Leviticus 13:1-46

Leviticus 13:1-46

[1] spake  unto Moses  and Aaron,  saying,  [2] When a man  shall have in the skin  of his flesh  a rising,  a scab,  or bright spot,  and it be in the skin  of his flesh  like the plague  of leprosy;  then he shall be brought  unto Aaron  the priest,  or unto one  of his sons  the priests:  [3] 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.  [4] If the bright spot  be white  in the skin  of his flesh,  and in sight  be not deeper  than the skin,  and the hair  thereof be not turned  white;  then the priest  shall shut  up him that hath the plague  seven  days:  [5] And the priest  shall look  on him the seventh  day:  and, behold, if the plague  in his sight  be at a stay,  and the plague  spread  not in the skin;  then the priest  shall shut  him up seven  days  more:  [6] And the priest  shall look  on him again  the seventh  day:  and, behold, if the plague  be somewhat dark,  and the plague  spread  not in the skin,  the priest  shall pronounce him clean:  it is but a scab:  and he shall wash  his clothes,  and be clean.  [7] But if the scab  spread much  in the skin,  after  that he hath been seen  of the priest  for his cleansing,  he shall be seen  of the priest  again:  [8] And if the priest  see  that, behold, the scab  spreadeth  in the skin,  then the priest  shall pronounce him unclean:  it is a leprosy.  [9] When the plague  of leprosy  is in a man,  then he shall be brought  unto the priest;  [10] And the priest  shall see  him: and, behold, if the rising  be white  in the skin,  and it have turned  the hair  white,  and there be quick  raw  flesh  in the rising;  [11] It is an old  leprosy  in the skin  of his flesh,  and the priest  shall pronounce him unclean,  and shall not shut  him up: for he is unclean.  [12] And if a leprosy  break out  in the skin,  and the leprosy  cover  all the skin  of him that hath the plague  from his head  even to his foot,  wheresoever the priest  looketh;  [13] 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.  [14] But when  raw  flesh  appeareth  in him, he shall be unclean.  [15] And the priest  shall see  the raw  flesh,  and pronounce him to be unclean:  for the raw  flesh  is unclean:  it is a leprosy.  [16] Or if the raw  flesh  turn again,  and be changed  unto white,  he shall come  unto the priest;  [17] And the priest  shall see  him: and, behold, if the plague  be turned  into white;  then the priest  shall pronounce him clean  that hath the plague:  he is clean.  [18] The flesh  also, in which,  even in the skin  thereof, was a boil,  and is healed,  [19] And in the place  of the boil  there be a white  rising,  or a bright spot,  white,  and somewhat reddish,  and it be shewed  to the priest;  [20] And if, when the priest  seeth  it, behold, it be in sight  lower  than the skin,  and the hair  thereof be turned  white;  the priest  shall pronounce him unclean:  it is a plague  of leprosy  broken  out of the boil.  [21] But if the priest  look  on it, and, behold, there be no white  hairs  therein, and if it be not lower  than the skin,  but be somewhat dark;  then the priest  shall shut  him up seven  days:  [22] And if it spread much  in the skin,  then the priest  shall pronounce him unclean:  it is a plague.  [23] But if the bright spot  stay  in his place, and spread  not, it is a burning  boil;  and the priest  shall pronounce him clean.  [24] Or if there be any flesh,  in the skin  whereof there is a hot  burning,  and the quick  flesh that burneth  have a white  bright spot,  somewhat reddish,  or white;  [25] Then the priest  shall look  upon it: and, behold, if the hair  in the bright spot  be turned  white,  and it be in sight  deeper  than the skin;  it is a leprosy  broken  out of the burning:  wherefore the priest  shall pronounce him unclean:  it is the plague  of leprosy.  [26] But if the priest  look  on it, and, behold, there be no white  hair  in the bright spot,  and it be no lower  than the other skin,  but be somewhat dark;  then the priest  shall shut  him up seven  days:  [27] And the priest  shall look  upon him the seventh  day:  and if it be spread much  in the skin,  then the priest  shall pronounce him unclean:  it is the plague  of leprosy.  [28] And if the bright  stay  in his place, and spread  not in the skin,  but it be somewhat dark;  it is a rising  of the burning,  and the priest  shall pronounce him clean:  for it is an inflammation  of the burning.  [29] If a man  or woman  have a plague  upon the head  or the beard;  [30] Then the priest  shall see  the plague:  and, behold, if it be in sight  deeper  than the skin;  and there be in it a yellow  thin  hair;  then the priest  shall pronounce him unclean:  it is a dry scall,  even a leprosy  upon the head  or beard.  [31] 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:  [32] And in the seventh  day  the priest  shall look  on the plague:  and, behold, if the scall  spread  not, and there be in it no yellow  hair,  and the scall  be not in sight  deeper  than the skin;  [33] He shall be shaven,  but the scall  shall he not shave;  and the priest  shall shut  up him that hath the scall  seven  days  more:  [34] And in the seventh  day  the priest  shall look  on the scall:  be not spread  in the skin,  nor be in sight  deeper  than the skin;  then the priest  shall pronounce him clean:  and he shall wash  his clothes,  and be clean.  [35] But if the scall  spread  in the skin  after  his cleansing;  [36] Then the priest  shall look  on him: and, behold, if the scall  be spread  in the skin,  the priest  shall not seek  for yellow  hair;  he is unclean.  [37] But if the scall  be in his sight  at a stay,  and that there is black  hair  grown  up therein; the scall  is healed,  he is clean:  and the priest  shall pronounce him clean.  [38] If a man  also or a woman  have in the skin  of their flesh  bright spots,  even white  bright spots;  [39] Then the priest  shall look:  and, behold, if the bright spots  in the skin  of their flesh  be darkish  white;  it is a freckled spot  that groweth  in the skin;  he is clean.  [40] And the man  whose hair is fallen  off his head,  he is bald;  yet is he clean.  [41] 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.  [42] And if there be in the bald head,  or bald forehead,  a white  reddish  sore;  it is a leprosy  sprung  up in his bald head,  or his bald forehead.  [43] Then the priest  shall look  upon it: and, behold, if the rising  of the sore  be white  reddish  in his bald head,  or in his bald forehead,  as the leprosy  appeareth  in the skin  of the flesh;  [44] He is a leprous  man,  he is unclean:  the priest  shall pronounce him utterly  his plague  is in his head.  [45] And the leper  in whom the plague  is, his clothes  shall be rent,  and his head  bare,  and he shall put a covering  upon his upper lip,  and shall cry,  Unclean,  [46] All the days  wherein the plague  shall be in him he shall be defiled;  he is unclean:  he shall dwell  without  the camp  shall his habitation  be.

What does Leviticus 13:1-46 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God dealt with21different cases of skin diseases in this pericope. Some of these may have included measles, smallpox, scarlet fever, and other diseases characterized by skin rash. [1] Some authorities believe that exact identification of the various forms of scaly skin disorders described in this chapter is impossible today. [2] Others feel more confident. One authority suggested the following identifications. [3]
The swelling, scab, or bright spot ( Leviticus 13:2-28)Psoriasis: a chronic, non-infectious skin disease characterized by the presence of well-demarcated, slightly raised reddish patches of various sizes covered by dry grayish-white or silvery scales.An infection on the head or beard ( Leviticus 13:29-37)Favus: a much more severe and damaging infection in which the fungus invades both the hair and the full thickness of the skin.Bright spots on the skin ( Leviticus 13:38-39)Leucoderma: a slightly disfiguring condition in which patches of otherwise normal skin lose their natural coloring and become completely white.