Leviticus 14:56 — Word Study
WLCוְלַשְׂאֵ֥ת וְלַסַּפַּ֖חַת וְלַבֶּהָֽרֶת׃
BSAand for a swellingsᵉʼêth [elevation, rising] rashçappachath [scab, eruption] or spotbôhereth [bright spot, shining mark]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְלַשְׂאֵ֥ת | and to swelling | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְלַסַּפַּ֖חַת | and to flaking skin | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְלַבֶּהָֽרֶת׃ | and to bright spot | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | and for a swelling, rash, or spot, |
| KJV | And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot: |
| ASV | and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot; |
| YLT | and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot, — |
| WEB | and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot; |
| BBE | And for a growth or a bad place or a bright mark on the skin; |
Where they part company is in the specific terms used for the skin conditions — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured as a list, detailing multiple conditions in a clear and organized manner.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Leviticus 14:56
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Laws of Skin Diseasesgenerated
Leviticus 14:56 outlines specific skin conditions that a priest must examine to determine if a person is clean or unclean. This verse is part of a broader set of laws concerning infectious diseases, emphasizing the importance of ritual purity in the community. The preceding verses also address other skin issues and mildew, highlighting the care taken in maintaining cleanliness in both individuals and their belongings.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 13:2 | “When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that could become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שְׂאֵת, ve.las.'Etgenerated
The word שְׂאֵת (s'eth) refers to an elevation or swelling, often associated with skin conditions. It is derived from a root meaning to rise up, encompassing both physical and figurative senses of elevation. In this context, it indicates a physical swelling that may require examination for potential skin disease.
The lexicons note that שְׂאֵת can also refer to a leprous scab, indicating its medical relevance. This dual meaning highlights the seriousness of the conditions being described, as they relate to both physical health and ceremonial law.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses swelling, flaking skin, and bright spot.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure consists of a main clause followed by three prepositional phrases, each detailing a specific skin condition: וְלַשְׂאֵ֥ת, and for a swelling, וְלַסַּפַּ֖חַת, and for a flaking skin, and וְלַבֶּהָֽרֶת, and for a bright spot. This organization emphasizes the enumeration of conditions that require examination.
The syntax indicates that the verse is a list, with each condition presented in a parallel structure, which is typical in Hebrew prose for clarity and emphasis.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שְׂאֵת as οὐλῆς, which refers to a sore or ulcer. This choice narrows the focus from a general swelling to a specific type of skin affliction.
Similarly, סַפַּחַת is rendered as σημασίας, which indicates a mark or sign, aligning with the medical implications of skin conditions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 14:56 lists skin conditions that must be examined by a priest: swelling, flaking skin, and bright spots. These conditions are part of the laws regarding cleanliness and health in the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It refers to an elevation on the skin that may indicate a skin disease, requiring examination by a priest.
This term describes a skin eruption that can cause hair loss and may indicate a skin condition.
A bright spot refers to a whitish mark on the skin, which can be a sign of leprosy or other skin conditions.
They are part of the ceremonial laws that determine a person's cleanliness and ability to participate in community worship.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do the laws regarding skin diseases reflect the importance of health and purity in the community?
- What can we learn from the detailed descriptions of skin conditions in Leviticus?
- In what ways might we apply the principles of cleanliness and health to our lives today?
- How does understanding these laws help us appreciate the cultural context of ancient Israel?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 14:56 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot. Which were three sorts of leprosy in the skin of man's flesh; [See comments on Leviticus 13:2].
Read John Gill on Leviticus 14 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 14 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(54-56) This is the law for all manner of plague.—These verses sum up the laws of leprosy given in Leviticus 13, 14. The various names contained in Leviticus 14:56 are repeated from Leviticus 13:2.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 14 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges54–57. A summary of the cases dealt with in chs. 13, 14. Special sections have also their closing verses, see Leviticus 13:59, Leviticus 14:32.
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 14 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
and for a swelling, rash, or spot,
and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot;
and for a swelling, rash, or spot,
for the swelling, for the scab, and for the bright spot,
Tyndale line
And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot;
and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
And of the swelling, and of the skab, and of the white spot.
Strictly literal
and for the rising, and for the scab, and for the bright spot,
and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot, —
and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot—
And for a swelling, and for a rising, and for a bright spot;
for swelling, for a rash, and for a bright spot,
From the Latin
Of a scar and of blisters breaking out, of a shining spot, and when the colours are diversely changed:
Simplified
as well as for a swelling, rash, or spot.
