Leviticus 13:14 kjv
But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
Leviticus 13:14 nkjv
But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.
Leviticus 13:14 niv
But whenever raw flesh appears on them, they will be unclean.
Leviticus 13:14 esv
But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.
Leviticus 13:14 nlt
But if any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean.
Leviticus 13 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 13:12-13 | If the itch spreads over the skin, covering all the person’s body from head to foot, so far as the priest can see, and the priest examines them and sees that the itch has covered the whole body... is clean. | Contrast: Full spread, all white is clean. |
| Lev 13:15 | ...but if raw flesh is seen, the defiled person is unclean. | Confirms the consequence of raw flesh. |
| Lev 13:45-46 | Those with the defiling disease must wear torn clothes and let their hair be unkempt... and must live outside the camp. | Mandated isolation for the unclean. |
| Lev 14:2-3 | When a defiled person is cleansed from the defiling disease, the priest is to go outside the camp... he is to examine them. If the defiling disease has gone... then the priest is to order that... | Protocol for healing and reintegration. |
| Num 5:1-4 | The Lord said to Moses: “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling discharge or a skin disease or who is unclean from touching a corpse...” | General command for removing the unclean from the camp. |
| Lev 7:20-21 | If anyone eats the meat of the fellowship offering while unclean, that person must be cut off... anyone who touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any detestable unclean thing... | Consequences of unholy contact while unclean. |
| Lev 11:47 | You must therefore make a distinction between the clean and the unclean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not. | Principle of distinction between clean and unclean in general. |
| Lev 15:31 | You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place... | Holiness of the Tabernacle requires purity in the camp. |
| Num 12:9-10 | The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted... Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease... | Example of tzara'at as divine judgment (Miriam). |
| 2 Kgs 5:27 | Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and he was leprous, as white as snow. | Example of tzara'at as divine judgment (Gehazi). |
| Matt 8:2-4 | A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand... and immediately he was cured. | Jesus healing tzara'at, fulfilling prophetic role and demonstrating authority. |
| Mk 1:40-45 | A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched the man. | Jesus' compassion and power to make clean, overturning purity laws (by healing). |
| Lk 17:12-19 | As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him... “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. | Jesus' command to follow the law (go to priests) even as He heals. |
| Isa 53:5 | But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. | Spiritual healing/cleansing by Christ, echoes physical healing. |
| Psa 51:7 | Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. | Plea for spiritual cleansing, similar language to purification rites. |
| Zech 13:1 | On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity. | Prophecy of ultimate spiritual cleansing from sin. |
| Matt 23:27-28 | Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. | Jesus critiques outward purity without inward cleanliness. |
| 2 Cor 6:17 | Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” | Call to spiritual separation from ungodliness. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ... | Old Testament ceremonial cleansing points to Christ's superior cleansing. |
| Jas 4:8 | Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. | Call for internal spiritual purity. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” | The call to holiness, which underlies the purity laws. |
Leviticus 13 verses
Leviticus 13 14 Meaning
Leviticus 13:14 states a critical diagnostic criterion within the laws concerning tzara'at (skin afflictions often mistranslated as leprosy). If, during examination, active raw flesh is found on a person previously marked with a skin eruption, it signifies an active state of ritual impurity. This appearance of raw flesh indicates that the underlying condition is manifest and unhealed, thus rendering the individual definitively unclean, requiring their immediate exclusion from the community's holy space and interactions.
Leviticus 13 14 Context
Leviticus 13 provides detailed instructions to the priests for diagnosing and managing tzara'at, a serious and often misunderstood skin affliction. The primary purpose was not merely medical treatment, but ritual diagnosis to determine if a person was ritually clean or unclean. The laws distinguished various appearances of eruptions: a swelling, a scab, or a shiny spot. The priest acted as the divine representative, assessing the progression or regression of the disease, and, based on specific criteria like color, depth, and spread, would pronounce the individual clean or unclean.
