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Translation
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.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Then the priest H3548 shall consider H7200: and, behold, if the leprosy H6883 have covered H3680 all his flesh H1320, he shall pronounce him clean H2891 that hath the plague H5061: it is all turned H2015 white H3836: he is clean H2889.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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World English Bible Messianic
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.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Then the Priest shall consider: and if the leprosie couer all his flesh, he shall pronounce the plague to bee cleane, because it is all turned into whitenesse: so he shalbe cleane.
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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.
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In the KJVVerse 3,066 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Leviticus 13:13 presents a profoundly counter-intuitive regulation within the Mosaic Law concerning tzara'at, a severe skin condition often translated as "leprosy." This verse stipulates that if the tzara'at has spread to cover the entire body, turning it uniformly white, the examining priest is to pronounce the afflicted individual ritually clean. This declaration stands in stark contrast to other cases where partial or actively spreading lesions render a person unclean, thereby revealing a deeper theological principle that the impurity was tied to the dynamic, uncontrolled nature of the affliction rather than its mere presence or severity.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Leviticus chapters 13 and 14 constitute a meticulously detailed legal corpus dedicated to the diagnosis, management, and purification rites associated with tzara'at. Chapter 13 specifically outlines the priestly procedures for identifying tzara'at on human skin and garments, detailing various manifestations and the priest's authoritative role in declaring individuals clean or unclean. The preceding verses (Leviticus 13:1-12) describe scenarios where a person with a localized patch of tzara'at is deemed unclean, particularly if the lesion is spreading or exhibits raw flesh. Following this, Leviticus 13:14-17 addresses a relapse into impurity if raw flesh reappears, while the remainder of the chapter covers tzara'at manifesting in boils, burns, and bald spots. Chapter 14 then elaborates on the intricate and costly purification rituals required for those declared clean from tzara'at, underscoring the gravity of the condition and the meticulousness demanded for their full restoration to the community and worship.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In ancient Israel, tzara'at was understood not primarily as a medical disease in the modern sense, but as a profound matter of ritual purity and impurity. The biblical understanding of tzara'at encompassed a spectrum of severe skin ailments, and even extended to mold or mildew on houses and garments, as detailed in Leviticus 14:33-53. The priest's function was not that of a physician, but a divinely appointed adjudicator, distinguishing between the "clean" (tahor) and "unclean" (tameh) according to God's covenant laws. An "unclean" person was temporarily separated from the community and the tabernacle/temple worship, as mandated by divine instruction (e.g., Numbers 5:2-3), to preserve the holiness of the camp where God's presence resided. This stringent system underscored the Israelites' unique covenant relationship with Yahweh and their divine call to holiness, echoing the foundational command, "You shall be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). The seemingly paradoxical ruling in Leviticus 13:13 suggests that ritual impurity was intrinsically linked to the active, uncontrolled, and spreading nature of the disease, which represented a chaotic or disordered element within the holy community. If the disease had run its full course and covered the entire body, turning it uniformly white, it was no longer considered an active, spreading plague but a stabilized, perhaps even dormant, condition, thus ceasing to be a source of ritual contamination.
  • Key Themes: Leviticus 13:13 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Leviticus and the broader Pentateuch. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Ritual Purity and Impurity, demonstrating the meticulousness of God's laws designed to maintain the holiness of His covenant people and their proximity to His divine presence. The distinction between clean and unclean was not arbitrary but served to teach Israel about the nature of God's holiness and their separation from the defilement of the surrounding nations. Secondly, the verse underscores the Priest's Mediatorial Role. The priest, as God's designated representative, held the authority to declare ritual status, acting as a gatekeeper to the holy community and its worship. This role was crucial for maintaining divine order. Thirdly, the paradox itself points to the theme of Divine Logic vs. Human Understanding. God's ways are often counter-intuitive, and this law reveals that His concern was not merely with the presence of affliction but with its active, uncontrolled state, which symbolized a disruption of order. The cessation of "spreading" was key, indicating a return to a stable, albeit altered, state that allowed for ritual acceptance. This principle foreshadows God's ultimate desire for full exposure and surrender as a path to true cleansing, a theme echoed in the New Testament's call to confession and repentance (e.g., 1 John 1:9).