And for a growth or a bad place or a bright mark on the skin;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew terms, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show no surviving text for this verse, indicating editorial restoration.
וְלַשְׂאֵ֥ת וְלַסַּפַּ֖חַת וְלַבֶּהָֽרֶת׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ולשׂאת ולספחת ולבהרת
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ולשאת] [ולספחת] [ולבהרת]
nothing on the leather here — 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Leviticus 14:56
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שְׂאֵת (s'eth) refers to concepts of elevation and dignity, including exaltation, swelling, and uprising. It is derived from a root meaning to rise up. The word encompasses both physical and figurative senses of elevation, such as rank or character. Notably, it can also refer to a leprous scab in a more literal context.
שְׂאֵת n.f. 1. exaltation, dignity. 2. swelling. 3. uprising
base
H7613 שְׂאֵת 1. exaltation, dignity. 2. swelling. 3. uprising
7613 s'eth seh-ayth'
from 5375; an elevation or leprous scab; figuratively,
elation or cheerfulness; exaltation in rank or character:--
be accepted, dignity, excellency, highness, raise up self,
rising.
see HEBREW for 05375
שְׂאֵת (se.et) — elevation.
1) elevation, exaltation, dignity, swelling, uprising
1a) dignity, exaltation, loftiness
1b) swelling
1c) uprising
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncfsa
swel'-ing: The verb ga'-ah, means "rise up" (Eze 47:5, etc.), so that the noun ga'awah (Ps 46:3) means "arising." The "swelling" of the sea that shakes the mountains is a perfectly good translation, and "pride" (so the American Revised Version margin) is beside the mark. In Jer 12:5; 49:19 parallel 50:44; Zec 11:3 is found the phrase ge'on ha-yarden, "exaltation of the Jordan," which the King James Version translates "pride of Jordan" in Zechariah and "swelling of Jordan" in Jeremiah (the Revised Version (British and American) has "pride" throughout, with "swelling" in the margin of Jeremiah). What is described is a place, with a mass of vegetation, easily burned (
Swelling
Of Jordan (Jer. 12:5), literally the “pride” of Jordan (as in R.V.), i.e., the luxuriant thickets of tamarisks, poplars, reeds, etc., which were the lair of lions and other beasts of prey. The reference is not to the overflowing of the river banks. (Comp. 49:19; 50:44; Zech. 11:3).
סַפַּ֫חַת (sap-pakh'-ath) refers to a scab or eruption, which can be either malignant or benign. The word is derived from a root meaning related to hair loss. It appears in contexts discussing skin conditions, highlighting its medical implications.
סַפַּ֫חַת n.f. eruption, scab, either malignant or harmless
base
H5597 סַפַּ֫חַת
5597 cappachath sap-pakh'-ath
from 5596; the mange (as making the hair fall off):--scab.
see HEBREW for 05596
סַפַּ֫חַת (sap.pa.chat) — scab.
1) eruption, scab, lesion
1a) either malignant or benign
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncfsa
(`or, geledh, "human skin" (Job 16:15), basar, "flesh," in the sense of "nakedness" (Ps 102:5 the King James Version); derma):
Literal:
The word `or designates the skin of both men and animals, the latter both raw and in tanned condition: "Yahweh God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins (`or), and clothed them" (Ge 3:21); "She put the skins (`or) of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck" (Ge 27:16); "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" (Jer 13:23). The Hebrew geledh is found in the sense of human skin: "I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid…
בַּהֶ֫רֶת (bohereth) refers to a bright or whitish spot on the skin, often associated with conditions like leprosy, scars, or blisters. It is a feminine active participle derived from a related term. The entries emphasize its appearance as a skin condition, without significant disagreement among the lexicons.
בַּהֶ֫רֶת n.f. brightness, bright spot
base
H934 בַּהֶ֫רֶת
934 bohereth bo-heh'-reth
feminine active participle of the same as 925; a whitish spot
on the skin:--bright spot.
see HEBREW for 0925
בַּהֶ֫רֶת (bo.he.ret) — bright spot.
1) white patch of skin, brightness, bright spot (on skin)
2) (CLBL) bright spot, scar, blister, boil
2a) resulting from fire
2b) resulting from inflammation of the skin
2c) possible sign of leprosy
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncfsa