Lev 13:3-4 | NETfull | STEP | The priest must then examine the infection on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of the body, then it is a diseased infection, so when the priest examines it he must pronounce the person unclean.

Leviticus 13:3-4

3 The priest must then examine the infection ^{▼▼ Heb “and the priest shall see the infection.”} on the skin of the body, and if the hair ^{▼▼ There is no “if” expressed, but the contrast between the priestly finding in this verse and the next verse clearly implies it.} in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of the body, ^{▼▼ Heb “and the appearance of the infection is deep ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, “deeper than”) the skin of the his flesh.” See the note on v. 20 below.} then it is a diseased infection, ^{▼▼ For the translation “diseased infection” see the note on v. 2 above. Cf. TEV “a dreaded skin disease”; NIV “an infectious skin disease”; NLT “a contagious skin disease.”} so when the priest examines it ^{▼▼ The pronoun “it” here refers to the “infection,” not the person who has the infection (cf. the object of “examine” at the beginning of the verse).} he must pronounce the person unclean. ^{▼▼ Heb “he shall make him unclean.” The verb is the Piel of טָמֵא (tame’) “to be unclean.” Here it is a so-called “declarative” Piel (i.e., “to declare unclean”), but it also implies that the person is put into the category of actually being “unclean” by the pronouncement itself (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 175; cf. the corresponding opposite in v. 6 below).}

A Bright Spot on the Skin

4 “If ^{▼▼ Heb “and if.”} it is a white bright spot on the skin of his body, but it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, ^{▼▼ Heb “and deep is not its appearance from the skin”; cf. NAB “does not seem to have penetrated below the skin.”} and the hair has not turned white, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the infection for seven days. ^{▼▼ Heb “and the priest will shut up the infection seven days.”}