Leviticus 13 13

Leviticus 13:13 kjv

Then the priest shall consider: 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.

Leviticus 13:13 nkjv

then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned white. He is clean.

Leviticus 13:13 niv

the priest is to examine them, and if the disease has covered their whole body, he shall pronounce them clean. Since it has all turned white, they are clean.

Leviticus 13:13 esv

then the priest shall look, and if the leprous disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean.

Leviticus 13:13 nlt

When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is clean.

Leviticus 13 verses

Leviticus 13 13 Meaning

Leviticus 13:13 describes a specific condition for ritual cleanness regarding a person afflicted with tzara'at (often translated as leprosy or a severe skin disease). Unlike other verses where partial white spots or raw flesh would render a person unclean, this verse states that if the "itch" or plague has entirely covered the individual's body and turned it uniformly white, the priest shall pronounce him clean. The complete covering by whiteness indicates that the active, spreading phase of the affliction has ceased, or it represents a non-contagious state, thereby allowing the individual to re-enter the community.

Leviticus 13 13 Context

Leviticus chapters 13 and 14 deal comprehensively with the detailed laws concerning tzara'at, a range of skin afflictions, mildew in garments, and infestations in houses, all of which rendered a person or object ritually unclean. This particular verse (13:13) is a counter-intuitive provision within these laws. Historically and culturally, tzara'at was not merely a physical disease but was seen as a state of ritual impurity, often associated with sin or divine judgment. Those afflicted were socially isolated, dwelling outside the camp. The priest's role was not to cure but to diagnose and pronounce clean or unclean according to the intricate rules, determining their exclusion from or re-integration into the community. The specific condition of the entire body turning uniformly white indicated a cessation of the active, spreading stage of the affliction, suggesting a healed state rather than a festering one.

Leviticus 13 13 Word analysis

• Then (וְהִרְאָה, wəhīrāh): Marks a sequence of events. The action follows the priest's initial observation described in previous verses.
• the priest (הַכֹּהֵן, hakkōhēn): Refers to Aaron or his sons, specially appointed to administer these divine laws. They acted as intermediaries and adjudicators of ritual purity. Their pronouncement was binding for re-entry into the community.
• shall look (וְהִרְאָה, wəhīrāh - derived from ra'ah רָאָה): Implies a careful, discerning examination, not a casual glance. The priest was required to have expertise in recognizing the subtle signs.
• and behold, if (וְהִנֵּה כִּסָּה, wəhinnēh kissāh): Hinneh (הִנֵּה) is an emphatic interjection, often translated "behold" or "lo!", drawing attention to a surprising or significant discovery. "If" (כִּסָּה, kisah) introduces a conditional clause.
• the itch (הַנֶּגַע, hannēḡaʿ): Hebrew nega', literally "stroke" or "blow." In the context of Leviticus 13-14, it specifically denotes the affliction of tzara'at, a broad term for various skin conditions, often distinguished from modern Hansen's disease.
• has covered (כִּסָּה, kisah): "To cover," "conceal," "clothe." Implies complete and uniform covering, without any exposed original skin or raw spots.
• all his body (כָּל־בְּשָׂרוֹ, kāl-bśārō): "All his flesh/body." Emphasizes totality, from head to foot. This wholeness is crucial.
• he shall pronounce him clean (טִהֲרוֹ, ṭihărō): The priest declares or purifies. He does not physically heal the person, but ritualistically pronounces them fit to rejoin society and interact in sacred spaces. This declaration is based on observing God's prescribed signs.
• that has the itch (אֶת־הַנֶּגַע, et-hannēḡaʿ): Specifies the subject of the previous clause, referring back to the afflicted person.
• it is all turned white (כֻּלּוֹ הָפַךְ לְלָבָן, kullō hāp̄akh ləlāḇān): This is the decisive factor. "All" (kullō) emphasizes uniformity, "turned" (hāp̄akh) implies a completed process or transformation, and "white" (lāḇān) indicates the color. This uniformity, surprisingly, is the sign of cleanness.
• he is clean (טָהוֹר הוּא, ṭāhōr hū’): A definitive, conclusive statement of ritual purity, permitting the person to re-enter the community and participate in religious life.

• Words-Group Analysis:
• "Then the priest shall look, and behold": Highlights the solemn, precise nature of the priestly duty and the significance of the observation. The "behold" suggests something notable or unexpected about the finding.
• "if the itch has covered all his body": This clause sets the seemingly paradoxical condition. Unlike a small, localized active lesion that makes one unclean, the complete saturation of the affliction leads to cleanness.
• "he shall pronounce him clean that has the itch": Reaffirms the priest's essential role as the authoritative declarer of purity, based on divine law, not personal feeling or visible severity.
• "it is all turned white; he is clean": The climax of the assessment. The complete and uniform transformation to white indicates the disease is no longer active or contagious. The "all white" signifies the final stage where it no longer poses a threat and, therefore, the person is not ritually defiling. This is not about the disease disappearing, but about it reaching a stable, non-active, non-spreading phase.

Leviticus 13 13 Bonus section

The seemingly paradoxical nature of Leviticus 13:13 highlights God's sovereignty over conditions and definitions of purity. It's not human perception or the visible severity of the initial affliction that determines cleanness, but God's specific instructions. The 'white as snow' condition elsewhere in the Bible (Exod 4:6, Num 12:10) is often associated with the initial appearance of severe tzara'at and divine judgment, signifying deep uncleanness. Here, however, when the entire body becomes uniformly white, it paradoxically signifies cleanness. This suggests a transformation of the initial state, indicating the disease's "burnout" or non-active stage. It challenges a purely aesthetic or superficial judgment, compelling both the priest and the community to trust God's precise and counter-intuitive distinctions for ritual purity.

Leviticus 13 13 Commentary

Leviticus 13:13 reveals a striking paradox within the purity laws. While active tzara'at in its raw, spreading, or localized forms renders an individual deeply unclean and isolated (Lev 13:4, 9-11), complete covering of the body in uniform white allows the priest to declare cleanness. This counter-intuitive ruling is not an arbitrary pronouncement but speaks to divine wisdom. One interpretation is that the "all white" condition signifies a quiescent, non-contagious state of the affliction, as opposed to an active, festering one. It might represent a condition where the disease has run its course, or has even resolved to a scar-like appearance. The law distinguishes between a potentially active, spreading disease that required quarantine for the community's health and ritual purity, and a static condition that no longer posed a threat.

Theologically, this verse points to God's peculiar logic that often transcends human understanding. Just as a completely 'afflicted' physical body can be pronounced clean by divine decree, so too, spiritual cleansing under God's grace functions differently than human merit. In a symbolic sense, this can be understood to mean that while a partial acknowledgement or handling of sin might still leave one defiled, a complete submission to God's process of purification, allowing His grace to cover "all" (like sins becoming "white as snow" in Isa 1:18), results in true spiritual cleanness and acceptance before Him. It emphasizes that ultimate purity and inclusion depend on God's judgment and prescribed means, administered by His appointed servants, reflecting His perfect standard.