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:
Complete Jewish Bible:
"If someone develops on his skin a swelling, scab or bright spot which could develop into the disease tzara'at, he is to be brought to Aharon the cohen or to one of his sons who are cohanim.
Berean Standard Bible:
βWhen someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that could become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.
American Standard Version:
When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, [so] ye shall observe to do.
And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
ΒΆ If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, [being] matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Leviticus 13:2
1. **Themes:**
- **Ritual Purity and Health:** The verse addresses the importance of identifying and managing skin diseases, particularly leprosy, which was feared in ancient times due to its contagious nature and potential to cause social isolation.
- **Priestly Role:** It emphasizes the priests' role in diagnosing skin conditions, reflecting the intersection of religious and medical authority in Israelite society. The involvement of priests underscores the religious significance attached to physical afflictions.
- **Community Health:** The requirement to present oneself to a priest suggests a communal approach to health, where the well-being of the individual affects the well-being of the community.
2. **Historical Context:**
- **Time Period:** The book of Leviticus is traditionally ascribed to the time of Moses, circa 1440β1400 BCE, during the wilderness period after the Exodus from Egypt.
- **Israelite Society:** At this time, the Israelites were forming their national identity, with laws and rituals that set them apart from other ancient Near Eastern cultures.
- **Priestly Code:** Leviticus is part of the Priestly Code, which contains detailed instructions for worship, sacrifices, and ritual purity. These laws were designed to maintain the holiness of the community and the tabernacle (the portable dwelling place for God).
- **Understanding of Disease:** Ancient peoples, including the Israelites, often associated skin diseases like leprosy with divine displeasure or ritual impurity. The medical understanding of such conditions was limited, and they were managed through religious and ritualistic means.
In summary, Leviticus 13:2 reflects the themes of ritual purity, the role of priests in maintaining community health, and the management of diseases in ancient Israelite society, set against the backdrop of the formation of Israel's religious and social identity.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H120 There are 581 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦΈΧΦΈΧ Transliteration: ΚΌΓ’dΓ’m Pronunciation: aw-dawm' Description: from ΧΦΈΧΦ·Χ; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.); [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
Strong's Number: H5785 There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: Χ’ΧΦΉΧ¨ Transliteration: Κ»Γ΄wr Pronunciation: ore Description: from Χ’ΧΦΌΧ¨; skin (as naked); by implication, hide, leather; hide, leather, skin.
Strong's Number: H5597 There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: Χ‘Φ·Χ€ΦΌΦ·ΧΦ·Χͺ Transliteration: Γ§appachath Pronunciation: sap-pakh'-ath Description: from Χ‘ΦΈΧ€Φ·Χ; the mange (as making the hair fall off); scab.
Strong's Number: H934 There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦΌΦΉΧΦΆΧ¨ΦΆΧͺ Transliteration: bΓ΄hereth Pronunciation: bo-heh'-reth Description: feminine active participle of the same as ΧΦΌΦΈΧΦ΄ΧΧ¨; a whitish spot on the skin; bright spot.
Strong's Number: H5061 There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: Χ ΦΆΧΦ·Χ’ Transliteration: negaΚ» Pronunciation: neh'-gah Description: from Χ ΦΈΧΦ·Χ’; a blow (figuratively, infliction); also (by implication) a spot (concretely, a leprous person or dress); plague, sore, stricken, stripe, stroke, wound.
Strong's Number: H6883 There are 33 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: Χ¦ΦΈΧ¨Φ·Χ’Φ·Χͺ Transliteration: tsΓ’raΚ»ath Pronunciation: tsaw-rah'-ath Description: from Χ¦ΦΈΧ¨Φ·Χ’; leprosy; leprosy.
Strong's Number: H935 There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ Transliteration: bΓ΄wΚΌ Pronunciation: bo Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
Strong's Number: H175 There are 480 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦ·ΧΦ²Χ¨ΧΦΉΧ Transliteration: ΚΌAhΔrΓ΄wn Pronunciation: a-har-one' Description: of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of Moses; Aaron.
Strong's Number: H3548 There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦΌΦΉΧΦ΅Χ Transliteration: kΓ΄hΓͺn Pronunciation: ko-hane' Description: active participle of ΧΦΌΦΈΧΦ·Χ; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.
Strong's Number: H259 There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦΆΧΦΈΧ Transliteration: ΚΌechΓ’d Pronunciation: ekh-awd' Description: a numeral from ΧΦΈΧΦ·Χ; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
Strong's Number: H1121 There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: ΧΦΌΦ΅Χ Transliteration: bΓͺn Pronunciation: bane Description: from ΧΦΌΦΈΧ ΦΈΧ; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.