The Meaning of Leviticus 13:3 Explained

Leviticus 13:3

KJV: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

YLT: and the priest hath seen the plague in the skin of the flesh, and the hair in the plague hath turned white, and the appearance of the plague is deeper than the skin of his flesh -- it is a plague of leprosy, and the priest hath seen him, and hath pronounced him unclean.

Darby: And when the priest looketh on the sore in the skin of the flesh, and the hair in the sore is turned white, and the sore looketh deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is the sore of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him and pronounce him unclean.

ASV: and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and if the hair in the plague be turned white, and the appearance of the plague be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is the plague of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the priest  shall look  on the plague  in the skin  of the flesh:  and [when] the hair  in the plague  is turned  white,  and the plague  in sight  [be] deeper  than the skin  of his flesh,  it [is] a plague  of leprosy:  and the priest  shall look  on him, and pronounce him unclean. 

What does Leviticus 13:3 Mean?

Study Notes

priest
Some have found in the regulations of this chapter concerning an inquest by the priest of a case of leprosy, elaborate provisions for the exercise of discipline in the local church. No little self-righteousness and cruelty have come in thereby. The explicit instructions of the N.T. are the alone and sufficient rule of discipline.

Context Summary

Leviticus 13:1-17 - The Test Of Leprosy
Leprosy was a sort of living death, involving exclusion from the fellowship of the living, and from the sanctuary. Consequently the process of restoration consisted of two stages: re-admission, through the cure of disease, into the fellowship of the living, Leviticus 13:1-59, and then to the camp and sanctuary, through the due performance of prescribed rites, Leviticus 14:1-32. The enumeration of the symptoms is very deliberate. The priest was required to conduct his examination with the greatest care, lest he should pronounce that to be leprosy which was not really so.
How different this to the sweeping and hasty judgments that we pass on each other! We judge by appearances only, and are not especially concerned to judge righteously. Sin, of which leprosy is the type, is not a superficial disease; it is "deeper than the skin." See Leviticus 13:3-4; Leviticus 13:25; Leviticus 13:30-32; Leviticus 13:34. They who know us best are not aware of the secret springs of impure motive, and the polluted things that hold empire within the soul. But the body of sin must be brought to an end at the Cross. See Romans 6:6. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 13

1  The laws whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy

What do the individual words in Leviticus 13:3 mean?

And shall examine the priest - the sore on the skin of the body And if the hair on the sore has turned white and the sore [appears to be] deeper than the skin of his body [is] a sore leprous it and shall examine him and pronounce unclean him
וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֣ן אֶת־ הַנֶּ֣גַע בְּעֽוֹר־ הַ֠בָּשָׂר וְשֵׂעָ֨ר בַּנֶּ֜גַע הָפַ֣ךְ ׀ לָבָ֗ן וּמַרְאֵ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ עָמֹק֙ מֵע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֔וֹ נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת ה֑וּא וְרָאָ֥הוּ וְטִמֵּ֥א אֹתֽוֹ

וְרָאָ֣ה  And  shall  examine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַכֹּהֵ֣ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַנֶּ֣גַע  the  sore 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
בְּעֽוֹר־  on  the  skin 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
הַ֠בָּשָׂר  of  the  body 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וְשֵׂעָ֨ר  And  if  the  hair 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׂעָר  
Sense: hair.
בַּנֶּ֜גַע  on  the  sore 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
הָפַ֣ךְ ׀  has  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
לָבָ֗ן  white 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: לָבָן  
Sense: white.
הַנֶּ֙גַע֙  the  sore 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
עָמֹק֙  [appears  to  be]  deeper 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָמֹק  
Sense: deep, mysterious, depths.
מֵע֣וֹר  than  the  skin 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
בְּשָׂר֔וֹ  of  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
נֶ֥גַע  [is]  a  sore 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
צָרַ֖עַת  leprous 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרַעַת  
Sense: leprosy.
וְרָאָ֥הוּ  and  shall  examine  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְטִמֵּ֥א  and  pronounce  unclean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.