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Leviticus 13:31

in Leviticus 13

But if the priest examines the scaly infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And 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:

KJV

And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:

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This verse in Leviticus 13

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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.

This site's exposition

an infection on the head or chin

on Leviticus 13:29-37

A plague on the head or in the beard is judged by the colour of hair, yellow against black. The man is shaven everywhere except the patch itself, so the priest keeps the evidence and clears the ground around it.

This site's exposition

there is no black hair in it

John Wesley reads black hair as a sign of soundness that would have ended the doubt at once. Albert Barnes thinks the verse more probably means yellow hair, which would match verse 32. The difference turns on one word.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

No black hair - For had that appeared, it had ended the doubt, the black hair being a sign of soundness and strength of nature, as the yellow hair was a sign of unsoundness.
And if the priest look on the plague of the scall,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

To lament the calamitous state of human life, which lies exposed to so many grievances. What troops of diseases are we beset with on every side! and they all entered by sin. To give thanks to God if he has never afflicted us with any of these sores: if the constitution is healthful, and the body lively and easy, we are bound to glorify God with our bodies.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

There is no black hair in it More probably, there is no yellow hair in it.

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְכִֽי־and if

    vekhi-H3588 →4482 times

  • יִרְאֶ֨הhe will see

    yirehH7200 →1300 times

  • הַכֹּהֵ֜ןthe priest

    hakohenH3548 →750 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • נֶ֣גַע[the] plague of

    nega'H5061 →78 times

  • הַנֶּ֗תֶקthe scall

    hanetekH5424 →14 times

  • וְהִנֵּ֤הand there!

    vehinehH2009 →843 times

  • אֵין־not

    ʾein-H369 →789 times

  • מַרְאֵ֙הוּ֙appearance its

    marehuH4758 →103 times

  • עָמֹ֣ק[is] deep

    ʾamokH6013 →17 times

  • מִן־more than

    min-H4480 →1188 times

  • הָע֔וֹרthe skin

    haorH5785 →99 times

  • וְשֵׂעָ֥רand [is] hair

    vesearH8181 →28 times

  • שָׁחֹ֖רblack

    shachorH7838 →

  • אֵ֣יןthere not

    ʾeinH369 →789 times

  • בּ֑וֹin <the> it

    bo

  • וְהִסְגִּ֧ירand he will shut up

    vehisgirH5462 →91 times

  • הַכֹּהֵ֛ןthe priest

    hakohenH3548 →750 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • נֶ֥גַע[the] plagued [person] of

    nega'H5061 →78 times

  • הַנֶּ֖תֶקthe scall

    hanetekH5424 →14 times

  • שִׁבְעַ֥תseven

    shivatH7651 →394 times

  • יָמִֽים׃days

    yamimH3117 →2304 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Where this verse is studied

About Leviticus

The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
Leviticus: the study guide →Read Leviticus 13 →

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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Leviticus 13 →