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The Diagnosis of Impurity From Skin Diseases

13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

When a person has a discoloration or a scab or a shiny patch[a] on the skin of his body,[b] which may become an outbreak of an impure skin disease[c] on the skin of his body, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who are priests. The priest shall examine the infection on the skin of his body. If the hair on the infection has turned white and if the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an outbreak of an impure skin disease. After the priest has examined it, he shall declare it unclean.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 13:2 The identification of some of the symptoms throughout this section is uncertain.
  2. Leviticus 13:2 Literally skin of his flesh. Flesh here seems to cover the whole body except for the head, which has special rules (verse 29).
  3. Leviticus 13:2 Traditionally leprosy, but the Hebrew term has wider application than to that specific disease. Though some translations add the adjectives scaly or infectious, these terms are not accurate for all cases. There is also no indication that contagion is the main issue. Impure skin disease seems generic enough to cover all cases.
  4. Leviticus 13:3 In this context purity and impurity, cleanness and uncleanness refer to ceremonial purity, not to hygiene or morality.