King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And the leper in whom the plague [is], his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Everyone who has tzara'at sores is to wear torn clothes and unbound hair, cover his upper lip and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!'
Berean Standard Bible:
A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
American Standard Version:
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and the hair of his head shall go loose, and he shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And the leper{H6879} in whom the plague{H5061} is, his clothes{H899} shall be rent{H6533}, and his head{H7218} bare{H6544}, and he shall put a covering{H5844} upon his upper lip{H8222}, and shall cry{H7121}, Unclean{H2931}, unclean{H2931}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Micah 3:7
- Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for [there is] no answer of God.
Leviticus 10:6
- And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
Ezekiel 24:17
- Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not [thy] lips, and eat not the bread of men.
Lamentations 4:15
- They cried unto them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].
Luke 17:12
- And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
Ezekiel 24:22
- And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover [your] lips, nor eat the bread of men.
Leviticus 21:10
- ¶ And [he that is] the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Leviticus 13:45
1. Themes:
- Ritual Purity and Cleanliness: Leviticus 13:45 reflects the theme of maintaining ritual purity within the Israelite community. Leprosy, a term that likely encompassed various skin conditions, was considered a source of impurity, necessitating specific measures to prevent its spread.
- Social Isolation: The verse underscores the importance of isolating individuals with infectious diseases to protect the community. This reflects a broader theme of communal health and well-being.
- Identification and Awareness: The requirement for the leper to openly declare their uncleanness served to alert others of their condition, ensuring that the community could take appropriate measures to avoid contact.
2. Historical Context:
- The laws concerning leprosy in Leviticus 13 are part of the Holiness Code, which is a collection of laws given to Moses for the Israelite community. These laws were designed to set the Israelites apart as a holy people and included regulations about ritual purity, moral conduct, and worship.
- The verse reflects ancient understanding of disease, where leprosy was feared due to its contagious and disfiguring nature. The practices outlined were not only religious but also pragmatic, as they served to limit the spread of disease in a time before the germ theory of disease was understood.
- The Israelites were living in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, and these laws were part of establishing their social and religious structures in preparation for entering the Promised Land.
- The rituals for the leper, including the rending of clothes, baring of the head, and covering the upper lip, were signs of mourning and marked the individual as ritually impure. These practices would have visibly distinguished those with leprosy, ensuring their recognition and subsequent isolation from the community until they were healed.
In summary, Leviticus 13:45 addresses the need for ritual purity and the protection of the community from infectious diseases, reflecting both religious and practical concerns within the historical context of the Israelites' formation as a distinct nation under divine guidance.
*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: H6879
There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָרַע
Transliteration: tsâraʻ
Pronunciation: tsaw-rah'
Description: a primitive root; to scourge, i.e. (intransitive and figurative) to be stricken with leprosy; leper, leprous. - Strong's Number: H5061
There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נֶגַע
Transliteration: negaʻ
Pronunciation: neh'-gah
Description: from נָגַע; a blow (figuratively, infliction); also (by implication) a spot (concretely, a leprous person or dress); plague, sore, stricken, stripe, stroke, wound. - Strong's Number: H899
There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֶּגֶד
Transliteration: beged
Pronunciation: behg'-ed
Description: from בָּגַד; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage; apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, [idiom] very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe. - Strong's Number: H6533
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּרַם
Transliteration: pâram
Pronunciation: paw-ram'
Description: a primitive root; to tear; rend. - Strong's Number: H7218
There are 548 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֹאשׁ
Transliteration: rôʼsh
Pronunciation: roshe
Description: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.); band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top. - Strong's Number: H6544
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּרַע
Transliteration: pâraʻ
Pronunciation: paw-rah'
Description: a primitive root; to loosen; by implication, to expose, dismiss; figuratively, absolve, begin; avenge, avoid, bare, go back, let, (make) naked, set at nought, perish, refuse, uncover. - Strong's Number: H5844
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָטָה
Transliteration: ʻâṭâh
Pronunciation: aw-taw'
Description: a primitive root; to wrap, i.e. cover, veil, cloth, or roll; array self, be clad, (put a) cover (-ing, self), fill, put on, [idiom] surely, turn aside. - Strong's Number: H8222
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׂפָם
Transliteration: sâphâm
Pronunciation: saw-fawm'
Description: from שָׂפָה; the beard (as a lippiece); beard, (upper) lip. - Strong's Number: H7121
There are 689 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָרָא
Transliteration: qârâʼ
Pronunciation: kaw-raw'
Description: a primitive root (rather identical with קָרָא through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications); bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say. - Strong's Number: H2931
There are 78 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָמֵא
Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
Pronunciation: taw-may'
Description: from טָמֵא; foul in a religious sense; defiled, [phrase] infamous, polluted(-tion), unclean.