Leviticus 13:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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:

β€œWhen 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:

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

When a man{H120} shall have in the skin{H5785} of his flesh{H1320} a rising{H7613}, a scab{H5597}, or bright spot{H934}, and it be in the skin{H5785} of his flesh{H1320} like the plague{H5061} of leprosy{H6883}; then he shall be brought{H935} unto Aaron{H175} the priest{H3548}, or unto one{H259} of his sons{H1121} the priests{H3548}:

Cross-References (KJV):

Deuteronomy 24:8

  • 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.

Leviticus 14:56

  • And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:

Leviticus 14:3

  • And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, [if] the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

Deuteronomy 28:27

  • The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

Luke 17:14

  • And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 5:14

  • 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.

Deuteronomy 17:8

  • 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;

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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 1440–1400 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)

  1. Strong's Number: H120
    There are 581 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָדָם
    Transliteration: ΚΌΓ’dΓ’m
    Pronunciation: aw-dawm'
    Description: from אָדַם; 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.
  2. Strong's Number: H5785
    There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ’Χ•ΦΉΧ¨
    Transliteration: Κ»Γ΄wr
    Pronunciation: ore
    Description: from Χ’Χ•ΦΌΧ¨; skin (as naked); by implication, hide, leather; hide, leather, skin.
  3. Strong's Number: H1320
    There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ‘ΦΌΦΈΧ©Χ‚ΦΈΧ¨
    Transliteration: bΓ’sΓ’r
    Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
    Description: from Χ‘ΦΌΦΈΧ©Χ‚Φ·Χ¨; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.
  4. Strong's Number: H7613
    There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שְׂא֡Χͺ
    Transliteration: sᡉʼΓͺth
    Pronunciation: seh-ayth'
    Description: from נָשָׂא; an elevation or leprous scab; figuratively, elation or cheerfulness; exaltation in rank or character; be accepted, dignity, excellency, highness, raise up self, rising.
  5. Strong's Number: H5597
    There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ‘Φ·Χ€ΦΌΦ·Χ—Φ·Χͺ
    Transliteration: Γ§appachath
    Pronunciation: sap-pakh'-ath
    Description: from Χ‘ΦΈΧ€Φ·Χ—; the mange (as making the hair fall off); scab.
  6. Strong's Number: H934
    There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ‘ΦΌΦΉΧ”ΦΆΧ¨ΦΆΧͺ
    Transliteration: bΓ΄hereth
    Pronunciation: bo-heh'-reth
    Description: feminine active participle of the same as Χ‘ΦΌΦΈΧ”Φ΄Χ™Χ¨; a whitish spot on the skin; bright spot.
  7. Strong's Number: H5061
    There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ ΦΆΧ’Φ·Χ’
    Transliteration: negaΚ»
    Pronunciation: neh'-gah
    Description: from Χ ΦΈΧ’Φ·Χ’; a blow (figuratively, infliction); also (by implication) a spot (concretely, a leprous person or dress); plague, sore, stricken, stripe, stroke, wound.
  8. 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.
  9. Strong's Number: H935
    There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בּוֹא
    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.
  10. Strong's Number: H175
    There are 480 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: ΧΦ·Χ”Φ²Χ¨Χ•ΦΉΧŸ
    Transliteration: ʼAhărôwn
    Pronunciation: a-har-one'
    Description: of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of Moses; Aaron.
  11. Strong's Number: H3548
    There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ›ΦΌΦΉΧ”Φ΅ΧŸ
    Transliteration: kΓ΄hΓͺn
    Pronunciation: ko-hane'
    Description: active participle of Χ›ΦΌΦΈΧ”Φ·ΧŸ; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.
  12. Strong's Number: H259
    There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: א֢חָד
    Transliteration: ΚΌechΓ’d
    Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
    Description: a numeral from אָחַד; 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,
  13. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: Χ‘ΦΌΦ΅ΧŸ
    Transliteration: bΓͺn
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from Χ‘ΦΌΦΈΧ 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.