Discovery BoxLeviticus 4:3 
Context4:3 “‘If the high priest 1 sins so that the people are guilty, 2 on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord 3 for a sin offering. 4
Leviticus 5:3
Context5:3 or when he touches human uncleanness with regard to anything by which he can become unclean, 5 even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty;
Leviticus 5:10
Context5:10 The second bird 6 he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation. 7 So the priest will make atonement 8 on behalf of this person for 9 his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven. 10
Leviticus 7:24
Context7:24 Moreover, the fat of an animal that has died of natural causes 11 and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be used for any other purpose, 12 but you must certainly never eat it.
Leviticus 13:2
Context13:2 “When someone has 13 a swelling 14 or a scab 15 or a bright spot 16 on the skin of his body 17 that may become a diseased infection, 18 he must be brought to Aaron the priest or one of his sons, the priests. 19
Leviticus 13:7
Context13:7 If, however, the scab is spreading further 20 on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his purification, then he must show himself to the priest a second time.
Leviticus 13:10
Context13:10 The priest will then examine it, 21 and if 22 a white swelling is on the skin, it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 23
Leviticus 13:13
Context13:13 the priest must then examine it, 24 and if 25 the disease covers his whole body, he is to pronounce the person with the infection clean. 26 He has turned all white, so he is clean. 27
Leviticus 13:21
Context13:21 If, however, 28 the priest examines it, and 29 there is no white hair in it, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 30
Leviticus 13:26
Context13:26 If, however, 31 the priest examines it and 32 there is no white hair in the bright spot, it is not deeper than the skin, 33 and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 34
Leviticus 13:32
Context13:32 The priest must then examine the infection on the seventh day, and if 35 the scall has not spread, there is no reddish yellow hair in it, and the scall does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 36
Leviticus 13:36
Context13:36 then the priest is to examine it, and if 37 the scall has spread on the skin the priest is not to search further for reddish yellow hair. 38 The person 39 is unclean.
Leviticus 13:39
Context13:39 the priest is to examine them, 40 and if 41 the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean. 42
Leviticus 13:45
Context13:45 “As for the diseased person who has the infection, 43 his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, 44 and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
Leviticus 13:52-53
Context13:52 He must burn the garment or the warp or the woof, whether wool or linen, or any article of leather which has the infection in it. Because it is a malignant disease it must be burned up in the fire. 13:53 But if the priest examines it and 45 the infection has not spread in the garment or in the warp or in the woof or in any article of leather,
Leviticus 13:57
Context13:57 Then if 46 it still appears again in the garment or the warp or the woof, or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. Whatever has the infection in it you must burn up in the fire.
Leviticus 15:19
Context15:19 “‘When a woman has a discharge 47 and her discharge is blood from her body, 48 she is to be in her menstruation 49 seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.
Leviticus 15:24
Context15:24 and if a man actually has sexual intercourse with her so that her menstrual impurity touches him, 50 then he will be unclean seven days and any bed he lies on will be unclean.
Leviticus 16:10
Context16:10 but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive 51 before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away to Azazel into the wilderness. 52
Leviticus 19:8
Context19:8 and the one who eats it will bear his punishment for iniquity 53 because he has profaned 54 what is holy to the Lord. 55 That person will be cut off from his people. 56
Leviticus 20:3
Context20:3 I myself will set my face 57 against that man and cut him off from the midst of his people, 58 because he has given some of his children to Molech and thereby defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 59
Leviticus 20:12
Context20:12 If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed perversion; 60 their blood guilt is on themselves.
Leviticus 20:14
Context20:14 If a man has sexual intercourse with both a woman and her mother, 61 it is lewdness. 62 Both he and they must be burned to death, 63 so there is no lewdness in your midst.
Leviticus 20:19
Context20:19 You must not expose the nakedness of your mother’s sister and your father’s sister, for such a person has laid bare his own close relative. 64 They must bear their punishment for iniquity. 65
Leviticus 20:27
Context20:27 “‘A man or woman who 66 has in them a spirit of the dead or a familiar spirit 67 must be put to death. They must pelt them with stones; 68 their blood guilt is on themselves.’”
Leviticus 21:10
Context21:10 “‘The high 69 priest – who is greater than his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, who has been ordained 70 to wear the priestly garments – must neither dishevel the hair of his head nor tear his garments. 71
Leviticus 21:18
Context21:18 Certainly 72 no man who has a physical flaw is to approach: a blind man, or one who is lame, or one with a slit nose, 73 or a limb too long,
Leviticus 21:23
Context21:23 but he must not go into the veil-canopy 74 or step forward to the altar because he has a physical flaw. Thus 75 he must not profane my holy places, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.’”
1 tn Heb “the anointed priest” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the high priest (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
2 tn Heb “to the guilt of the people”; NRSV “thus bringing guilt on the people.”
