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.
The priest must examine the infected area on the person's skin. If the hair in that spot has turned white and the infection appears to go deeper than just the surface of the skin, then it is leprosy. When the priest sees this, he must declare the person unclean.
This verse describes how priests were to diagnose leprosy by looking for white hair and deep skin infection, then declare the person ceremonially unclean.
📚 Historical Context
In the ancient Israelite community, God gave Moses specific laws in the book of Leviticus to help maintain ritual purity and protect the people from diseases like leprosy, which was seen as a source of uncleanness. These instructions required priests to carefully examine skin conditions, as described in this verse, to determine if someone was contagious and needed isolation. This system was part of a broader covenant framework that emphasized holiness and separation from anything that could defile the nation before God.
Explore Similar Verses
Ask the AI Assistant
Have a question about this chapter or verse? Ask below for a clear explanation.