Leviticus 13:56

If the priest examines it and the mildew has faded after it has been washed, he must cut the contaminated section out of the fabric, leather, weave, or knit.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The text records God giving instructions through Moses to the priests regarding the inspection of mildewed fabrics and leather. The priest examines the item after it has been washed to determine if the contamination has faded.

The words — הַ/נֶּ֔גַע (ha./Ne.ga') translates literally as "the plague" or "the contamination," referring to the mildewed spot being inspected. כֵּהָ֣ה (ke.Hah) means "it has become dull" or "faded," describing the visual change the priest observes after washing.

The thread — The procedure for cutting out faded contamination runs alongside Leviticus 13:55, which commands burning items that do not fade after washing. It directly precedes Leviticus 13:57, which orders the burning of any article where the mildew reappears after treatment.

Why it lands — The reader must follow the priest’s visual assessment to decide whether to cut out the affected section or discard the material. The text demands practical obedience to ritual boundaries that separate clean from unclean.

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

And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: