Leviticus 13

Leviticus 13 outlines the laws concerning leprosy, which included various skin conditions and infections. This chapter provided instructions to the priests on how to examine individuals with potential symptoms, whether on the skin, hair, or clothing. The goal was to maintain the purity of the community, protect it from contagious diseases, and establish ritual cleanliness. The priests acted as mediators to ensure both health and ceremonial purity. While the term "leprosy" is used, it likely referred to a broader range of conditions than what we know today as leprosy.

Leviticus 13:1-3 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
2 “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.
3 The priest shall examine 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, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean.

These verses introduce the guidelines for diagnosing skin conditions. When someone had visible symptoms like swelling or a bright spot that resembled leprosy, they were required to go to the priest for examination. The priest was responsible for determining whether the condition was a serious infection. If the sore was deeper than the skin and the hair in the area had turned white, it was considered a case of leprosy, and the person was declared ceremonially unclean.

Leviticus 13:4-6 (NKJV)
4 But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days.
5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days.
6 Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and if the sore has faded and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

If the sore didn’t show severe signs such as depth below the skin or white hair, the person would be isolated for seven days. This period of isolation allowed time for the condition to either worsen or improve. After a week, the priest would re-examine the sore. If there was no significant change, the person was isolated for another seven days. If the sore faded and didn’t spread after the second week, the person was considered clean, indicating it wasn’t leprosy but a less serious condition like a scab.

Leviticus 13:7-8 (NKJV)
7 But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.
8 And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy.

If the sore spread during the isolation period, the person had to return to the priest. Upon re-examination, if the condition had worsened and spread further on the skin, the priest would declare the individual unclean, meaning they were infected with leprosy. This emphasized the need for careful monitoring to prevent the disease from spreading to others.

Leviticus 13:9-11 (NKJV)
9 “When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest.
10 And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling,
11 it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

When the symptoms included white swelling, white hair, and raw flesh, it was diagnosed as chronic or "old" leprosy. In this case, no further isolation was necessary because the condition was clearly leprous. The individual was immediately declared unclean due to the evident advanced stage of the disease.

Leviticus 13:12-13 (NKJV)
12 “And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks,
13 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.

If the leprosy covered the entire body but had turned completely white, the priest would surprisingly pronounce the individual clean. This condition, though extensive, was not considered contagious or dangerous. The transformation of the entire skin indicated a non-infectious stage, perhaps a type of skin disease that wasn’t a threat to others.

Leviticus 13:14-15 (NKJV)
14 But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.
15 And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy.

If raw flesh appeared in the midst of the white skin, it was a sign of infection or worsening disease. The raw flesh was an indicator that the condition was active and contagious, leading the priest to declare the person unclean again. This rawness signified an ongoing and serious infection.

Leviticus 13:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest,
17 and the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the one who has the sore clean. He is clean.

If the raw flesh healed and turned back to white, the person could go to the priest for another examination. If the priest confirmed that the sore had turned white, the person would be declared clean once more, signaling the end of the infectious phase of the disease.

Leviticus 13:18-20 (NKJV)
18 “If the body develops a boil in the skin, and it is healed,
19 and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest;
20 and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil.

A boil that had healed but later developed suspicious symptoms like a white swelling or reddish-white spot required examination by a priest. If the sore appeared deeper than the skin and had white hair, it indicated that leprosy had emerged from the boil, and the person was declared unclean.

Leviticus 13:21-23 (NKJV)
21 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days;
22 and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore.
23 But if the bright spot stays in one place and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

If the swelling did not have white hair or depth and appeared to fade, the person would be isolated for seven days. If the spot spread, it was diagnosed as leprosy, but if it remained unchanged, it was considered only a scar, and the person was declared clean.

Leviticus 13:24-25 (NKJV)
24 “Or if the body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white,
25 then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore.

If someone was burned and the raw flesh of the burn developed a reddish-white or white spot, it had to be examined by the priest. If the spot appeared deep and had white hair, it was considered a leprous sore. Burns could aggravate certain skin diseases, so the priest declared the person unclean to prevent potential contamination.

Leviticus 13:26-28 (NKJV)
26 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days.
27 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous sore.
28 But if the bright spot stays in one place and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

If the burn showed no sign of white hair or depth but had faded, the person was isolated for seven days. After the week, if the sore had spread, it was declared leprosy. However, if it had not spread and simply appeared as a swelling from the burn, the person was declared clean, indicating that the sore was just a scar from the healing process.

Leviticus 13:29-31 (NKJV)
29 “If a man or woman has a sore on the head or the beard,
30 then the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is in it a thin yellow hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scaly leprosy of the head or beard.
31 But if the priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale seven days.

When a person had a sore on their head or beard, the priest had to examine it. If it was deep and contained thin yellow hair, the sore was diagnosed as scaly leprosy, making the person unclean. However, if the sore didn’t seem deep and lacked black hair, the person would be isolated for seven days to observe whether the condition would worsen or heal.

