Leviticus 13:8

13:8 The priest must then examine it, ¹  and if ²  the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. ³  It is a disease.

Leviticus 13:42

13:42 But if there is a reddish white infection in the back or front bald area, it is a disease breaking out in his back or front bald area.

Leviticus 14:7

14:7 and sprinkle it seven times on the one being cleansed ⁴  from the disease, pronounce him clean, ⁵  and send the live bird away over the open countryside. ⁶ 

Leviticus 14:44

14:44 the priest is to come and examine it, and if ⁷  the infection has spread in the house, it is a malignant disease in the house. It is unclean.

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¹ tn The “it” is not expressed but is to be understood. It refers to the “infection” (cf. the note on v. 2 above).

² tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).

³ tn This is the declarative Piel of the verb טָמֵא (tame’, cf. the note on v. 3 above).

⁴ tn Heb “the one cleansing himself” (i.e., Hitpael participle of טָהֵר [taher, “to be clean”]).

⁵ tn Heb “and he shall make him clean.” The verb is the Piel of טָהֵר (taher, “to be clean”), here used as a so-called “declarative” Piel (i.e., “to declare clean”; cf. 13:6, etc.).

⁶ sn The reddish color of cedar wood and the crimson colored fabric called for in v. 4 (see the note there, esp. the association with the color of blood) as well as the priestly commands to bring “two live” birds (v. 4a), to slaughter one of them “over fresh water” (literally “living water,” v. 5b), and the subsequent ritual with the (second) “live” bird (vv. 6-7) combine to communicate the concept of “life” and “being alive” in this passage. This contrasts with the fear of death associated with the serious skin diseases in view here (see, e.g., Aaron’s description of Miriam’s skin disease in Num 12:12, “Do not let her be like the dead one when it goes out from its mother’s womb and its flesh half eaten away”). Since the slaughtered bird here is not sacrificed at the altar and is not designated as an expiatory “sin offering,” this ritual procedure probably symbolizes the renewed life of the diseased person and displays it publicly for all to see. It is preparatory to the expiatory rituals that will follow (vv. 10-20, esp. vv. 18-20), but is not itself expiatory. Thus, although there are important similarities between the bird ritual here, the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:20-22), and the red heifer for cleansing from corpse contamination (Num 19), this bird ritual is different in that the latter two constitute “sin offerings” (Lev 16:5, 8-10; Num 19:9, 17). Neither of the birds in Lev 14:4-7 is designated or treated as a “sin offering.” Nevertheless, the very nature of the live bird ritual itself and its obvious similarity to the scapegoat ritual suggests that the patient’s disease has been removed far away so that he or she is free from its effects both personally and communally.

⁷ tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “If he sees that the mark has indeed spread.”