The Meaning of Leviticus 13:12 Explained

Leviticus 13:12

KJV: 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;

YLT: And if the leprosy break out greatly in the skin, and the leprosy hath covered all the skin of him who hath the plague, from his head even unto his feet, to all that appeareth to the eyes of the priest,

Darby: But if the leprosy break out much in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the sore, from his head even to his foot, wherever the eyes of the priest look,

ASV: And if the 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 feet, as far as appeareth to the priest;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Leviticus 13:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 13:1-17 - The Test Of Leprosy
Leprosy was a sort of living death, involving exclusion from the fellowship of the living, and from the sanctuary. Consequently the process of restoration consisted of two stages: re-admission, through the cure of disease, into the fellowship of the living, Leviticus 13:1-59, and then to the camp and sanctuary, through the due performance of prescribed rites, Leviticus 14:1-32. The enumeration of the symptoms is very deliberate. The priest was required to conduct his examination with the greatest care, lest he should pronounce that to be leprosy which was not really so.
How different this to the sweeping and hasty judgments that we pass on each other! We judge by appearances only, and are not especially concerned to judge righteously. Sin, of which leprosy is the type, is not a superficial disease; it is "deeper than the skin." See Leviticus 13:3-4; Leviticus 13:25; Leviticus 13:30-32; Leviticus 13:34. They who know us best are not aware of the secret springs of impure motive, and the polluted things that hold empire within the soul. But the body of sin must be brought to an end at the Cross. See Romans 6:6. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 13

1  The laws whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy

What do the individual words in Leviticus 13:12 mean?

And if all over breaks out leprosy the skin and covers the leprosy - all the skin of [the one who has] the sore from his head and to his foot wherever - looks the priest
וְאִם־ פָּר֨וֹחַ תִּפְרַ֤ח הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙ בָּע֔וֹר וְכִסְּתָ֣ה הַצָּרַ֗עַת אֵ֚ת כָּל־ ע֣וֹר הַנֶּ֔גַע מֵרֹאשׁ֖וֹ וְעַד־ רַגְלָ֑יו לְכָל־ מַרְאֵ֖ה עֵינֵ֥י הַכֹּהֵֽן

וְאִם־  And  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
פָּר֨וֹחַ  all  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: פָּרַח 
Sense: to bud, sprout, shoot, bloom.
תִּפְרַ֤ח  breaks  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּרַח 
Sense: to bud, sprout, shoot, bloom.
הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙  leprosy 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרַעַת  
Sense: leprosy.
בָּע֔וֹר  the  skin 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
וְכִסְּתָ֣ה  and  covers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
הַצָּרַ֗עַת  the  leprosy 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרַעַת  
Sense: leprosy.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
ע֣וֹר  the  skin 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
הַנֶּ֔גַע  of  [the  one  who  has]  the  sore 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
מֵרֹאשׁ֖וֹ  from  his  head 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
רַגְלָ֑יו  his  foot 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
לְכָל־  wherever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַרְאֵ֖ה  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַרְאֶה  
Sense: sight, appearance, vision.
עֵינֵ֥י  looks 
Parse: Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הַכֹּהֵֽן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.