Leviticus13
English Standard Version
1The Lord to and , ,
2When a has on the of his a or an or a , and it turns into a of on the of his , then he shall be to the or to of his the ,
3and the shall the area on the of his . And if the in the has and the to be than the of his , it is a case of . When the has him, he shall him .
4But the is in the of his and no than the , and the in it has not , the shall up the person for .
5And the shall him on the , and if in his the is and the has not in the , then the shall him up for .
6And the shall him on the , and if the area has and the has not in the , then the shall pronounce him ; it is only an . And he shall his and be .
7But if the in the , he has to the for his , he shall before the .
8And the shall , and if the has in the , then the shall pronounce him ; it is a .
9When a is with a , he shall be to the ,
10and the shall . And if there is a in the that has the , and there is in the ,
11it is a in the of his , and the shall pronounce him . He shall not him up, for he is .
12And if the in the , so that the all the of the from to , so far as the ,
13then the shall , and if the has his , he shall him of the ; it has , and he is .
14But on him, he shall be .
15And the shall the and him . is , for it is a .
16 the and , then he shall to the ,
17and the shall him, and if the has , then the shall the ; he is .
18 there is in the of one’s a and it ,
19and in the of the there comes a or a , then it shall be to the .
20And the shall , and if it than the and its has , then the shall pronounce him . It is a of that has out in the .
21But if the it and there is no in it and it is not than the , but has , then the shall him up .
22And if it the , then the shall pronounce him ; it is a .
23But if the in one and does not , it is the of the , and the shall pronounce him .
24 , the a on its and the of the becomes a , ,
25the shall it, and if the in the has and it than the , then it is a . It has out in the , and the shall pronounce him ; it is a of .
26But if the it and there is no in the and it is no than the , but has , the shall him up ,
27and the shall him the . it is the , then the shall pronounce him ; it is a of .
28But if the in one and does not in the , but has , it is a from the , and the shall pronounce him , for it is the of the .
29When a or has a on the or the ,
30the shall the . And if it than the , and the in it is and , then the shall pronounce him . It is an , a of the or the .
31And if the the and it no than the and there is no in it, then the shall up the person with the itching for ,
32and on the the shall the . If the has not , and there is in it no , and the to be no than the ,
33then he shall himself, but the he shall not ; and the shall the person with the for .
34And on the the shall the , and if the has not in the and it to be no than the , then the shall pronounce him . And he shall his and be .
35But if the in the his ,
36then the shall him, and if the has in the , the need not for the ; he is .
37But if in his the is and has in it, the is and he is , and the shall pronounce him .
38When a or a has on the of the , ,
39the shall , and if the on the of the are of a , it is that has in the ; he is .
40 a hair from his , he is ; he is .
41And a man’s hair from his , he has of the ; he is .
42But there is on the or the a area, it is a out on his or his .
43Then the shall him, and if the is on his or on his , like the of in the of the ,
44he is a , he is . The must ; his is on his .
45The who has the shall and let the hair of his , and he shall his and , , .
46He shall as as he has the . He is . He shall . His shall be the .
47When there is a case of leprous in a , whether a or a ,
48in or of or , in a in anything of ,
49if the is or in the , or in the or in the or the or in made of , it is a case of leprous , and it shall be to the .
50And the shall the and that which has the for .
51Then he shall the on the . If the has in the , in the or the , or in the , be the the , the is a ; it is .
52And he shall the , the or the , the or the , or any made of that is , for it is a persistent . It shall be in the .
53And if the , and if the has not in the , in the the in any made of ,
54then the shall that they the thing in which is the , and he shall for .
55And the shall the thing it has been . And if the of the area has not , though the has not , it is . You shall it in the , whether the is on the on the .
56But if the , and if the has it has been , he shall it out of the or the or the or the .
57Then if it in the , in the or the , or in any made of , it is . You shall with whatever has the .
58But the , the the , any made of from which the when you have it, shall then be a time, and be .
59This is the for a of in a of or , either in the or the , or in any made of , to determine whether it is or .
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.