Leviticus 13:12
in Leviticus 13But if the skin disease breaks out all over his skin so that it covers all the skin of the infected person from head to foot, as far as the priest can see,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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;
KJV
And if a 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 foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;
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This verse in Leviticus 13
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The disease here indicated appears to be that now known as Lepra commonis, the common White Leprosy, or Dry Tetter. It first shows itself in reddish pimples, the surface of which becomes white and scaly, spreading in a circular form until they meet each other and cover large patches of the body. It scarcely affects the general health, and for the most part disappears of itself, though it often lasts for years.
This site's exposition
When the plague of leprosy is in a man
on Leviticus 13:9-17
The rule here runs the opposite way to what a reader expects. A man covered with it from his head even to his foot is pronounced clean at verse 13, and one patch of raw flesh appearing in him makes him unclean at verse 14. What defiles is the living sore rather than the extent of the whiteness, and the chapter states the rule twice without explaining it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin,....
There is hope in the small-pox when they come out well: so if men freely confess their sins, and hide them not, there is no danger comparable to theirs that cover their sins. Some gather this from it, that there is more hope of the profane than of hypocrites. The publicans and harlots went into the kingdom of heaven before scribes and Pharisees.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Several of these characteristics, taken separately, belong to other blemishes of the skin as well; so that none of them was to be taken alone, and it was only when the whole of them concurred that the Jewish priest, in his capacity of physician, was to pronounce the disease a malignant leprosy.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
AND IF THE LEPROSY BREAK OUT ABROAD IN THE SKIN, AND THE LEPROSY COVER ALL THE SKIN OF THE PLAGUE. It is clear from Ramban’s words further on, that he interpreted the Hebrew eth kol or hanega literally: “all the skin of the plague.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| פָּר֨וֹחַ | paroach | certainly <to break out> | H6524 → | 36 times |
| תִּפְרַ֤ח | tifrach | it will break out | H6524 → | 36 times |
| הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙ | hatzaraat | the serious skin disease | H6883 → | 35 times |
| בָּע֔וֹר | baor | on the skin | H5785 → | 99 times |
| וְכִסְּתָ֣ה | vekhisetah | and it will cover | H3680 → | 152 times |
| הַצָּרַ֗עַת | hatzaraat | the serious skin disease | H6883 → | 35 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| ע֣וֹר | or | [the] skin of | H5785 → | 99 times |
| הַנֶּ֔גַע | hanega' | the plagued [person] | H5061 → | 78 times |
| מֵרֹאשׁ֖וֹ | merosho | from head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| רַגְלָ֑יו | raglav | feet his | H7272 → | 247 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַרְאֵ֖ה | mareh | [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| עֵינֵ֥י | ʾeinei | [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
פָּר֨וֹחַcertainly <to break out>
paroachH6524 →36 times
תִּפְרַ֤חit will break out
tifrachH6524 →36 times
הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙the serious skin disease
hatzaraatH6883 →35 times
בָּע֔וֹרon the skin
baorH5785 →99 times
וְכִסְּתָ֣הand it will cover
vekhisetahH3680 →152 times
הַצָּרַ֗עַתthe serious skin disease
hatzaraatH6883 →35 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
ע֣וֹר[the] skin of
orH5785 →99 times
הַנֶּ֔גַעthe plagued [person]
hanega'H5061 →78 times
מֵרֹאשׁ֖וֹfrom head his
meroshoH7218 →599 times
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
רַגְלָ֑יוfeet his
raglavH7272 →247 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
מַרְאֵ֖ה[the] appearance of
marehH4758 →103 times
עֵינֵ֥י[the] eyes of
ʾeineiH5869 →887 times
הַכֹּהֵֽן׃the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 64:6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
it leads to
- Romans 7:18
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 7:24
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
- Ephesians 2:1–2
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
- Zechariah 3:3
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy garments as he stood before the angel.
- Revelation 3:17–18
You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
- Romans 7:18
Through
Job 42:6Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
it leads to
- Ezra 9:6
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezra 9:6
Through
Job 40:4“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
it leads to
- Proverbs 30:32
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
- Job 29:9
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
- Proverbs 30:32
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.