Leviticus 13:16
New International Version
If the raw flesh changes and turns white, they must go to the priest.

New Living Translation
However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest

English Standard Version
But if the raw flesh recovers and turns white again, then he shall come to the priest,

Berean Standard Bible
But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he must go to the priest.

King James Bible
Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;

New King James Version
Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest.

New American Standard Bible
Or if the raw flesh turns back and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

NASB 1995
“Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

NASB 1977
“Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

Legacy Standard Bible
Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

Amplified Bible
But if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

Christian Standard Bible
But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he is to go to the priest.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he must go to the priest.

American Standard Version
Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, then he shall come unto the priest;

English Revised Version
Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, then he shall come unto the priest,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But if the raw flesh turns white again, he must go to the priest.

Good News Translation
But when the sore heals and becomes white again, you shall go to the priest,

International Standard Version
If the raw flesh recurs and turns white, then he is to go to the priest.

Majority Standard Bible
But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he must go to the priest.

NET Bible
If, however, the raw flesh once again turns white, then he must come to the priest.

New Heart English Bible
Or if the raw flesh turns again, and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest;

Webster's Bible Translation
Or if the raw flesh shall turn again, and be changed into white, he shall come to the priest;

World English Bible
Or if the raw flesh turns again, and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Or when the raw flesh turns back, and has been turned to white, then he has come to the priest,

Young's Literal Translation
Or when the raw flesh turneth back, and hath been turned to white, then he hath come in unto the priest,

Smith's Literal Translation
Or when the living flesh shall turn back and turn to white, he shall be brought to the priest.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if again it be turned into whiteness, and cover all the man,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And if again it will have turned into whiteness, and will have covered the entire man,

New American Bible
If, however, the raw flesh again turns white, the person shall return to the priest;

New Revised Standard Version
But if the raw flesh again turns white, he shall come to the priest;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Or if the raw flesh turns again, and is changed to white, then he shall be brought to the priest;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if it is that the raw flesh has turned to white, he shall be brought to the Priest;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But if the raw flesh again be turned into white, then he shall come unto the priest;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But if the sound flesh be restored and changed to white, then shall he come to the priest;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laws about Skin Diseases
15When the priest sees the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; it is a skin disease. 16But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he must go to the priest. 17The priest will reexamine him, and if the infection has turned white, the priest is to pronounce the infected person clean; then he is clean.…

Cross References
Matthew 8:2-4
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. / Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

Luke 17:12-14
As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance / and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” / When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.

Mark 1:40-44
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” / And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. ...

2 Kings 5:1-14
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. / At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. / She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.” ...

Numbers 12:10-15
As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous, / and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. / Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” ...

Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Luke 5:12-14
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. / “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

2 Chronicles 26:19-21
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead. / When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. / So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land.

Isaiah 1:5-6
Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. / From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

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.

Luke 7:22
So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

2 Kings 7:3-10
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? / If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.” / So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. ...

Isaiah 53:4
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

Mark 14:3
While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.


Treasury of Scripture

Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed to white, he shall come to the priest;

Romans 7:14-24
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin…

Galatians 1:14-16
And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers…

Philippians 3:6-8
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless…

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Leviticus 13
1. The laws whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy.














But if the raw flesh changes
The phrase "raw flesh" in Hebrew is "basar chai," which refers to living or fresh flesh. In the context of Leviticus, this indicates a condition of the skin that is not healed and is potentially infectious. The Hebrew understanding of "changes" (shana) implies a transformation or alteration. This transformation is significant in the purification process, symbolizing a shift from impurity to purity. Historically, leprosy and skin diseases were seen as physical manifestations of spiritual impurity, and any change in the condition was a hopeful sign of healing and restoration.

and turns white
The color white in biblical terms often symbolizes purity and cleanliness. In the context of Leviticus, the turning of raw flesh to white indicates a healing process. The Hebrew word for "white" is "laban," which is associated with purity and holiness. This transformation is not just physical but also spiritual, as it signifies the removal of impurity and the restoration of the individual to the community. Archaeological findings suggest that ancient cultures, including the Israelites, placed significant emphasis on physical signs as indicators of spiritual states.

he must go to the priest
The role of the priest in ancient Israel was not only religious but also communal and medical. The Hebrew word for "priest" is "kohen," and the priest acted as a mediator between God and the people. In this context, the priest's examination was crucial for determining the individual's status of cleanliness. The priest's authority to declare someone clean or unclean underscores the importance of spiritual leadership and guidance in the community. This process reflects the broader biblical theme of seeking divine approval and guidance in matters of health and purity. The priest's involvement highlights the integration of faith and daily life, where spiritual leaders play a vital role in the well-being of the community.

(16, 17) Or if the raw flesh turn again.--Rather, yet if the sound flesh changeth again and becometh, &c. As soon, however, as the patches of sound flesh resume the white colour, so that the whole body is again white, without exhibiting any spots, the patient is to betake himself to the priest, who, after assuring himself of the fact, will pronounce him clean.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
א֣וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

if
כִ֥י (ḵî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the raw
הַחַ֖י (ha·ḥay)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

flesh
הַבָּשָׂ֥ר (hab·bā·śār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

changes
יָשׁ֛וּב (yā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

and turns
וְנֶהְפַּ֣ךְ (wə·neh·paḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2015: To turn about, over, to change, overturn, return, pervert

white,
לְלָבָ֑ן (lə·lā·ḇān)
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3836: White

he must go
וּבָ֖א (ū·ḇā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the priest.
הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest


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OT Law: Leviticus 13:16 Or if the raw flesh turns again (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 13:15
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