3 tn Heb “and he shall offer on his sin which he sinned, a bull, a son of the herd, flawless.”
4 sn The word for “sin offering” (sometimes translated “purification offering”) is the same as the word for “sin” earlier in the verse. One can tell which rendering is intended only by the context. The primary purpose of the “sin offering” (חַטָּאת, khatta’t) was to “purge” (כִּפֶּר, kipper, “to make atonement,” see 4:20, 26, 31, 35, and the notes on Lev 1:4 and esp. Lev 16:20, 33) the sanctuary or its furniture in order to cleanse it from any impurities and/or (re)consecrate it for holy purposes (see, e.g., Lev 8:15; 16:19). By making this atonement the impurities of the person or community were cleansed and the people became clean. See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:93-103.
5 tn Heb “or if he touches uncleanness of mankind to any of his uncleanness which he becomes unclean in it.”
6 tn The word “bird” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
7 sn The term “[standard] regulation” (מִשְׁפָּט, mishppat) here refers to the set of regulations for burnt offering birds in Lev 1:14-17.
8 sn The focus of sin offering “atonement” was purging impurities from the tabernacle (see the note on Lev 1:4).
9 tn See the note on 4:26 with regard to מִן, min.
10 tn Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV similar).
11 tn Heb “carcass,” referring to the carcass of an animal that has died on its own, not the carcass of an animal slaughtered for sacrifice or killed by wild beasts. This has been clarified in the translation by supplying the phrase “of natural causes”; cf. NAB, TEV “that has died a natural death.”
12 tn Heb “shall be used for any work”; cf. NIV, NLT “may be used for any other purpose.”
13 tn Heb “A man, if [or when] he has….” The term for “a man, human being” (אָדָם, ’adam; see the note on Lev 1:2) in this case refers to any person among “mankind,” male or female, since either could be afflicted with infections on the skin.
14 tn Some of the terms for disease or symptoms of disease in this chapter present difficulties for the translator. Most modern English versions render the Hebrew term שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et) as “swelling,” which has been retained here (see the explanation in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 189). Some have argued that “deeper (עָמֹק, ’amoq) than the skin of his body” in v. 3 means that “this sore was lower than the surrounding skin” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:773), in which case “swelling” would be an inappropriate translation of שְׂאֵת in v. 2. Similarly, שְׂאֵת also occurs in v. 19, and then v. 20 raises the issue of whether or not it appears to be “lower (שָׁפָל, shafal) than the skin” (cf. also 14:37 for a mark on the wall of a house), which may mean that the sore sinks below the surface of the skin rather than protruding above it as a swelling would (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 76-77). Thus, one could translate here, for example, “discoloration” (so Milgrom and II שְׂאֵת “spot, blemish on the skin” in HALOT 1301 s.v. II שְׂאֵת) or “local inflammation, boil, mole” (so Levine). However, one could interpret “lower” as “deeper,” i.e., visibly extending below the surface of the skin into the deeper layers as suggested by J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 188, 192. “Swelling” often extends deeply below the surface of the skin, it is certainly a common symptom of skin diseases, and the alternation of these two terms (i.e., “deeper” and “lower”) in vv. 25-26 below shows that they both refer to the same phenomenon (see also the note on v. 20 below), so it is retained in the present translation.
15 tn The etymology and meaning of this term is unknown. It could mean “scab” (KJV, ASV, NASB) or possibly “rash” (NIV, NLT), “flaking skin,” or an “eruption” (NRSV) of some sort.
16 tn Heb “shiny spot” or “white spot,” but to render this term “white spot” in this chapter would create redundancy in v. 4 where the regular term for “white” occurs alongside this word for “bright spot.”
17 tn Heb “in the skin of his flesh” as opposed to the head or the beard (v. 29).
18 tn Heb “a mark [or stroke; or plague] of disease.” In some places in this context (vv. 2, 3) it could be translated “a contagious skin disease.” Although the Hebrew term צָרָעַת (tsara’at) rendered here “diseased” is translated in many English versions as “leprosy,” it does not refer to Hanson’s disease, which is the modern technical understanding of the term “leprosy” (HALOT 1057 s.v. צָרְעַת a). There has been much discussion of the proper meaning of the term and the disease(s) to which it may refer (see, e.g., J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:774-76, 816-26; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 187-89; and the literature cited by them). The further description of the actual condition in the text suggests that the regulations are concerned with any kind of infectious diseases that are observable on the surface of the skin and, in addition to that, penetrate below the surface of the skin (vv. 3-4) or spread further across the surface of the skin (vv. 5-8). It is true that, in the OT, the term “disease” is often associated specifically with white “scaly” skin diseases that resemble the wasting away of the skin after death (see Milgrom who, in fact, translates “scale disease”; cf., e.g., Exod 4:6-7 and Num 12:9-12, esp. v. 12), but here it appears to be a broader term for any skin disease that penetrates deep or spreads far on the body. Scaly skin diseases would be included in this category, but also other types. Thus, a “swelling,” “scab,” or “bright spot” on the skin might be a symptom of disease, but not necessarily so. In this sense, “diseased” is a technical term. The term “infection” can apply to any “mark” on the skin whether it belongs to the category of “disease” or not (compare and contrast v. 3, where the “infection” is not “diseased,” with v. 4, where the “infection” is found to be “diseased”).
