Leviticus 13:41 kjv
And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.
Leviticus 13:41 nkjv
He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean.
Leviticus 13:41 niv
If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean.
Leviticus 13:41 esv
And if a man's hair falls out from his forehead, he has baldness of the forehead; he is clean.
Leviticus 13:41 nlt
And if he loses hair on his forehead, he simply has a bald forehead; he is still clean.
Leviticus 13 41 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 13:38-39 | "When a man or a woman has spots on the skin of the body, even white spots… if the spots… are dull white, it is a tetter..." | Purity distinction of benign skin conditions. |
| Lev 13:40 | "If a man’s hair has fallen from his head, he is bald (on the back of the head), but he is clean." | Natural baldness (back) also declared clean. |
| Lev 14:34 | "When you come into the land… and I put a mark of leprous disease on a house..." | God's agency in causing uncleanness. |
| Lev 21:17 | "No man of the offspring of Aaron… who has a blemish… shall approach to offer the bread of his God." | Priestly blemishes for cultic service (not purity here). |
| Num 6:5 | "All the days of his vow… no razor shall come on his head." | Hair and Nazarite vows; baldness as specific concern. |
| Deut 17:9-11 | "...go to the Levitical priests and to the judge… and they shall declare to you the verdict." | Priestly role in discerning and judging matters. |
| Ez 44:20 | "They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads." | Priestly hair regulations, distinct from lay purity. |
| Lk 5:12-14 | "...a man full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him... Jesus… said, “Be cleansed.”" | Jesus' authority to cleanse physical impurity. |
| Mt 8:2-4 | "And behold, a leper came… and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'" | Jesus confirming Levitical process by sending to priest. |
| Mk 1:40-44 | "...A leper came to Him, imploring Him... Jesus… touched him and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'" | Compassion and divine power over physical uncleanness. |
| Lk 17:11-19 | "...ten leprous men… He said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.'" | Priestly validation of a physical cleansing. |
| Acts 10:15 | "What God has made clean, no longer consider unholy." | Spiritual cleansing transcends physical purity laws. |
| Acts 11:9 | "But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has made clean, no longer consider unholy.’" | Extension of clean/unclean concepts to people. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself." | New Covenant emphasis on conscience over dietary laws. |
| Heb 5:14 | "...solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." | Discernment in spiritual matters, mirroring priest's role. |
| Jas 1:27 | "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows..." | Shift to moral/spiritual purity. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | "...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." | God's discernment of internal state over external. |
| Pss 51:10 | "Create in me a clean heart, O God..." | Spiritual desire for internal purity. |
| Mk 7:18-23 | "...there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him... what proceeds out of the man defiles the man." | Internal source of true defilement. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon..." | Fulfillment of ceremonial laws in Christ. |
| Titus 1:15 | "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure..." | Purity linked to the condition of the heart. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | Call to moral and spiritual holiness. |
Leviticus 13 verses
Leviticus 13 41 Meaning
Leviticus 13:41 declares that a man who has natural baldness on the forehead, also known as gibbaḥat (frontal baldness), is considered ritually clean. This verse distinguishes such natural occurrences from actual skin diseases that would render a person unclean under the Law of Moses. It signifies that not all physical changes, even those involving the scalp, are indicative of impurity requiring separation from the community or cultic activities.
Leviticus 13 41 Context
Leviticus Chapter 13 focuses extensively on the diagnosis and management of ṣāra‘at (a broad category of skin conditions often translated as leprosy) in humans, garments, and houses. It details various symptoms requiring priestly examination, rules for isolation, and purification procedures. Verses 38-41 specifically address non-contagious skin conditions and natural baldness. After describing white spots (tetters) that are declared clean (vv. 38-39) and general baldness at the back of the head (qarḥat) also declared clean (v. 40), verse 41 specifically distinguishes frontal baldness (gibbaḥat). The historical context involves an Israelite community emerging from slavery, being taught God's detailed laws for holiness and ritual purity. These laws, dispensed through the Aaronic priesthood, served to maintain communal hygiene, theological distinctions from surrounding pagan practices that often blurred lines between disease and sin, and the ritual fitness required for proximity to a holy God. The clear declarations of 'clean' prevented unwarranted social ostracization or cultic exclusion for natural physical conditions, setting a standard distinct from common superstitious fears of the time.
