EJ&T: Leviticus 13: Laws about leprosy, itchy spots, yellow hairs, freckles, baldness, and unclean clothes

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613. See here for a list of those that I've found so far.

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Okay, we've finally made it to Leviticus 13, everybody's favorite chapter!

The law of leprosy

Leprosy must be diagnosed by a priest.

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: 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. Leviticus 13:2-3a

A person who suffers from leprosy is unclean.

The priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. Leviticus 13:3b

A person with a skin disease that has not yet been diagnosed as leprosy by a priest must stay away from all other people for seven days.

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. Leviticus 13:4

If after seven days the priest still cannot make a diagnosis, the sick person must stay away from everyone else for another seven days.

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. Leviticus 13:5

If after 14 days the priest is unable to diagnose leprosy, the priest will call the sick person scabbed but clean, and tell the person to wash his or her clothes.

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. Leviticus 13:6

But if after 14 days, the scab on the sick person spreads, the priest will diagnose leprosy and pronounce the person unclean.

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. And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. Leviticus 13:7-8

A person has already been diagnosed with leprosy must be examined again later. If the priest again diagnoses leprosy, the person is unclean and must keep away from everyone else.

When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest; 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; 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. Leviticus 13:9-11

If a person is examined by a priest and the priest finds leprosy all over the person's body but the skin has turned white, then the priest will pronounce the person clean.

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; 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. Leviticus 13:12-13

But if the person's skin has has some raw flesh appear, then the priest will diagnose thet person with leprosy and declare him or her unclean.

But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy. Leviticus 13:14-15

If the person's skin turns white once more, then the priest will pronounce him or her clean.

Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest; 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. Leviticus 13:16-17

But if the person once had a boil that healed but has since been replaced with a white, reddish, or bright spot, then the priest will examine the boil and if he finds a hair that has turned white, then the priest will diagnose the person with leprosy and declare that person unclean.

The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed, And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest; 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. Leviticus 13:18-20

But if the priest looks at the person and finds no white hairs, then the priest will confine the person for seven days, and if after seven days the white hairs have spread, then the priest will diagnose the person with leprosy and declare that person unclean.

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: And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. Leviticus 13:21-22

But if the bright spot stays in one place, then the priest will diagnose it as a burning boil and he will pronounce the person clean.

But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. Leviticus 13:23

If the flesh has a hot burning with a white bright spot that is somewhat reddish or white, then the priest will check to see if it has a hair in the bright spot that has turned white. If so, then the priest will diagnose the person with leprosy and declare that person unclean.

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; 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. Leviticus 13:24-25

But if the priest finds no white hair in the bright spot that is beneath the skin, though it is a bit dark, then the priest will confine the person for seven days.

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. Leviticus 13:26

After seven days the priest will check the person's skin to see if it has spread much. If so, the priest will diagnose the person with leprosy and declare that person unclean.

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. Leviticus 13:27

But if after seven days the bright spot stays in its place, but be a bit dark, then it is a rising of the burning, and the priest will pronounce the person clean.

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. Leviticus 13:28

Laws about yellow hair and itchy spots

If a man or woman has a disease of the head or beard, then the priest will inspect that person's head. If the disease is slightly deeper than the skin and there's a yellow hair on it, then the priest will declare the person unlcean and diagnose the condition as a dry itch, a leprosy of the head or beard.

If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard; 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 itch, even a leprosy upon the head or beard. Leviticus 13:29-30

If, after examining the itchy spot, the priest finds a black hair in it, then the priest will confine the person for seven days.

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: Leviticus 13:31

On the seventh day the priest will look at the itchy spot. It it hasn't spread, there is no yellow hair, and it seems only slightly more than skin-deep, then the priest will shave the person and shut him or her up for another seven days.

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; 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. Leviticus 13:32-33

After another seven days, the priest will examine the itchy spot again. If the itchy spot hasn't spread and isn't any more than skin-deep, then the priest will pronounce the person clean and the person shall wash his or her clothes.

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. Leviticus 13:34

But if the itchy spot spreads after washing, the priest will examine the itchy spot for a yellow hair. If the priest finds one, the person is unclean.

But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing; 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. Leviticus 13:35-36

But if the itchy spot hasn't grown and a black hair has grown on it, then the itchy spot is healed and the priest pronounces the person clean.

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. Leviticus 13:37

The law of freckles

If a man or woman has bright white spots on their skin, then the priest will examine the spots. If they appear dark white, it is a freckle and the priest will declare the person clean.

If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; 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. Leviticus 13:38

Laws about baldness

If a man has hair fall off of his head, he is bald but he is clean.

And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. Leviticus 13:40

If a man has hair fall off the part of his head that is toward his face, he is forehead bald but he is clean.

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. Leviticus 13:41

If, however, there is a white reddish sore on the bald man's head or forehead, the priest will examine it. And it it looks like leprosy to the priest, the priest will declare that man utterly unclean with a plague on his head.

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. 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; He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. Leviticus 13:42-44

What to do with people with leprosy

People with leprosy must have their clothes destroyed, must not wear hats, must cover up their upper lips, and scream, "Unclean, Unclean!"

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. Leviticus 13:45

People with leprosy are defiled and unclean. They must live completely alone.

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. Leviticus 13:46

This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment.

Whatever clothes a person with leprosy owns must be given to the priest. The priest will lock up the clothes for seven days.

The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 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 shewed unto the priest: And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days. Leviticus 13:47-50

On the seventh day the priest will examine them. If the leprosy has spread on the clothes, then the plague is a fretting leprosy, which is unclean.

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.Leviticus 13:51

The priest will then burn the fretting leprosy clothes.

He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen 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. Leviticus 13:52

But if the priest examines the clothes of the person with leprosy and finds that the leprosy has not spread on the clothes after being locked up for a week, then the priest will lock the clothes up for another seven days.

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; Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: Leviticus 13:53-54

After the clothes have been locked up for another seven days, the priest will examine them again, and if the clothes have not changed color and the plague hasn't spread on them, then the clothes are unclean and shall be burned. They are fret inward.

And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, 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. Leviticus 13:55

But if, after the clothes have been locked up for 14 days, the priest finds a dark spot after washing them, then he shall tear the dark spot out of the garment.

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. Leviticus 13:56

If after locking the clothes up for 14 day, washing them, and then cutting off the dark spot, there is still a dark spot in the garment, then it is the clothes have the spreading plague and must be burnt with fire.

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. Leviticus 13:57

But if after locking the clothes up for 14 days, washing them, and cutting off any dark spots, and no more dark spots show up, then wash the clothes a second time and call them clean. This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment.

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. This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.Leviticus 13:58-59