf. TEV “not deeper than the surrounding skin.”
[13:26] 66 tn Heb “and the priest will shut him up seven days.”
[13:27] 67 tn Heb “is indeed spreading.”
[13:27] 68 tn For the rendering “diseased infection” see the note on v. 2 above.
[13:28] 69 tn Heb “and if under it the bright spot stands, it has not spread in the skin.”
[13:28] 70 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher; cf. the note on v. 6 above).
[13:29] 71 tn Heb “And a man or a woman if there is in him an infection in head or in beard.”
[13:30] 72 tn Heb “and the priest shall see the infection.”
[13:30] 73 tn Heb “and behold.”
[13:30] 74 tn Heb “its appearance is deep ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, “deeper than”) the skin.”
[13:30] 75 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’; cf. the note on v. 3 above).
[13:30] 76 tn The exact identification of this disease is unknown. Cf. KJV “dry scall”; NASB “a scale”; NIV, NCV, NRSV “an itch”; NLT “a contagious skin disease.” For a discussion of “scall” disease in the hair, which is a crusty scabby disease of the skin under the hair that also affects the hair itself, see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 192-93, and J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:793-94. The Hebrew word rendered “scall” (נֶתֶק, neteq) is related to a verb meaning “to tear; to tear out; to tear apart.” It may derive from the scratching and/or the tearing out of the hair or the scales of the skin in response to the itching sensation caused by the disease.
[13:30] 77 tn Heb “It is scall. It is the disease of the head or the beard.”
[13:31] 78 tn Heb “and behold there is not its appearance deep ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, meaning “deeper than”) the skin.”
[13:31] 79 tn Heb “and the priest will shut up the infection of the scall seven days.”
[13:32] 80 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:32] 81 tn Heb “and the appearance of the scall is not deep ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, meaning “deeper than”) the skin.”
[13:33] 82 tn The shaving is done by the one who has the infection. Although KJV, ASV have the passive “he shall be shaven” here, most modern English versions have the reflexive “shall shave himself” (so NAB).
[13:33] 83 tn Heb “but the scall shall he not shave” (so KJV, ASV); NIV “except for the diseased area.”
[13:33] 84 tn Heb “and the priest will shut up the scall a second seven days.”
[13:34] 85 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:34] 86 tn Heb “and its appearance is not deep ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, meaning “deeper than”) the skin.”
[13:34] 87 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher, cf. the note on v. 6 above).
[13:35] 88 tn Heb “And if spreading (infinitive absolute) it spreads further (finite verb).” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.
[13:36] 89 tn Heb “and behold.”
[13:36] 90 tn Heb “the priest shall not search to the reddish yellow hair.”
[13:36] 91 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the affected person) is specified in the translation for clarity (likewise in the following verse).
[13:37] 92 tn Heb “and if in his eyes the infection has stood.”
[13:37] 93 tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher, cf. the note on v. 6 above).
[13:39] 94 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.”
[13:39] 95 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:39] 96 tn Heb “he,” but the regulation applies to a man or a woman (v. 38a). In the translation “the person” is used to specify the referent more clearly.
[13:40] 97 tn Heb “And a man, when his head is rubbed bare, he is bald-headed.” The translation offered here, referring to the back of the head (i.e., the area from the top of the head sloping backwards), is based on the contrast between this condition and that of the following verse. See also B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 82.
[13:41] 98 tn Heb “And if from the front edge of his face, his head is rubbed bare.” See the note on v. 40 above.
[13:41] 99 tn The rendering “balding in front” corresponds to the location of the bareness at the beginning of the verse.
[13:43] 100 tn Heb “and the priest shall see it” (cf. KJV). The MT has “him/it” which some take to refer to the person as a whole (i.e., “him”; see, e.g., J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:770; NIV, NRSV, etc.), while others take it as a reference to the “infection” (נֶגַע, nega’) in v. 42 (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 172, 177). Smr has “her/it,” which would probably refer to “disease” (צָרַעַת, tsara’at) in v. 42. The general pattern in the chapter suggests that “it,” either the infection or the disease, is the object of the examination (see, e.g., v. 3 above and v. 50 below).
[13:43] 101 tn Heb “and behold.”
[13:43] 102 tn Heb “like appearance of disease of skin of flesh.”
[13:44] 103 tn Or perhaps translate, “His infection [is] on his head,” as a separate independent sentence (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV). There is no causal expression in the Hebrew text connecting these two clauses, but the logical relationship between them seems to be causal.
[13:45] 104 tn Heb “And the diseased one who in him is the infection.”
[13:45] 105 tn Heb “and his head shall be unbound, and he shall cover on [his] mustache.” Tearing one’s clothing, allowing the hair to hang loose rather than bound up in a turban, and covering the mustache on the upper lip are all ways of expressing shame, grief, or distress (cf., e.g., Lev 10:6 and Micah 3:7).
[13:46] 106 tn Heb “All the days which the infection is in him.”
[13:47] 107 tn Heb “And the garment, if there is in it a mark of disease.”
[13:47] 108 tn Heb “in a wool garment or in a linen garment.”
[13:48] 109 sn The warp (vertical) and woof (horizontal) thread may be two different sets of thread not yet woven together, or they may refer to two different kinds of thread already woven, in which case one might have the disease in it while the other does not. See the explanation in J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:809-10.
[13:48] 110 tn Heb “in any handiwork of skin” (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV); most other modern English versions have “leather.”
[13:49] 111 tn Heb “and the infection is.” This clause is conditional in force, and is translated as such by almost all English versions.
[13:50] 112 tn Heb “And the priest shall see the infection and he shall shut up the infection seven days.”
[13:51] 113 tn Heb “to all which the leather was made into a handiwork.”
[13:53] 114 tn Heb “And if the priest sees and behold”; NASB “and indeed.”
[13:54] 115 tn Heb “a second seven days.”
[13:55] 116 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
[13:55] 117 tn Heb “the infection has not changed its eye.” Smr has “its/his eyes,” as in vv. 5 and 37, but here it refers to the appearance of the article of cloth or leather, unlike vv. 5 and 37 where there is a preposition attached and it refers to the eyes of the priest.
[13:55] 118 tn The terms “back side” and “front side” are the same as those used in v. 42 for the “back or front bald area” of a man’s head. The exact meaning of these terms when applied to articles of cloth or leather is uncertain. It could refer, for example, to the inside versus the outside of a garment, or the back versus the front side of an article of cloth or leather. See J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:814, for various possibilities.
[13:56] 119 tn Heb “And if the priest saw and behold….”
[13:56] 120 tn Heb “and he shall tear it from.”
[13:57] 121 tn Heb “And if”; NIV, NCV “But if”; NAB “If, however.”
[13:58] 122 tn Heb “and the infection turns aside from them.”
[13:59] 123 sn The Hebrew term translated “law” (תוֹרָה, torah) introduces here a summary or colophon for all of Lev 13. Similar summaries are found in Lev 7:37-38; 11:46-47; 14:54-57; and 15:32-33.
[13:59] 124 tn These are declarative Piel forms of the verbs טָהֵר (taher) and טָמֵא (tame’) respectively (cf. the notes on vv. 3 and 6 above).
