Leviticus 13:3 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →White hair in the lesion and depth beyond the skin's surface are diagnostic signs of leprosy.
The Context of Leviticus 13:3
Diagnostic criteria for confirmed leprosy based on visible signs.
What Does Leviticus 13:3 Mean?
Two specific physical signs confirm the diagnosis: white hair within the affected area and a visible depression or depth extending below the skin's surface. Both of these observations require direct visual inspection by the priest. The combination of these signs leaves no ambiguity—the condition is definitively leprosy, and the priest pronounces the person unclean.
Pronouncing someone unclean is a formal declaration that separates the person from the community. This is not a medical prescription but a priestly judgment affecting the person's social and religious status. The priest's authority to make this declaration is absolute based on these observable signs.
Leviticus 13:3 in the Original Language
tzara'at (צָרַעַת), 'plague' or 'leprosy' — a skin condition that renders a person ceremonially unclean and requires priestly judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leviticus 13:3
What does Leviticus 13:3 mean?
White hair in the lesion and depth beyond the skin's surface are diagnostic signs of leprosy.
What is the context of Leviticus 13:3?
Diagnostic criteria for confirmed leprosy based on visible signs.