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Priest (Hebrew, kôhên', H3548): This term refers to one officiating, a priest. In the context of Leviticus, the priest was not a medical doctor but a divinely appointed figure responsible for administering God's laws, particularly those pertaining to ritual purity. His role was to discern, declare, and mediate the status of individuals before God and the community.
  • Leprosy (Hebrew, tsâraʻath', H6883): This term denotes "leprosy" but is a broader biblical category than modern Hansen's disease. It encompasses various severe skin afflictions and even mold or mildew on objects. The primary concern was not contagion but the ritual defilement it caused, necessitating separation from the holy community and its worship.
  • Clean (Hebrew, ṭâhôwr', H2889): (or H2891, ṭâhêr'), this signifies a state of ritual purity—physical, ceremonial, or moral. In this context, it means the individual is ceremonially fit to participate in the sacred life of the community, including worship and social interaction, having been declared free from ritual defilement.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Then the priest shall consider:" This opening phrase emphasizes the priest's indispensable and authoritative role. His "consideration" (Hebrew, ra'ah, to see, discern) is not a medical diagnosis but a careful, divinely guided assessment to determine the individual's ritual status according to God's precise laws. He acts as God's representative in this crucial judgment.
  • "and, behold, [if] the leprosy have covered all his flesh," This specifies the unique and critical condition for the subsequent paradoxical ruling. The tzara'at must have spread comprehensively over the entire body, indicated by "all his flesh" (Hebrew, bâsâr), signifying a pervasive, uniform covering that leaves no unaffected skin. This complete manifestation is the key trigger for the clean declaration.
  • "he shall pronounce [him] clean [that hath] the plague:" This is the astonishing declaration. Despite the severe and widespread nature of the affliction, the priest is commanded to declare the individual ritually pure. This highlights that the impurity was not tied to the presence or severity of the disease itself, but specifically to its active, spreading nature. Once it had covered the entire body, it was no longer "spreading" in the sense that caused ritual defilement.
  • "it is all turned white: he [is] clean." The uniform white appearance signifies that the condition has run its full course and stabilized. The Hebrew word for "turned" (hâphak) implies a complete transformation, and "white" (lâbân) indicates a uniform, perhaps "burnt out" or dormant, state. The repetition of "he is clean" (Hebrew, ṭâhôwr) emphatically reinforces the definitive and binding nature of the priestly pronouncement, allowing for the individual's restoration to the community.

Literary Devices

Leviticus 13:13 is a prime example of Paradox within the Mosaic Law. The most striking feature is the counter-intuitive ruling that a person completely covered by tzara'at is declared clean, while those with smaller, active, or spreading patches are considered unclean. This paradox serves to underscore that the laws concerning tzara'at were fundamentally ritual and theological, not merely medical. The impurity was linked to the active, uncontrolled spread of the condition, which likely symbolized chaos, disorder, or a state of being "out of order" in the holy community, directly opposing God's desire for order and holiness. Once the condition had fully manifested and stabilized, covering the entire body uniformly, it was no longer an active threat of ritual defilement. There is also a strong element of Symbolism at play; the complete covering and turning white could symbolize a state of completion, a "burnt out" phase of the condition, or even a form of spiritual surrender. In this stabilized state, the active, destructive process has ceased, allowing for a declaration of ritual purity and reintegration into the community.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

This seemingly paradoxical law in Leviticus 13:13 reveals profound theological truths about God's nature, His covenant with Israel, and the spiritual principles He sought to instill. It powerfully demonstrates that God's ways are not always intuitive to human understanding, and His purity laws were designed for specific ritual, communal, and pedagogical purposes, transcending mere medical hygiene. The emphasis on the active, spreading nature of the impurity, rather than the mere presence or severity of the condition, suggests that God's primary concern was with the uncontrolled spread of defilement within the holy community, which could compromise its sacred integrity. When the disease had run its full course and stabilized, it was no longer an active source of ritual contamination, and thus the individual could be declared clean. This principle can be seen as a shadow of God's desire for complete confession and surrender: where full exposure of a condition, rather than partial concealment or denial, paradoxically becomes the pathway to cleansing and acceptance before God. It illustrates that God's grace often meets us not in our attempts to hide or manage our brokenness, but in our full and honest exposure of it.

