Leviticus 13:39
New International Version
the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; they are clean.

New Living Translation
the priest must examine the affected area. If he finds that the shiny patches are only pale white, this is a harmless skin rash, and the person is ceremonially clean.

English Standard Version
the priest shall look, and if the spots on the skin of the body are of a dull white, it is leukoderma that has broken out in the skin; he is clean.

Berean Standard Bible
the priest shall examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faint white, it is eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

NASB 1995
then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faint white, it is eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

NASB 1977
then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faint white, it is eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

Legacy Standard Bible
then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faded white, it is eczema that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

Amplified Bible
then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies is a dull white, it is [only] a rash that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

Christian Standard Bible
the priest is to make an examination. If the spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is only a rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
the priest is to make an examination. If the spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is only a rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.”

American Standard Version
then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be of a dull white, it is a tetter, it hath broken out in the skin; he is clean.

Contemporary English Version
but the priest discovers that it is only a rash, he will say, "You are clean."

English Revised Version
then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be of a dull white; it is a tetter, it hath broken out in the skin; he is clean.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
the priest will make an examination. If the irritated areas on the skin are pale white, a rash has developed on the skin. The person is clean.

Good News Translation
the priest shall examine you. If the spots are dull white, it is only a blemish that has broken out on the skin; you are ritually clean.

International Standard Version
when the priest examines it and finds that there is a light or dull white patch of skin on the body, it's a harmless skin eruption that has spread on the skin. The person is clean."

Majority Standard Bible
the priest shall examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean.

NET Bible
the priest is to examine them, and if the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean.

New Heart English Bible
then the priest shall examine them; and look, if the bright spots on the skin of their body are a dull white, it is a harmless rash, it has broken out in the skin; he is clean.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the priest shall look: and behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh are darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.

World English Bible
then the priest shall examine them. Behold, if the bright spots on the skin of their body are a dull white, it is a harmless rash. It has broken out in the skin. He is clean.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the priest has seen, and behold, white [and] faded bright spots [are] in the skin of their flesh—it [is] a freckled spot broken out in the skin; he [is] clean.

Young's Literal Translation
and the priest hath seen, and lo, in the skin of their flesh white weak bright spots, it is a freckled spot broken out in the skin; he is clean.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the priest saw, and behold, in the skin of their flesh a brightness, a dim white; it is a white scurf breaking out in the skin: he is clean.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The priest shall view them. If he find that a darkish whiteness shineth in the skin, let him know that it is not the leprosy, but a white blemish, and that the man is clean.

Catholic Public Domain Version
the priest shall examine them. If he detects an obscured whiteness shining in the skin, may he know that it is not leprosy, but a white-colored blemish, and that the man is clean.

New American Bible
if the priest, upon examination, finds that the blotches on the skin are pale white, it is only tetter that has broken out on the skin, and the person therefore is clean.

New Revised Standard Version
the priest shall make an examination, and if the spots on the skin of the body are of a dull white, it is a rash that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the priest shall look; and if the shiny spots in the skin of the body are darkish white or reddish, it is a scab that has grown on the skin; he is clean.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The Priest shall see if, in the skin in their flesh, a shiny spot of white or blood red scab has grown in the skin, he is clean.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be of a dull white, it is a tetter, it hath broken out in the skin: he is clean.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
then the priest shall look; and, behold, there being bright spots of a bright whiteness in the skin of their flesh, it is a tetter; it burst forth in the skin of his flesh; he is clean.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laws about Skin Diseases
38When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin, 39the priest shall examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; the person is clean. 40Now if a man loses his hair and is bald, he is still clean.…

Cross References
Matthew 8:2-3
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Luke 17:12-14
As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance / and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” / When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.

Mark 1:40-42
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” / And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed.

2 Kings 5:1-14
Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. / At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. / She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.” ...

Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Luke 5:12-13
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Mark 14:3
While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.

Numbers 12:10-15
As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous, / and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. / Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” ...

2 Chronicles 26:19-21
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead. / When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. / So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land.

Isaiah 53:4
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

Luke 4:27
And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

John 9:1-7
Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, / and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” / Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him. ...

2 Kings 7:3-10
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? / If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.” / So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. ...

Matthew 26:6
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,


Treasury of Scripture

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 grows in the skin; he is clean.

if the bright

Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Romans 7:22-25
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: …

James 3:2
For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Leviticus 13:13
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.

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Leviticus 13
1. The laws whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy.














the priest shall examine them
In ancient Israel, the role of the priest extended beyond spiritual duties to include health assessments, particularly concerning skin diseases. The Hebrew word for "priest" is "kohen," which signifies a mediator between God and the people. The examination by the priest underscores the integration of spiritual and physical well-being in the community. This reflects the holistic approach of the Mosaic Law, where physical health was seen as intertwined with spiritual purity.

if the spots on the skin are dull white
The Hebrew term for "spots" is "nega," which can mean a plague or mark. The description "dull white" indicates a specific type of skin condition. In the ancient Near East, skin diseases were often feared due to their potential for contagion and ritual impurity. The specificity of the description highlights the detailed nature of the Levitical laws, which aimed to distinguish between various conditions to prevent unnecessary isolation and maintain community health.

it is only a rash that has broken out
The phrase "only a rash" suggests a condition that is not serious or contagious. The Hebrew word for "rash" is "bohak," which is thought to refer to a harmless skin eruption. This distinction is crucial in the context of Leviticus, where the community's purity and health were paramount. By identifying the condition as non-threatening, the law provided a means to alleviate fear and prevent social ostracism.

the person is clean
Declaring someone "clean" (Hebrew: "tahor") restored their full participation in the religious and social life of Israel. This declaration was significant, as being "unclean" (Hebrew: "tamei") affected one's ability to engage in worship and community activities. The pronouncement of cleanliness by the priest was not only a physical assessment but also a spiritual reinstatement, emphasizing God's desire for His people to live in community and worship without barriers.

(39) Then the priest shall look.--If the priest, upon examination, finds that these elevated spots are of a dull or palish white colour, then he is to pronounce the patient clean, that is, free of leprosy, since it is simply a white eruption or tetter, which lasts for a few months, causes no inconvenience, and by degrees disappears of itself. Hence it is called bahack, or "white scurf," and not leprosy. This nameless disorder, which still prevails in the East, is to this day called by the Biblical name bahack.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the priest
הַכֹּהֵ֗ן (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

shall examine them,
וְרָאָ֣ה (wə·rā·’āh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

and if
וְהִנֵּ֧ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

the spots
בֶּהָרֹ֖ת (be·hā·rōṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 934: A whitish spot on the skin

are dull
כֵּה֣וֹת (kê·hō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 3544: Dim, dull, faint

white,
לְבָנֹ֑ת (lə·ḇā·nōṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 3836: White

it
ה֛וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is a harmless rash
בֹּ֥הַק (bō·haq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 933: White scurf

that has broken out
פָּרַ֥ח (pā·raḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6524: To break forth as a, bud, bloom, to spread, to fly, to flourish

on the skin;
בָּע֖וֹר (bā·‘ō·wr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5785: Skin, hide, leather

the person
הֽוּא׃ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is clean.
טָה֥וֹר (ṭā·hō·wr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2889: Clean, pure


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OT Law: Leviticus 13:39 Then the priest shall examine them (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 13:38
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