The Third Book of Moses, Called Leviticus

Chapter 13

The laws and tokens whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy, 1-59.

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 "When a man has in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it is in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests. 3 And the priest shall look at the plague in the skin of the flesh. And when the hair in the plague is turned white and the plague in sight is deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy. And the priest shall look at him and pronounce him unclean. 4 If the bright spot is white in the skin of his flesh and in sight, not deeper than the skin, and the hair of it not turned white, then the priest shall shut him up who has the plague seven days. 5 And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and behold, if the plague in his sight is at a stay and the plague does not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven more days. 6 And the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and behold, if the plague is somewhat dark and the plague does not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is but a scab. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

7 "But if the scab spreads much in the skin after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. 8 And if the priest sees, and behold, the scab spreads in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprosy.

9 "When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 And the priest shall see him, and behold, if the rising is white in the skin and it has turned the hair white and there is raw flesh in the rising, 11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean and shall not shut him up, for he is unclean. 12 And if a leprosy breaks out in the skin and the leprosy covers all the skin of him who has the plague from his head even to his foot, wherever the priest looks, 13 Then the priest shall consider, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean who has the plague. It is all turned white. He is clean. 14 But when raw flesh appears in him, he shall be unclean. 15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean, for the raw flesh is unclean. It is a leprosy. 16 Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed into white, he shall come to the priest, 17 And the priest shall see him, and behold, if the plague is turned into white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the plague. He is clean.

18 "The flesh also, in which there was a boil, even in its skin, and is healed, 19 And in the place of the boil there is a white rising or a bright spot, white and somewhat reddish, and it is shown to the priest, 20 And if when the priest sees it, behold, it is in sight lower than the skin and its hair is turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil. 21 But if the priest looks at it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it and if it is not lower than the skin, but somewhat dark, then the priest shall shut him up seven days. 22 And if it has spread much in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a plague. 23 But if the bright spot stays in its place and does not spread, it is a burning boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 "Or if there is any flesh in the skin of which there is a hot burning, and the live flesh that burns has a white bright spot, somewhat reddish or white, 25 Then the priest shall look upon it, and behold, if the hair in the bright spot is turned white and it is in sight deeper than the skin, it is a leprosy broken out of the burning; therefore, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of leprosy. 26 But if the priest looks at it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is no lower than the other skin, but is somewhat dark, then the priest shall shut him up seven days. 27 And the priest shall look upon him on the seventh day. And if it is spread much in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of leprosy. 28 And if the bright spot stays in its place and does not spread in the skin, but is somewhat dark, it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is an inflammation of the burning.

29 "If a man or woman has a plague upon the head or the beard, 30 Then the priest shall see the plague, and behold, if it is in sight deeper than the skin and there is in it a yellow thin hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an itch, even a leprosy upon the head or beard. 31 And if the priest looks at the plague of the itching, and behold, it is not in sight deeper than the skin and no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut him up who has the plague of the itching seven days. 32 And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the plague, and behold, if the itch does not spread and there is in it no yellow hair and the itch is not in sight deeper than the skin, 33 He shall be shaved, but the itch he shall not shave, and the priest shall shut him up who has the itch seven more days. 34 And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the itch, and behold, if the itch has not spread in the skin, nor is in sight deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the itch spreads much in the skin after his cleansing, 36 Then the priest shall look at him, and behold, if the itch is spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 But if the itch is in his sight at a stay and there is black hair grown in it, the itch is healed and he is clean. And the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38 "If also a man or a woman has in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots, 39 Then the priest shall look, and behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh are darkish white, it is a freckled spot that grows in the skin. He is clean.

40 "And the man whose hair has fallen off his head, he is bald. He is clean. 41 And he who has his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead-bald. He is clean. 42 And if there is in the bald head or bald forehead a white reddish sore, it is a leprosy sprung up on his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall look upon it, and behold, if the rising of the sore is white reddish on his bald head, or on his bald forehead, as the leprosy appears in the skin of the flesh, 44 He is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean. His plague is in his head.

45 "And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry, 'Unclean, unclean.' 46 All the days in which the plague is in him he shall be defiled. He is unclean. He shall dwell alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

47 "Also the garment that the plague of leprosy is in, whether a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 Whether in the warp or woof of linen or of woolen, whether in a skin or in anything made of skin, 49 And if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the skin, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is a plague of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest. 50 And the priest shall look upon the plague and shut up that which has the plague seven days. 51 And he shall look at the plague on the seventh day. If the plague is spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in a skin or in any work that is made of skin, the plague is a fretting leprosy, it is unclean. 52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof in woolen or in linen, or anything of skin, in which the plague is, for it is a fretting leprosy. It shall be burnt in the fire.

53 "And if the priest looks, and behold, the plague is not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything of skin, 54 Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which the plague is and he shall shut it up seven more days. 55 And the priest shall look at the plague after it is washed, and behold, if the plague has not changed its color, even though the plague has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire. It is a fret, whether it is bare inside or outside.

56 "And if the priest looks, and behold, the plague is somewhat dark after its washing, then he shall rend it out of the garment, out of the skin, out of the warp, or out of the woof. 57 And if it appears still in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is a spreading plague. You shall burn that in which the plague is with fire. 58 And the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever thing of skin it is, which you shall wash, if the plague has departed from them, then it shall be washed a second time and shall be clean."

59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp or woof, or anything of skins, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Leviticus, Chapter 13[➚]

Notes

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