  • Leviticus 14:2 - This verse introduces the elaborate purification rites for a person declared clean from tzara'at, emphasizing the meticulous process required for full restoration to the community and worship.
  • Numbers 12:10-15 - The account of Miriam's tzara'at illustrates the immediate consequence of the condition (being shut out of the camp) and the necessity of a period of isolation before re-entry, even when miraculously healed, highlighting the communal impact of ritual impurity.
  • Leviticus 11:44-45 - This foundational command underscores the overarching purpose of all purity laws: to maintain the holiness of God's people, reflecting His own holy character and enabling their communion with Him.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Leviticus 13:13, though rooted in ancient ritual purity laws, offers profound spiritual lessons that resonate deeply with believers today. The paradox of being declared clean when fully covered by tzara'at serves as a powerful metaphor for the human condition before a holy God. Often, it is precisely the complete and undeniable recognition of our utter brokenness, our pervasive sinfulness, that paradoxically becomes the pathway to true spiritual cleansing and restoration. When we attempt to hide, minimize, or selectively confess our sin, it remains an active, "spreading" source of spiritual impurity that keeps us from full communion with God and His people. However, when we fully acknowledge the extent of our spiritual "leprosy"—our complete inability to make ourselves righteous or to earn God's favor—we are then truly ready to receive God's radical, unmerited grace. This verse reminds us that God's logic frequently transcends human reasoning, and His ways are perfectly designed for our ultimate good and His glory. It challenges us to surrender our self-sufficiency, our pride, and our attempts at self-justification, embracing the counter-intuitive truth that in our weakness and full exposure, His perfect strength and cleansing grace are made manifest.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the paradox of Leviticus 13:13 challenge your preconceived notions of purity, sin, and God's justice?
  • In what areas of your life might you be trying to hide or minimize "patches" of spiritual impurity or brokenness, rather than fully exposing them to God's light and grace?
  • What does this verse teach us about God's meticulous care for His people and His desire for their full restoration, even through seemingly strange or difficult regulations?
  • How does the concept of "full coverage" leading to cleansing relate to the Christian understanding of confession, repentance, and the sufficiency of Christ's atoning work?

FAQ

What exactly was tzara'at in the biblical context?

Answer: Tzara'at (צָרַעַת) was a broad Hebrew term referring to a variety of severe skin conditions, as well as mold or mildew on clothing and houses. It was not medically equivalent to modern Hansen's disease (leprosy) but encompassed a range of afflictions that rendered a person ritually impure. The primary concern was not medical contagion in the modern sense, but the ritual defilement that prevented the affected individual from participating in the sacred life of the Israelite community and worship. The priest's role was to determine ritual status, not to provide a medical diagnosis or cure. For more details on the types of tzara'at, see Leviticus 13.

Why would someone with tzara'at covering their entire body be declared clean?

Answer: This seemingly paradoxical ruling highlights that the impurity associated with tzara'at was tied to the active, spreading nature of the condition, not merely its presence or severity. If the affliction had spread over the entire body and turned uniformly white, it was no longer considered an active, uncontrolled, or "spreading" plague. It signified a stabilized state, perhaps even a form of natural remission, indicating it was no longer a source of ritual contamination. The uniform white appearance suggested that the condition had run its course, and thus the individual could be declared ritually clean and restored to the community, albeit after specific purification rites outlined in Leviticus 14. This emphasized God's concern for order and the cessation of active defilement.

Were the laws concerning tzara'at primarily medical or ritual?

