Leviticus 13:27

Verse

On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if it has spread further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection.

American Standard Version (1901)

and the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

Bible in Basic English

And the priest is to see him again on the seventh day; if it is increased in the skin, then the priest will say that he is unclean: it is the leper's disease.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And on the seventh day he shall view him: if the leprosy be grown farther in the skin, he shall declare him unclean.

Free Bible Version

On the seventh day the priest will inspect the person again. If then the spot has spread further on the skin, the priest will declare them unclean; it is a serious skin disease.

Geneva Bible 1599

After, the Priest shall looke on him the seuenth day: if it be growen abroad in the skinne, then the Priest shall pronounce him vncleane: for it is the plague of leprosie.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

One Unity Resource Bible

The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of tzara'at.

Translation for Translators

On the seventh day, the priest will examine him again. If the sore is spreading, it is a contagious skin disease, and the priest will declare that the person must stay away from other people.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then the priest must examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread widely in the skin, then the priest must pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious disease.

Noah Webster Bible

And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it is spread much in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy,

World English Bible

The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of leprosy.

Young's Literal Translation

and the priest hath seen him on the seventh day, if it spread greatly in the skin, then the priest hath pronounced him unclean; a plague of leprosy it [is].

Context

Laws about Skin Diseases

²⁶But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot, and it is not beneath the skin but has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.²⁷On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if it has spread further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection.²⁸But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest is to pronounce him clean; for it is only the scar from the burn.

Summary

Leviticus 13:27 discusses the diagnosis of leprosy in a person. In this verse, if the disease covers the person's entire body from head to toe, the priest would declare the individual clean. This may seem counterintuitive, but it signifies that the disease had reached a point where it could no longer spread, making the person ceremonially clean. This demonstrates the meticulous process the Israelites followed in dealing with infectious diseases and the role of the priest in making such determinations according to God's instructions.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day,.... When that is come, any time on that day; not needing to wait until the end of it, or till, the seven days are precisely up; the same is to be understood in all places in this chapter where the like is used: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin; in the space of seven days: then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the plague of leprosy: according to the law; so that it was necessary, in such a case for him to conform to it in order to his cleansing.