Leviticus 13:20

The priest shall examine it, and if it appears to be beneath the skin and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection that has broken out in the boil.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses relays divine instructions to Aaron and the priests regarding skin diseases. The priest examines a healed boil that has developed a white swelling or reddish-white spot.

The words — וְרָאָה (ve-ra'ah) means "and he will see," directing the priest to inspect the lesion. שָׁפָל (sha-fal) translates to "deep," indicating the infection has penetrated below the surface of the skin.

The thread — The examination protocol mirrors Leviticus 13:3, where white hair in a sore triggers a priestly verdict. The structural pattern of diagnosis and isolation also appears in Leviticus 13:21.

Why it lands — The text establishes a visible diagnostic standard before declaring ritual impurity. It requires the reader to recognize that physical markers, not internal states, determine the priest's official declaration.

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

וְרָאָ֣הve./ra.'Ahand/ he will see הַכֹּהֵ֗ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest וְהִנֵּ֤הve./hi.Nehand/ there!מַרְאֶ֙הָ֙mar.'E./haappearance/ its שָׁפָ֣לsha.Fal[is] deep מִן־min-more than הָע֔וֹרha./'Orthe/ skin וּשְׂעָרָ֖הּu./se.'a.Ra/hand/ hair/ its הָפַ֣ךְha.Fakhit has turned לָבָ֑ןla.Vanwhite וְטִמְּא֧וֹve./ti.me.'/Oand/ he will declare unclean/ him הַכֹּהֵ֛ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest נֶֽגַע־ne.ga'-[is] a plague of צָרַ֥עַתtza.Ra.'ata serious skin disease הִ֖ואhi'it בַּשְּׁחִ֥יןba./she.Chinin the/ boil פָּרָֽחָה׃pa.Ra.chahit has broken out

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Leviticus 13:3 The priest is to examine the infection on his skin, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean.
Matthew 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”
John 5:14 Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”
2 Peter 2:20 If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.