Leviticus13
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
3and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and if the hair in the plague be turned white, and the appearance of the plague be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is the plague of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
4And if the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and the appearance thereof be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white, then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:
5and the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if in his eyes the plague be at a stay, and the plague be not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:
6and the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague be not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
7But if the scab spread abroad in the skin, after that he hath showed himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again:
8and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the scab be spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is leprosy.
9When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
10and the priest shall look; and, behold, if there be a white rising in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising,
11it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean: he shall not shut him up; for he is unclean.
12And if the leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his feet, as far as appeareth to the priest;
13then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
14But whensoever raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
15And the priest shall look on the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean: the raw flesh is unclean: it is leprosy.
16Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, then he shall come unto the priest;
17and the priest shall look on him; and, behold, if the plague be turned into white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.
18And when the flesh hath in the skin thereof a boil, and it is healed,
19and in the place of the boil there is a white rising, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be showed to the priest;
20and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the appearance thereof be lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy, it hath broken out in the boil.
21But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and it be not lower than the skin, but be dim; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
22and if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.
23But if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
24Or when the flesh hath in the skin thereof a burning by fire, and the quick flesh of the burning become a bright spot, reddish-white, or white;
25then the priest shall look upon it; and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and the appearance thereof be deeper than the skin; it is leprosy, it hath broken out in the burning: and the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
26But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the skin, but be dim; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
27and the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
28And if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread in the skin, but be dim; it is the rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is the scar of the burning.
29And when a man or woman hath a plague upon the head or upon the beard,
30then the priest shall look on the plague; and, behold, if the appearance thereof be deeper than the skin, and there be in it yellow thin hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a scall, it is leprosy of the head or of the beard.
31And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, the appearance thereof be not deeper than the skin, and there be no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:
32and in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague; and, behold, if the scall be not spread, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the appearance of the scall be not deeper than the skin,
33then he shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:
34and in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall; and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, and the appearance thereof be not deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
35But if the scall spread abroad in the skin after his cleansing,
36then the priest shall look on him; and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for the yellow hair; he is unclean.
37But if in his eyes the scall be at a stay, and black hair be grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38And when a man or a woman hath in the skin of the flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
39then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be of a dull white, it is a tetter, it hath broken out in the skin; he is clean.
40And if a man’s hair be fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.
41And if his hair be fallen off from the front part of his head, he is forehead bald; yet is he clean.
42But if there be in the bald head, or the bald forehead, a reddish-white plague; it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
43Then the priest shall look upon him; and, behold, if the rising of the plague be reddish-white in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the flesh;
44he is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his plague is in his head.
45And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and the hair of his head shall go loose, and he shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
46All the days wherein the plague is in him he shall be unclean; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his dwelling be.
47The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
48whether it be in warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in anything made of skin;
49if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin; it is the plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest.
50And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up that which hath the plague seven days:
51and he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever service skin is used for; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
52And he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in woollen or in linen, or anything of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin;
54then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
55and the priest shall look, after that the plague is washed; and, behold, if the plague have not changed its color, and the plague be not spread, it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire: it is a fret, whether the bareness be within or without.
56And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be dim after the washing thereof, then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
57and if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is breaking out: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
58And the garment, either the warp, or the woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
59This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or the woof, or anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 13.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Directions to the priest to judge concerning leprosy. (1–17). Further directions. (18–44). How the leper must be disposed of. (45, 46). The leprosy in garments. (47–59).
vv1-17
The plague of leprosy was an uncleanness, rather than a disease. Christ is said to cleanse lepers, not to cure them. Common as the leprosy was among the Hebrews, during and after their residence in Egypt, we have no reason to believe that it was known among them before. Their distressed state and employment in that land must have rendered them liable to disease. But it was a plague often inflicted immediately by the hand of God. Miriam's leprosy, and Gehazi's, and king Uzziah's, were punishments of particular sins; no marvel there was care taken to distinguish it from a common distemper. The judgment of it was referred to the priests. And it was a figure of the moral pollutions of men's minds by sin, which is the leprosy of the soul, defiling to the conscience, and from which Christ alone can cleanse. The priest could only convict the leper, (by the law is the knowledge of sin,) but Christ can cure the sinner, he can take away sin. It is a work of great importance, but of great difficulty, to judge of our spiritual state. We all have cause to suspect ourselves, being conscious of sores and spots; but whether clean or unclean is the question. As there were certain marks by which to know it was leprosy, so there are marks of such as are in the gall of bitterness. The priest must take time in making his judgment. This teaches all, both ministers and people, not to be hasty in censures, nor to judge anything before the time. If some men's sins go before unto judgment, the sins of others follow after, and so do men's good works. If the person suspected were found to be clean, yet he must wash his clothes, because there had been ground for the suspicion. We have need to be washed in the blood of Christ from our spots, though not leprosy spots; for who can say, I am pure from sin?