Answer: The laws concerning tzara'at were primarily ritual, not medical. While they certainly had implications for public health by isolating affected individuals, their main purpose was to maintain the ritual purity and holiness of the Israelite camp and its people. The priest's role was to act as a divine adjudicator, determining who was ritually clean (tahor) and thus permitted to participate fully in communal life and worship, and who was unclean (tameh) and required temporary separation. This distinction is crucial for understanding the biblical text, as it emphasizes God's concern for the spiritual and communal well-being of His covenant people, teaching them to "distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean" (Leviticus 10:10).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Leviticus 13:13, with its profound paradox of cleanliness declared for the fully afflicted, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament laws concerning tzara'at served as a powerful illustration of sin's defiling power and humanity's inherent inability to cleanse itself. Just as tzara'at separated individuals from the community and the presence of God, so too does sin create a chasm between humanity and a holy God. Jesus, however, did not shy away from those deemed unclean; He actively sought them out, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion. He famously touched and healed lepers (as recorded in Matthew 8:1-4 and Mark 1:40-45), performing what the Old Testament priests could only declare. This act profoundly demonstrated His power over disease and, more significantly, His power over sin itself. The paradox of Leviticus 13:13—that complete exposure and manifestation of the condition leads to cleansing—foreshadows the glorious gospel truth that when we fully acknowledge the pervasive nature of our sin, confessing our utter brokenness and complete reliance on God's grace, Christ is able to make us truly clean. He, "who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Unlike the Old Testament priest who could only declare a person clean based on external signs, Jesus possesses the divine power to actually make us clean, purifying us from all unrighteousness through His shed blood on the cross (1 John 1:9). He is the ultimate High Priest who, through His perfect and complete sacrifice, has provided a final and eternal cleansing for all who come to Him by faith, transforming our spiritual "leprosy" into the radiant righteousness of God.

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Commentary on Leviticus 13 verses 1–17

I. Concerning the plague of leprosy we may observe in general, 1. That it was rather an uncleanness than a disease; or, at least, so the law considered it, and therefore employed not the physicians but the priests about it. Christ is said to cleanse lepers, not to cure them. We do not read of any that died of the leprosy, but it rather buried them alive, by rendering them unfit for conversation with any but such as were infected like themselves. Yet there is a tradition that Pharaoh, who sought to kill Moses, was the first that ever was struck with this disease, and that he died of it. It is said to have begun first in Egypt, whence it spread into Syria. It was very well known to Moses, when he put his own hand into his bosom and took it out leprous. 2. That it was a plague inflicted immediately by the hand of God, and came not from natural causes, as other diseases; and therefore must be managed according to a divine law. Miriam's leprosy, and Gehazi's, and king Uzziah's, were all the punishments of particular sins: and, if generally it was so, no marvel there was so much care taken to distinguish it from a common distemper, that none might be looked upon as lying under this extraordinary token of divine displeasure but those that really were so. 3. That it is a plague not now known in the world; what is commonly called the leprosy is of a quite different nature. This seems to have been reserved as a particular scourge for the sinners of those times and places. The Jews retained the idolatrous customs they had learnt in Egypt, and therefore God justly caused this with some others of the diseases of Egypt to follow them. Yet we read of Naaman the Syrian, who was a leper, Kg2 5:1. 4. That there were other breakings-out in the body which did very much resemble the leprosy, but were not it, which might make a man sore and loathsome and yet not ceremonially unclean. Justly are our bodies called vile bodies, which have in them the seeds of so many diseases, by which the lives of so many are made bitter to them. 5. That the judgment of it was referred to the priests. Lepers were looked upon as stigmatized by the justice of God, and therefore it was left to his servants the priests, who might be presumed to know his mark best, to pronounce who were lepers and who were not. All the Jews say, "Any priest, though disabled by a blemish to attend the sanctuary, might be a judge of the leprosy, provided the blemish were not in his eye. And he might" (they say) "take a common person to assist him in the search, but the priest only must pronounce the judgment." 6. That it was a figure of the moral pollution of men's minds by sin, which is the leprosy of the soul, defiling to the conscience, and from which Christ alone can cleanse us; for herein the power of his grace infinitely transcends that of the legal priesthood, that the priest could only convict the leper (for by the law is the knowledge of sin), but Christ can cure the leper, he can take away sin. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, which was more than the priests could do, Mat 8:2. Some think that the leprosy signified, not so much sin in general as a state of sin, by which men are separated from God (their spot not being the spot of God's children), and scandalous sin, for which men are to be shut out from the communion of the faithful. It is a work of great importance, but of great difficulty, to judge of our spiritual state: we have all cause to suspect ourselves, being conscious to ourselves of sores and spots, but whether clean or unclean is the question. A man might have a scab (Lev 13:6) and yet be clean: the best have their infirmities; but, as there were certain marks by which to know that it was a leprosy, so there are characters of such as are in the gall of bitterness, and the work of ministers is to declare the judgment of leprosy and to assist those that suspect themselves in the trial of their spiritual state, remitting or retaining sin. And hence the keys of the kingdom of heaven are said to be given to them, because they are to separate between the precious and the vile, and to judge who are fit as clean to partake of the holy things and who as unclean must be debarred from them.

