Leviticus 13:2
in Leviticus 13“When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that could become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When 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:
KJV
When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
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This verse in Leviticus 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe plague of leprosy - This dreadful disorder has its name leprosy, from the Greek λεποα, from λεπις, a scale, because in this disease the body was often covered with thin white scales, so as to give it the appearance of snow. Hence it is said of the hand of Moses, Exo 4:6, that it was leprous as snow; and of Miriam, Num 12:10, that she became leprous, as white as snow; and of Gehazi, 2Ki 5:27, that, being judicially struck with the disease of Naaman, he went out from Elisha’s presence a leper as white as snow.
This site's exposition
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron
on Leviticus 13:1-3
The chapter puts a priest where a reader expects a physician. Across fifty-nine verses he looks or sees seventeen times, and no treatment is ordered anywhere. His whole office here is to decide and to say.
This site's exposition
swelling or rash or bright spot
Albert Barnes reads the three signs here, a swelling, a rash and a bright spot, as Hebrew terms for the first marks of the disease. Adam Clarke traces the English word leprosy to a Greek word for a scale.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In the skin - For there is the first seat of the leprosy, the bright spot shining like the scale of a fish, as it is in the beginning of a leprosy. The priest - The priest was to admit to, or exclude from, the sanctuary, and therefore to examine who were to be excluded.
When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh,.... Rules are here given, by which a leprosy might be judged of; which, as a disease, was frequent in Egypt, where the Israelites had dwelt a long time, and from whence they were just come; and is doubtless the reason, as learned men have observed, that several Heathen writers make the cause of their expulsion from Egypt, as they choose to call it, though wrongly, their being infected with this distemper; whereas it was the reverse, not they, but the Egyptians, were incident to it (z).
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
There is every reason to believe that this was the case: that the leprosy was not a family complaint, hereditary among the Hebrews, but that they got it from intercourse with the Egyptians and from the unfavorable circumstances of their condition in the house of bondage.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The skin of his flesh - An expression found nowhere but in this chapter. It probably denotes the cuticle or scarf skin, as distinguished from the curls or true skin. Rising ... scab ... bright spot - The Hebrew words are the technical names applied to the common external signs of incipient elephantiasis. Like the plague of leprosy - Like a stroke of leprosy.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Because it is according to the word of the priest that every strife and every plague shall be, 46 Deuteronomy:5.
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
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | anyone | H120 → | 551 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִהְיֶ֤ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְעוֹר־ | veor- | on [the] skin of | H5785 → | 99 times |
| בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ | besaro | flesh his | H1320 → | 270 times |
| שְׂאֵ֤ת | seet | a swelling | H7613 → | 14 times |
| אֽוֹ־ | ʾov- | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| סַפַּ֙חַת֙ | sapachat | flaking skin | H5597 → | |
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בַהֶ֔רֶת | vaheret | a bright spot | H934 → | 12 times |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and it will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְעוֹר־ | veor- | on [the] skin of | H5785 → | 99 times |
| בְּשָׂר֖וֹ | besaro | flesh his | H1320 → | 270 times |
| לְנֶ֣גַע | lenega' | <into> a plague of | H5061 → | 78 times |
| צָרָ֑עַת | tzaraat | a serious skin disease | H6883 → | 35 times |
| וְהוּבָא֙ | vehuva' | and he will be brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֣ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| א֛וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַחַ֥ד | ʾachad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מִבָּנָ֖יו | mibanav | of sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
אָדָ֗םanyone
ʾadamH120 →551 times
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִהְיֶ֤הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
בְעוֹר־on [the] skin of
veor-H5785 →99 times
בְּשָׂרוֹ֙flesh his
besaroH1320 →270 times
שְׂאֵ֤תa swelling
seetH7613 →14 times
אֽוֹ־or
ʾov-H176 →321 times
סַפַּ֙חַת֙flaking skin
sapachatH5597 →
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בַהֶ֔רֶתa bright spot
vaheretH934 →12 times
וְהָיָ֥הand it will become
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
בְעוֹר־on [the] skin of
veor-H5785 →99 times
בְּשָׂר֖וֹflesh his
besaroH1320 →270 times
לְנֶ֣גַע<into> a plague of
lenega'H5061 →78 times
צָרָ֑עַתa serious skin disease
tzaraatH6883 →35 times
וְהוּבָא֙and he will be brought
vehuva'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַהֲרֹ֣ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
א֛וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַחַ֥דone
ʾachadH259 →971 times
מִבָּנָ֖יוof sons his
mibanavH1121 →4930 times
הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃the priests
hakohanimH3548 →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
Numbers 12:10As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 24:9
Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you came out of Egypt.
- 2 Kings 5:27
Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.
- 2 Chronicles 26:19–21
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy…
- Exodus 4:6
Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow.
- 2 Kings 15:5
And the LORD afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, so that he lived in a separate house while his son Jotham had charge of the palace and governed the people…
- Deuteronomy 24:9
Through
Leviticus 14:3The priest is to go outside the camp to examine him, and if the skin disease of the afflicted person has healed,
it leads to
- Leviticus 13:46
As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.
- Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Leviticus 13:46
Through
Deuteronomy 24:8In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
it leads to
- Leviticus 14:2
“This is the law for the one afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing, when he is brought to the priest.
- Leviticus 14:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.