Bible Strands
Leviticus 13:2
“When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that may be an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD speaks to Moses and Aaron to establish a protocol for handling suspected skin conditions. The text requires anyone displaying a swelling, rash, or bright spot to be brought to Aaron or his priestly sons for inspection.
The words — The Hebrew שְׂאֵת (se'et) means a swelling, and סַפַּחַת (sappaḥat) denotes flaking skin, both marking physical signs that trigger the examination process.
The thread — This examination requirement runs in Leviticus 13:3, where the priest assesses the sore, and in Deuteronomy 24:8, which commands strict adherence to priestly instructions for such diseases.
Why it lands — The text demands immediate submission of suspected physical conditions to authorized religious officials for official determination. Readers must recognize that observable bodily signs require institutional verification rather than personal diagnosis.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 24:8 In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
- Leviticus 14:56 and for a swelling, rash, or spot,
- Leviticus 14:3 The priest is to go outside the camp to examine him, and if the skin disease of the afflicted person has healed,
- Exodus 4:6 Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow.
- Leviticus 14:35 the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘Something like mildew has appeared in my house.’
- Numbers 12:10 As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,
- Deuteronomy 17:8 If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
- Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.
- 2 Samuel 3:29 May it whirl over the head of Joab and over the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”
- 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.