1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
2 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:
3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:
5 And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:
6 And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again.
8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
10 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising;
11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.
12 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;
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.
14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
17 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.
18 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
19 And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be showed to the priest;
20 And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.
21 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.
23 But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
24 Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white;
25 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
27 And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
28 And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning.
29 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.
31 And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:
32 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;
33 He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:
34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
35 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
36 Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.
37 But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38 If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
39 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.
40 And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.
41 And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.
42 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
43 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
45 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.
46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
47 The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment;
48 Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woolen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;
49 And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest:
50 And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
51 And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woolen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
54 Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
55 And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his color, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.
56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
57 And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
58 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Bible and it is a part of the Pentateuch, also known as the Torah. It is believed to have been written by Moses around 1445-1405 BC. The book of Leviticus contains laws and regulations given by God to the Israelites, outlining their religious and moral obligations. Chapter 13 of Leviticus focuses on the subject of leprosy and other skin diseases, and the laws and rituals surrounding them. This chapter is often referred to as the "Law of Leprosy" and it contains detailed instructions on how to identify, deal with, and cleanse oneself from these diseases.
Leviticus chapter 13 can be divided into three main themes: the identification of leprosy and other skin diseases, the isolation and purification process, and the role of the priest in this process.
The chapter begins with God giving Moses and Aaron instructions on how to identify different types of skin diseases. The Israelites were told to bring anyone with a suspected skin disease to the priest, who would then inspect the person and determine whether they were unclean or clean. The unclean person would be declared as having leprosy or another skin disease, while the clean person would be allowed to return to the community.
The chapter goes on to describe the specific signs and symptoms of different skin diseases, such as scabs, sores, and inflammations. It also mentions the importance of examining the hair and the beard of the individual, as well as any changes in the color of their skin.
The purpose of these detailed instructions was to prevent the spread of contagious diseases within the community. By identifying and isolating those who were unclean, the Israelites could protect themselves from the spread of these diseases.
Once a person was identified as unclean, they were required to isolate themselves from the rest of the community. This was to prevent the spread of the disease and to protect the purity of the community. The unclean person was required to live outside the camp, wear torn clothes, and cover their mouth while crying out, "Unclean, unclean!" (Leviticus 13:45). They were also not allowed to participate in any religious activities or have any physical contact with others.
If the person's condition improved, they were required to go through a purification process before they could rejoin the community. This process involved shaving off all their hair, washing their clothes, and bathing in water. After seven days, they would be inspected again by the priest to determine if they were fully cleansed. If so, they would be allowed back into the community and could resume their normal activities.
In this chapter, the role of the priest is crucial in the identification and purification process. The priest was responsible for examining the person with the skin disease and determining whether they were clean or unclean. They were also responsible for inspecting the person after their isolation period and declaring them clean or unclean.
Furthermore, the priest was also responsible for performing the ritual cleansing and offering sacrifices on behalf of the unclean person. This highlights the significance of the role of the priest in the Israelite community as the mediator between God and the people.
At first glance, Leviticus chapter 13 may seem like a tedious and irrelevant set of instructions. However, when we delve deeper, we can find several significant meanings and lessons that can be applied to our lives today.
The laws and regulations in this chapter were intended to promote physical and spiritual purity among the Israelites. Leprosy and other skin diseases were seen as physical manifestations of impurity, and it was believed that they could also affect a person's spiritual well-being. By identifying and isolating those who were unclean, the Israelites were able to maintain the purity of their community and their relationship with God.
In our modern society, we may not have the same strict regulations for physical purity, but the concept of spiritual purity remains relevant. We are called to keep ourselves pure and holy, both physically and spiritually, in order to have a closer relationship with God.
In today's society, being isolated is often seen as a form of punishment or loneliness. However, in the context of Leviticus chapter 13, isolation served a different purpose. It was a form of protection for the community and a time for the individual to reflect on their actions and their relationship with God.
Sometimes, we may also need to take time away from the distractions and busyness of our lives to reflect on our spiritual well-being and make necessary changes. Isolation can be a time of growth and transformation if we use it wisely.
In the Old Testament, the priest served as the mediator between God and the people. They were responsible for offering sacrifices and performing rituals to atone for the sins of the people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ became the ultimate mediator between God and humanity through his death and resurrection.
Today, as Christians, we can approach God directly through Jesus Christ, our High Priest. However, we are also called to be priests in our own right, interceding for others and being mediators between God and the world.
Ultimately, Leviticus chapter 13 can also be seen as a testament to the power of God's healing. The Israelites believed that only God could heal them from their diseases and impurities. The rituals and sacrifices prescribed in this chapter were a way for the people to seek God's healing and forgiveness.
In our lives today, we may also face physical or spiritual illnesses. However, we can turn to God for healing and trust in His power to make us whole again.
Leviticus chapter 13 may seem like a tedious and outdated set of regulations, but it holds significant meaning and relevance for our lives today. It teaches us about the importance of purity, isolation, and the role of the priest as a mediator. It also reminds us of the power of God's healing and the need for us to constantly seek Him in our lives. As we strive to live holy and pure lives, we can find guidance and inspiration in the laws and regulations given to the Israelites in this chapter.
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