This specific verse, 13:14, presents a key negative indicator. While the presence of tzara'at often involved white, scaly patches, sometimes an area would heal or appear healed, leading to a period of isolation and observation. However, the re-emergence of "raw flesh" signaled a return or active state of the virulent condition. It's a stark contrast to Lev 13:12-13, which declares a person clean if their entire skin turns white from a widespread tzara'at—a condition thought to represent the natural end or inert phase of the affliction. Leviticus 13:14 emphasizes that raw, live flesh meant the disease was active and therefore infectious and polluting. The historical and cultural context underscores the importance of purity for maintaining the holiness of the camp, especially given God's presence in the Tabernacle. Uncleanness, particularly tzara'at, was highly defiling and necessitated exclusion to prevent spiritual contamination of the community.
Leviticus 13 14 Word analysis
- But: Introduces a contrast. It highlights an exception or an opposite condition to what might have been implied in earlier verses, particularly the state of general white tzara'at (13:12-13) which could signify healing or a benign condition.
- when raw flesh: The Hebrew phrase is basar chai (בָשָׂר חַי).
- Basar (בָשָׂר): Refers to flesh, meat, body.
- Chai (חַי): Means alive, living, raw.
- Significance: This is not simply a scab or dried lesion, but indicates active, unhealed, exposed, "living" tissue. It signifies a fresh, oozing, or weeping lesion, distinct from the dry, scaly appearances discussed elsewhere. Its presence unequivocally marked the condition as active and dangerous.
- appears on him: This denotes the manifestation of the symptom on the person's body, making it visible and discernible by the priest. The focus is on outward signs.
- he shall be unclean: The Hebrew word is tame' (טָמֵא).
- Significance: This is the definitive pronouncement of ritual impurity. Tame' does not primarily denote medical contamination in the modern sense but rather a state of ritual defilement that prohibits participation in sacred activities and communion within the holy community. The "unclean" status had severe social and religious consequences, requiring separation from the camp, holy things, and others who were clean. This designation highlights the spiritual aspect of tzara'at and the meticulous standards of holiness God demanded from Israel.
- raw flesh ... unclean: This phrase group establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship: the visual sign (raw flesh) immediately dictates the ritual status (unclean). It underlines the seriousness of this specific symptom as a marker of active impurity.
Leviticus 13 14 Bonus section
The rigorous and specific details in Leviticus 13, particularly verses like 13:14, underscore several profound theological points:
- Divine Authority in Diagnosis: The priest's role was not medicinal but purely diagnostic and judicial. He pronounced "unclean" or "clean" based on God's given criteria, symbolizing that ultimate judgment and the definition of holiness belonged solely to God.
- Holiness as Wholeness: The presence of raw flesh suggested brokenness and imperfection, contrasting with the ideal of wholeness (shalom) required for communion with a perfect God.
- Spiritual Analogy: Many scholars view tzara'at as a powerful physical metaphor for sin. Just as sin can defile, spread, isolate, and corrupt, so did tzara'at. The raw, active flesh represents the active, unrepentant nature of sin that contaminates and separates one from God's presence and community.
- A Call for Perfect Purity: The severe consequences of uncleanness, especially isolation from the camp, dramatically illustrated the incompatibility of defilement with God's holy presence. This strictness pointed to the absolute need for a perfect and final cleansing that no Old Testament ritual could fully provide, a cleansing ultimately fulfilled by Christ.
Leviticus 13 14 Commentary
Leviticus 13:14 serves as a precise and stark criterion within God's instructions for discerning ritual purity related to skin diseases. The appearance of "raw flesh" signifies an active and malignant state of tzara'at, rendering the afflicted individual absolutely unclean. This is a critical counterpoint to the earlier rule where fully whitened skin (no raw flesh) could surprisingly signify cleanliness, indicating the disease had run its course and was no longer active. The presence of raw, living flesh showed the disease was virulent, necessitating isolation to protect the ritual holiness of the community and the sanctity of God's dwelling among His people. These purity laws, though dealing with physical conditions, primarily functioned on a spiritual and theological level, symbolizing the devastating and isolating effects of sin, which makes one "unclean" before a holy God. The meticulous detail required the priest to act as a discerning judge, highlighting divine authority over health, disease, and the boundaries of sacred communion. This law ultimately points to the desperate human need for genuine cleansing that only God, through ultimate sacrifice, could provide, which in Christ is made manifest.