Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Legacy Standard Bible

Leviticus 13:13

then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection; it has all turned white, and he is clean.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Sanitation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Leprosy;   Priests;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Hair;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Leprosy;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Flesh;   Heal, Health;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Leprosy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Leper;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Leviticus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Numbers, Book of;   Priests and Levites;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Leper;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Leper, Leprosy;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Leper;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Consider;   Leper;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
then the Kohen shall examine him; and, behold, if the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean of the plague. It has all turned white: he is clean.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
then the priest shall examine it, and if the infectious skin disease covers his whole body, then he shall pronounce the afflicted person clean—all of it has turned white; he is clean.
New Century Version
If the priest sees that the disease covers the whole body and has turned all of the person's skin white, he must announce that the person is clean.
New English Translation
the priest must then examine it, and if the disease covers his whole body, he is to pronounce the person with the infection clean. He has turned all white, so he is clean.
Amplified Bible
the priest shall examine him. If the [suspected] leprosy has covered his entire body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean.
New American Standard Bible
then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered his entire body, he shall pronounce the one who has the infection clean; it has all turned white and he is clean.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Priest shall consider: and if the leprosie couer all his flesh, he shal pronounce the plague to bee cleane, because it is all turned into whitenesse: so he shalbe cleane.
Complete Jewish Bible
then the cohen is to examine him, and if he sees that the tzara‘at has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the person with the sores clean — it has all turned white, and he is clean.
Darby Translation
and the priest looketh, and behold, the leprosy covereth all his flesh, he shall pronounce [him] clean [that hath] the sore; it is all turned white; he is clean.
Easy-to-Read Version
If the priest sees that the skin disease covers the whole body and that it has turned all the skin white, the priest must announce that the person is clean.
English Standard Version
then the priest shall look, and if the leprous disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean.
George Lamsa Translation
Then the priest shall consider; and, behold, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the plague; for it has all turned white; he is clean.
Good News Translation
the priest shall examine you again. If he finds that it actually has covered the whole body, he shall pronounce you ritually clean. If your whole skin has turned white, you are ritually clean.
Christian Standard Bible®
the priest will look, and if the skin disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the stricken person clean. Since he has turned totally white, he is clean.
Literal Translation
then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce the plague-spot clean; it has all turned white; he is clean.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So whan the prest loketh vpon it, and fyndeth, that ye leprosy hath couered all the flesh, he shal iudge him cleane, for so moch as it is turned all in to whyte vpon him, for he is cleane.
American Standard Version
then the priest shall look; 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.
Bible in Basic English
And if the priest sees that all his flesh is covered with the leper's disease, the priest will say that he is clean: it is all turned white, he is clean.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the priest shall consider: and yf the leprosie haue couered all his fleshe, he shall iudge the plague to be cleane, because it is all turned into whytenesse, and he shalbe cleane.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
then the priest shall look; 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.
King James Version (1611)
Then the Priest shall consider: and behold, if the leprosie haue couered al his flesh, he shal pronounce him cleane that hath the plague, it is all turned white; he is cleane.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
then the priest shall look, and, behold, the leprosy has covered all the skin of the flesh; and the priest shall pronounce him clean of the plague, because it has changed all to white, it is clean.
English Revised Version
then the priest shall look: 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.
Berean Standard Bible
the priest shall examine him, and if the disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the infected person clean. Since it has all turned white, he is clean.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and schal deme `that he is holdun with clenneste lepre, for all the skyn is turned in to whijtnesse, and therfor the man schal be cleene.
Young's Literal Translation
then hath the priest seen, and lo, the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, and he hath pronounced [him who hath] the plague clean; it hath all turned white; he [is] clean.
Update Bible Version
then the priest shall look; and see if the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce [him] clean [that has] the plague: it has all turned white: he is clean.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then the priest shall consider: and behold, [if] the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce [him] clean [that hath] the plague: it is all turned white: he [is] clean.
World English Bible
then the priest shall examine him; and, behold, if the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean of the plague. It has all turned white: he is clean.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is clean.
New Life Bible
If the religious leader sees that the skin disease has covered all his body, he will say he is clean from the disease, because the skin has all become white and he is clean.
New Revised Standard
then the priest shall make an examination, and if the disease has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; since it has all turned white, he is clean.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then shall the priest takes view and lo! if the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, then shall he pronounce clean him that was plagued, - all of it, hath turned white, clean, he is.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The priest shall view him, and shall judge that the leprosy which he has is very clean: because it is all turned into whiteness, and therefore the man shall be clean.
Revised Standard Version
then the priest shall make an examination, and if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection; it has all turned white and he is clean.