II. Several rules are here laid down by which the judgment of the priest must be governed. 1. If the sore was but skin-deep, it was to be hoped it was not the leprosy, Lev 13:4. But, if it was deeper than the skin, the man must be pronounced unclean, Lev 13:3. The infirmities that consist with grace do not sink deep into the soul, but the mind still serves the law of God, and the inward man delights in it, Rom 7:22, Rom 7:25. But if the matter be really worse than it shows, and the inwards be infected, the case is dangerous. 2. If the sore be at a stay, and do not spread, it is no leprosy, Lev 13:4, Lev 13:5. But if it spread much abroad, and continue to do so after several inspections, the case is bad, Lev 13:7, Lev 13:8. If men do not grow worse, but a stop be put to the course of their sins and their corruptions be checked, it is to be hoped they will grow better; but if sin get ground, and they become worse every day, they are going downhill. 3. If there was proud raw flesh in the rising, the priest needed not to wait any longer, it was certainly a leprosy, Lev 13:10, Lev 13:11. Nor is there any surer indication of the badness of a man's spiritual state than the heart's rising in self-conceit, confidence in the flesh, and resistance of the reproofs of the word and strivings of the Spirit. 4. If the eruption, whatever it was, covered all the skin from head to foot, it was no leprosy (Lev 13:12, Lev 13:13); for it was an evidence that the vitals were sound and strong, and nature hereby helped itself, throwing out what was burdensome and pernicious. There is hope in the small-pox when they come out well: so if men freely confess their sins, and hide them not, there is no danger comparable to theirs that cover their sins. Some gather this from it, that there is more hope of the profane than of hypocrites. The publicans and harlots went into the kingdom of heaven before scribes and Pharisees. In one respect, the sudden breakings-out of passion, though bad enough, are not so dangerous as malice concealed. Others gather this, that, if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged; if we see and own that there is no health in us, no soundness in our flesh, by reason of sin, we shall find grace in the eyes of the Lord. 5. The priest must take time in making his judgment, and not give it rashly. If the matter looked suspicious, he must shut up the patient seven days, and then seven days more, that his judgment might be according to truth. This teaches all, both ministers and people, not to be hasty in their censures, nor to judge any thing before the time. If some men's sins go before unto judgment, the sins of others follow after, and so men's good works; therefore let nothing be done suddenly, Ti1 5:22, Ti1 5:24, Ti1 5:25. 6. If the person suspected was found to be clean, yet he must wash his clothes (Lev 13:6), because he had been under the suspicion, and there had been in him that which gave ground for the suspicion. Even the prisoner that is acquitted must go down on his knees. We have need to be washed in the blood of Christ from our spots, though they be not leprosy-spots; for who can say, I am pure from sin? though there are those who through grace are innocent from the great transgression.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–17. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
ON PURITY 20.7
Thus he wished us to understand that the man who is changed from his former carnal state to the whiteness of faith (which the world considers a blemish and a stain) and who is completely renewed is clean. He is no longer spotted, no longer mottled with both the old and the new.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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