vv18-44
The priest is told what judgment to make, if there were any appearance of a leprosy in old sores; and such is the danger of those who having escaped the pollutions of the world are again entangled therein. Or, in a burn by accident, verse 24. The burning of strife and contention often occasions the rising and breaking out of that corruption, which proves that men are unclean. Human life lies exposed to many grievances. With what troops of diseases are we beset on every side; and thy all entered by sin! If the constitution be healthy, and the body lively and easy, we are bound to glorify God with our bodies. Particular note was taken of the leprosy, if in the head. If the leprosy of sin has seized the head; if the judgment be corrupted, and wicked principles, which support wicked practices, are embraced, it is utter uncleanness, from which few are cleansed. Soundness in the faith keeps leprosy from the head.
vv45-46
When the priest had pronounced the leper unclean, it put a stop to his business in the world, cut him off from his friends and relations, and ruined all the comfort he could have in the world. He must humble himself under the mighty hand of God, not insisting upon his cleanness, when the priest had pronounced him unclean, but accepting the punishment. Thus must we take to ourselves the shame that belongs to us, and with broken hearts call ourselves “Unclean, unclean;” heart unclean, life unclean; unclean by original corruption, unclean by actual transgression; unclean, therefore deserving to be for ever shut out from communion with God, and all hope of happiness in him; unclean, therefore undone, if infinite mercy do not interpose. The leper must warn others to take heed of coming near him. He must then be shut out of the camp, and afterward, when they came to Canaan, be shut out of the city, town, or village where he lived, and dwell with none but those that were lepers like himself. This typified the purity which ought to be in the gospel church.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
עוֹר: skin (as naked); by implication, hide, leather
בָּשָׂר: flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman
שְׂאֵת: an elevation or leprous scab; figuratively, elation or cheerfulness; exaltation in rank or character
סַפַּחַת: the mange (as making the hair fall off)
בֹּהֶרֶת: a whitish spot on the skin
Cross References
Leviticus 13Miriam's sudden leprosy serves as a prominent historical example of the white skin symptom.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
King Uzziah's immediate leprosy outbreak on his forehead, judged by the priests under this law.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses commands Israel to strictly observe the priests' decisions regarding the plague of leprosy.
Establishes the identical diagnostic protocol for leprosy breaking out in an older healed ulcer or boil.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Identifies the rule of washing clothes after a suspected case is finally pronounced clean of leprosy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Directly echoes the mandatory cry of the unclean: 'Depart ye; it is unclean! depart, depart!'
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Historical fulfillment of a king (Uzziah) dwelling in a several house, being cut off for leprosy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Gehazi is struck with leprosy as white as snow, illustrating the extreme diagnostic sign.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus commands the cleansed leper to show himself to the priest, honoring Levitical law.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
As the priest identifies but cannot cure leprosy, the law exposes but cannot save from sin.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel procedure of a seven-day quarantine for a suspected, non-advancing spot of leprosy.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The standard diagnostic threshold of depth in skin and hair color changes used in quarantine decisions.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Direct parallel showing how a stationary bright spot signifies a scar rather than an active infection.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrast of a spreading scall post-cleansing with the definitive evaluation on the seventh day.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The baseline diagnostic criteria for the dry scall on the head or beard.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Completes the distinction between simple natural baldness and active leprosy on the forehead.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Prophetic parallel of covering the lips as a sign of extreme shame and mourning.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Contrasts priestly prohibition of unbared heads and rent clothes with the leper's mandatory mourning attire.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Isaiah adopts the leper's cry, confessing 'I am a man of unclean lips.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Ten leprous men stood afar off, exemplifying the restriction to dwell outside the camp.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Divine command to put out of the camp every leper to maintain community purity.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
New Testament command to hate 'even the garment spotted by the flesh,' echoing leprous garments.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Naaman was a mighty warrior but a leper, highlighting the disease's socially isolating nature.
The priest's declarative authority to pronounce clean/unclean mirrors the ministerial keys of binding and loosing.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, executing the quarantine rule.
Prophetic imagery where burning and physical blemishes replace beauty as a sign of divine judgment.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Theological parallel of the head being sick, signifying corruption of judgment and wicked principles.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The spreading of false doctrine compared to the spreading of a canker or leprosy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Ezekiel is told not to cover his lips, contrasting with standard leprous/mourning customs.
Miriam's temporary isolation outside the camp due to her sudden leprous affliction.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Four leprous men sitting outside the gate of Samaria, demonstrating the isolation law.
Applies the same term 'fretting leprosy' to contaminated houses as to garments here.
Injunction to burn abominable contaminated items completely in the fire.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses' hand turned leprous, white as snow, as an immediate sign from God.
Snares and sores from head to foot depict Israel's spiritual decay like spreading leprosy.
The complete breakout typifies the sinner's total confession of corruption, finding cleansing in Christ.