The Meaning of Leviticus 13:6 Explained

Leviticus 13:6

KJV: 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.

YLT: And the priest hath seen him on the second seventh day, and lo, the plague is become weak, and the plague hath not spread in the skin -- and the priest hath pronounced him clean, it is a scab, and he hath washed his garments, and hath been clean.

Darby: And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day, and behold, the sore is become pale and the sore hath not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is a scab; and he shall wash his garments and be clean.

ASV: and the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague be not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 13:6 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 13:6 mean?

and shall examine the priest him on the day seventh second and indeed [if] has faded the sore and [and] not has spread the sore on the skin then shall pronounce him clean the priest [is only] a scab it and he shall wash his clothes and be clean
וְרָאָה֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֮ שֵׁנִית֒ וְהִנֵּה֙ כֵּהָ֣ה הַנֶּ֔גַע וְלֹא־ פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְטִהֲר֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ מִסְפַּ֣חַת הִ֔יא וְכִבֶּ֥ס בְּגָדָ֖יו וְטָהֵֽר

וְרָאָה֩  and  shall  examine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַכֹּהֵ֨ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשְּׁבִיעִי֮  seventh 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.
שֵׁנִית֒  second 
Parse: Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
וְהִנֵּה֙  and  indeed  [if] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
כֵּהָ֣ה  has  faded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כֵּהֶה  
Sense: dim, dull, colourless, be dark, faint.
הַנֶּ֔גַע  the  sore 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
וְלֹא־  and  [and]  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
פָשָׂ֥ה  has  spread 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּשָׂה  
Sense: (Qal) to spread.
הַנֶּ֖גַע  the  sore 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
בָּע֑וֹר  on  the  skin 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
וְטִהֲר֤וֹ  then  shall  pronounce  him  clean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.
הַכֹּהֵן֙  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
מִסְפַּ֣חַת  [is  only]  a  scab 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִסְפַּחַת  
Sense: eruption, scab.
וְכִבֶּ֥ס  and  he  shall  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבַס  
Sense: to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller.
בְּגָדָ֖יו  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וְטָהֵֽר  and  be  clean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.