Leviticus 13:32-33 (NKJV)
32 And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear deeper than the skin,
33 he shall shave himself, but the scale he shall not shave. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale another seven days.

On the seventh day, the priest would check the sore. If there was no spreading or yellow hair, and it wasn’t deep, the person could shave all hair except for the area of the sore. This served as a precautionary measure to maintain cleanliness. The individual would then be isolated for another seven days to ensure the condition did not worsen.

Leviticus 13:34-35 (NKJV)
34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scale; and indeed if the scale has not spread over the skin and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean.
35 But if the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing,

If, after a second week of isolation, the sore had not spread and was not deep, the person was pronounced clean. They could wash their clothes and rejoin the community. However, if the scale started to spread after being pronounced clean, it required immediate re-examination by the priest.

Leviticus 13:36-37 (NKJV)
36 then the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the scale has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean.
37 But if the scale appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the scale has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

If the scale had spread after the initial examination, the priest no longer needed to check for yellow hair because the spreading itself was enough evidence to declare the person unclean. Conversely, if the sore stopped spreading and black hair grew, it indicated healing. The priest would then declare the person clean, affirming that the leprous condition had healed.

Leviticus 13:38-39 (NKJV)
38 “If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots,
39 then the priest shall look; and indeed if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin; he is clean.

If someone had white bright spots, the priest would examine them to determine if they were dull white. This condition was considered a benign skin disorder, possibly a form of vitiligo or similar condition, and the person was pronounced clean. This ailment was not leprous or contagious.

Leviticus 13:40-41 (NKJV)
40 “As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean.
41 He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean.

Natural baldness, whether from the top of the head or the forehead, was not considered a sign of uncleanness. These verses reassured individuals experiencing hair loss that their condition was not related to leprosy and did not require any ceremonial action.

Leviticus 13:42-44 (NKJV)
42 And if there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white sore, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead.
43 Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the swelling of the sore is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,
44 he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his sore is on his head.

If a reddish-white sore appeared on a bald man’s head or forehead, it was diagnosed as leprosy. The priest would examine the sore, and if the symptoms matched those of leprosy, the man was declared unclean. The location of the sore did not exempt anyone from the disease; even a bald head was subject to leprous conditions.

Leviticus 13:45-46 (NKJV)
45 “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

Once a person was declared unclean due to leprosy, they had to live in isolation from the community. They were required to wear torn clothes, leave their heads uncovered, and cover their mouths while calling out “Unclean!” to warn others. This served as both a public health measure and a ritual declaration of their impurity, emphasizing the need for quarantine.

Leviticus 13:47-49 (NKJV)
47 “Also, if a garment has a leprous plague in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment,
48 whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather,
49 and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a leprous plague and shall be shown to the priest.

The concept of leprosy extended beyond just human skin conditions; it could also affect clothing and other materials. If a garment, whether made of wool, linen, or leather, developed greenish or reddish spots, it was considered a form of leprosy in the fabric. This contamination required examination by the priest, who would determine the course of action.

Leviticus 13:50-52 (NKJV)
50 The priest shall examine the plague and isolate that which has the plague seven days.
51 And he shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather or in anything made of leather, the plague is an active leprosy. It is unclean.
52 He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather; for it is an active leprosy. The garment shall be burned in the fire.

The priest was to isolate the contaminated garment for seven days, similar to the process with humans. After the seventh day, if the spots had spread, the garment was considered unclean with active leprosy. To prevent further contamination, the garment had to be burned completely, ensuring the plague didn’t spread.

Leviticus 13:53-54 (NKJV)
53 But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather,
54 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the plague; and he shall isolate it another seven days.

If the spots hadn’t spread after the first seven days, the priest would instruct that the garment or object be washed and then isolated for another seven days. This secondary period of isolation was to make sure that the plague didn’t return or worsen after washing.

Leviticus 13:55-56 (NKJV)
55 Then the priest shall examine the plague after it has been washed; and indeed if the plague has not changed its color, though the plague has not spread, it is unclean, and you shall burn it in the fire; it continues eating away, whether the damage is outside or inside.
56 If the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or out of the woof, or out of the leather.

After the washing and isolation, if the spot didn’t change in color but hadn’t spread, it was still considered unclean and had to be burned because the contamination was ongoing. However, if the spot faded, the infected area could be cut out of the garment, preserving the rest of it.

Leviticus 13:57-58 (NKJV)
57 But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading plague; you shall burn with fire that in which is the plague.
58 And if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever is made of leather, if the plague has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and be clean.

If the spot returned after it had been cut out of the garment, it was clear that the contamination was persistent, and the whole garment had to be burned. However, if the spot disappeared completely after washing, the garment was considered clean, though it still had to be washed again to ensure complete purification.

Leviticus 13:59 (NKJV)
59 “This is the law of the leprous plague in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”

This verse concludes the instructions about dealing with contaminated garments. It summarizes the purpose of these laws, which were to guide the priest in determining whether a garment was clean or unclean, ensuring the health and purity of the community by managing cases of leprosy in materials as well as in people.