Contextual Overview

1Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2"When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3Then the priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean. 4But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate him who has the infection for seven days. 5Then the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the infection has not changed and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days. 6And the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and the mark 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. 7"But if the scab spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again to the priest. 8And the priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy. 9"When the infection of leprosy is on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10The priest shall then look, and if there is a white swelling in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh still alive in the swelling,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if the leprosy: It may seem strange that the partial leper should be pronounced unclean, and the person totally covered with the disease clean. This was probably owing to a different species or stage of the disease; the partial being contagious, the total not. That there are two different species, or degrees, of the disease described here, is sufficiently evident: in one, the person was all covered with a white enamelled scurf; in the other, there was a quick raw flesh in the risings. On this account, the one was deemed unclean, or contagious, the other not; for contact with the quick raw flesh would be more likely to communicate the disease, than the touch of the hard dry scurf. The ichor proceeding from the former, when brought into contact with the flesh of another, would soon be taken into constitution by means of the absorbent vessels; but where the surface was perfectly dry; the absorbent vessels of another, coming in contact with the diseased man, could imbibe nothing, and there was consequently but little or no danger of infection. This is the learned Dr. Mead's view of the subject; who thus accounts for the circumstances mentioned in the text.

he is clean: Isaiah 64:6, John 9:41

Reciprocal: Leviticus 14:7 - pronounce

Cross-References

Genesis 6:11
Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh."
Genesis 13:4
to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called upon the name of Yahweh.
Genesis 13:6
And the land could not sustain them while living together, for their possessions were so abundant that they were not able to live together.
Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.
Genesis 13:9
Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."
Genesis 13:11
So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.
Genesis 15:16
Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."
Genesis 18:20
So Yahweh said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
Genesis 38:7
But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so Yahweh put him to death.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the priest shall consider,.... Look wistly upon it, and well weigh the matter in his own mind, that he may make a true judgment and pronounce a right sentence:

and, behold, [if] the leprosy have covered all his flesh; from head to foot, so that no quick, raw, or sound flesh appear in him:

he shall pronounce [him] clean [that hath] the plague; not clean from a leprosy he is covered with; but that he is free from pollution by it, and under no obligation to bring his offering, or to perform, or have performed on him any of the rites and ceremonies used in cleansing of the leper:

it is all turned white; his skin and flesh with white bright spots, scabs and swellings, and no raw and red flesh appears:

he [is] clean; in a ceremonial sense: this may seem strange, that one that had a bright spot, or a white swelling, or a scab that spreads, a single one of these, or here and there one, should be unclean, and yet, if covered over with them, should be clean; the reason in nature is, because this shows a good healthful inward constitution, which throws out all its ill humours externally, whereby health is preserved; as we see in persons that have the measles or smallpox, or such like distempers, if they stick in the skin, and only here and there one rises up in a tumour, and to an head, it is a bad sign; but if they come out kindly and well, though they cover the whole body, things are very promising: the mystical or spiritual meaning of this is, that when a man sees himself to be a sinful creature, all over covered with sin, and no part free, and disclaims all righteousness of his own to justify him before God, but wholly trusts to, and depends upon the grace of God for salvation, and the righteousness of Christ for his acceptance with God; he becomes clean through the grace of God and the blood and righteousness of Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The disease here indicated appears to be that now known as Lepra commonis, the common White Leprosy, or Dry Tetter. It first shows itself in reddish pimples, the surface of which becomes white and scaly, spreading in a circular form until they meet each other and cover large patches of the body. It scarcely affects the general health, and for the most part disappears of itself, though it often lasts for years.

From his head even to his foot, wheresoever. the priest looketh - The first appearance of the Lepra Commonis may take place in any part of the body, especially, however, at the larger joints of the limbs; but the spots of elephantiasis are almost always first seen, on those parts which are habitually exposed, the face, ears and hands.

Leviticus 13:14

Raw flesh - See Leviticus 13:10.

Leviticus 13:15

Boil - Probably ulcer. In Job 2:7, and Deuteronomy 28:27, Deuteronomy 28:35, it would seem highly probable that the word expresses the ulcers of elephantiasis.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 13:13. If the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean — Why is it that the partial leper was pronounced unclean, and the person totally covered with the disease clean? This was probably owing to a different species or stage of the disease; the partial disease was contagious, the total not contagious. That there are two different species or degrees of the same disease described here, is sufficiently evident. In one, the body was all covered with a white enamelled scurf; in the other, there was a quick raw flesh in the risings. On this account the one might be deemed unclean, i. e., contagious, the other not; for contact with the quick raw flesh would be more likely to communicate the disease than the touch of the hard dry scurf. The ichor proceeding from the former, when brought into contact with the flesh of another, would soon be taken into the constitution by means of the absorbent vessels; but where the whole surface was perfectly dry, the absorbent vessels of another person coming in contact with the diseased man could imbibe nothing, and therefore there was comparatively no danger of infection. Hence that species or stage of the disease that exhibited the quick raw rising was capable of conveying the infection for the reasons already assigned, when the other was not. Dr. Mead thus accounts for the circumstance mentioned in the text. See on Leviticus 13:18. As the leprosy infected bodies, clothes, and even the walls of houses, is it not rational to suppose that it was occasioned by a species of animalcula or vermin burrowing under the skin? Of this opinion there are some learned supporters.


 
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