Word Analysis
- And if: Hebrew
וְאִם(wəʾim). A common conjunction initiating a conditional clause, connecting this specific type of baldness to the preceding discussions of skin conditions and general baldness. It shows a continuous legal reasoning flow. - his head: Refers to the physical person, underscoring that this is a bodily condition subject to priestly evaluation.
- is bald: From the root
קרח(qaraḥ), meaning "to be bald." Here,יִקָּרֵחַ(yiqqārēaḥ) describes the state of being bald. It refers to a natural absence of hair, not hair loss due to a disease. - from the forehead: Hebrew
מִפְּאַת פָּנָיו(mippəʾaṯ pānāyw).מִפְּאַתmeans "from the side of," "from the corner/border of," or "from the region of."פָּנָיוmeans "his face" or "his front." Thus,from the front part of his headorthe frontal region of his scalp. This is a crucial distinguishing descriptor, indicating a specific kind of baldness originating from the front rather than the crown or back of the head. This differentiation reflects meticulous observation required by God's law. - he is bald on the forehead: Hebrew
הוּא קֵרֵחַ גִּבַּחַ(hûʾ qērēaḥ gibbeaḥ).הוּא(hûʾ) is "he."קֵרֵחַ(qērēaḥ) is the adjective for "bald," used again to re-affirm the state.גִּבַּחַ(gibbeaḥ) specifies "a bald-headed man (from the front)" or "forehead bald." This term derives from a root associated with elevation or protrusion, emphasizing the prominent forehead resulting from frontal baldness. The reiteration of the type of baldness underscores the exact diagnostic condition being assessed. It reinforces that this is a recognized natural variation. - he is clean: Hebrew
וְהוּא טָהוֹר(wəhûʾ ṭāhôr).וְהוּא(wəhûʾ) "and he," indicating the consequence.טָהוֹר(ṭāhôr) means "clean" or "pure" in a ritual sense. This is the pivotal declaration. It signifies that the individual is not ceremonially unclean due to this condition, can participate in community life and religious worship, and does not pose a risk of spreading impurity. This contrasts sharply with individuals who hadṣāra‘at, highlighting God's grace and accurate discernment, avoiding arbitrary social exclusion.
Leviticus 13 41 Bonus section
The meticulous detail in Leviticus concerning various skin conditions and types of baldness (13:1-46) highlights the extensive and comprehensive nature of God's law. It's not merely a list of prohibitions but a pedagogical tool. By requiring a priestly examination for even a common natural condition like baldness to determine 'cleanness', the Israelites were consistently taught dependence on God's established authority for all aspects of their lives. Furthermore, these regulations teach that not all physical blemishes were seen as a result of sin or cause for exclusion, demonstrating divine compassion. This stands in stark contrast to many ancient Near Eastern beliefs that often conflated illness or unusual physical appearance with demonic influence or divine wrath. Leviticus presented a rational, divinely-ordered system of hygiene, health, and societal inclusion, providing clarity and comfort to the Israelites by removing ambiguity about who was ritually fit for communal life and worship.
Leviticus 13 41 Commentary
Leviticus 13:41, seemingly a simple declaration about baldness, carries significant theological and practical weight within the broader context of the Mosaic Law. It showcases the divine precision required in distinguishing between genuine impurity (ṭāmēʾ) and natural bodily conditions or benign skin ailments. God, through these laws, trained Israel to discern, fostering a meticulous approach to communal health and ritual purity. The explicit declaration of "he is clean" (ṭāhôr) for natural frontal baldness (and previously, natural baldness on the back of the head in verse 40, and dull white spots in 39) underscores God's concern for His people's well-being and avoidance of unnecessary stigma or isolation. It also emphasizes that ritual cleanness was not based on arbitrary outward appearances, but on specific, discernible criteria. This guarded against superstition and unwarranted fear, reinforcing that God alone defines what is truly defiling. The priest's role in this judgment was not punitive but diagnostic and restorative, an agent of divine mercy in declaring individuals fit for community and worship.