19 tn Or “it shall be reported to Aaron the priest.” This alternative rendering may be better in light of the parallel use of the same expression in Lev 14:2, where the priest had to go outside the camp in order to inspect the person who had been diseased. Since the rendering “he shall be brought to Aaron the priest” might confuse matters there, this expression should be rendered “it shall be reported” both here in 13:2 (cf. also v. 9) and in 14:2. See, however, the further note on 14:2 below, where it is argued that the diseased person would still need to “be brought” to the priest even if this happened outside the camp. Most English versions retain the idea of the afflicted person being “brought” to the priest for inspection.
20 tn Heb “And if spreading [infinitive absolute] it spreads [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.
21 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.” The pronoun “it” is unexpressed, but it should be assumed and it refers to the infection (cf. the note on v. 8 above).
22 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
23 tn Heb “and rawness [i.e., something living] of living flesh is in the swelling”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “quick raw flesh.”
24 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.” The pronoun “it” is unexpressed, but it should be assumed and it refers to the infection (cf. the note on v. 8 above).
25 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
26 tn Heb “he shall pronounce the infection clean,” but see v. 4 above. Also, this is another use of the declarative Piel of the verb טָהֵר (taher; cf. the note on v. 6 above).
27 tn Heb “all of him has turned white, and he is clean.”
28 tn Heb “and if.”
29 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
30 tn Heb “and the priest will shut him up seven days.”
31 tn Heb “and if.”
32 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “and indeed.”
33 tn Heb “and low it is not ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, “lower than”) the skin.” See the note on v. 20 above. Cf. TEV “not deeper than the surrounding skin.”
34 tn Heb “and the priest will shut him up seven days.”
35 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
36 tn Heb “and the appearance of the scall is not deep ‘from’ (comparative מִן, min, meaning “deeper than”) the skin.”
37 tn Heb “and behold.”
38 tn Heb “the priest shall not search to the reddish yellow hair.”
39 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the affected person) is specified in the translation for clarity (likewise in the following verse).
40 tn Heb “and the priest shall see.”
41 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV).
42 tn Heb “he,” but the regulation applies to a man or a woman (v. 38a). In the translation “the person” is used to specify the referent more clearly.
43 tn Heb “And the diseased one who in him is the infection.”
44 tn Heb “and his head shall be unbound, and he shall cover on [his] mustache.” Tearing one’s clothing, allowing the hair to hang loose rather than bound up in a turban, and covering the mustache on the upper lip are all ways of expressing shame, grief, or distress (cf., e.g., Lev 10:6 and Micah 3:7).
45 tn Heb “And if the priest sees and behold”; NASB “and indeed.”
46 tn Heb “And if”; NIV, NCV “But if”; NAB “If, however.”
47 tn See the note on Lev 15:2 above.
48 tn Heb “blood shall be her discharge in her flesh.” The term “flesh” here refers euphemistically to the female sexual area (cf. the note on v. 2 above).
49 tn See the note on Lev 12:2 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:925-27.
50 tn Heb “and if a man indeed lies with her and her menstrual impurity is on him.”
51 tn The LXX has “he shall stand it” (cf. v. 7).
52 tn Heb “to make atonement on it to send it away to Azazel toward the wilderness.”
53 tn See the note on Lev 17:16 above.
54 sn Regarding “profaned,” see the note on Lev 10:10 above.
55 tn Heb “the holiness of the
56 sn On the “cut off” penalty see the note on Lev 7:20.
57 tn Heb “And I, I shall give my faces.”
58 sn On the “cut off” penalty see the notes on Lev 7:20 and 17:4.
59 tn Heb “for the sake of defiling my sanctuary and to profane my holy name.”
60 tn The Hebrew term תֶּבֶל (tevel, “perversion”) derives from the verb “to mix; to confuse” (cf. KJV, ASV “they have wrought confusion”).
61 tn Heb “And a man who takes a woman and her mother.” The Hebrew verb “to take” in this context means “to engage in sexual intercourse.”
62 tn Regarding “lewdness,” see the note on Lev 18:17 above.
63 tn Heb “in fire they shall burn him and them.” The active plural verb sometimes requires a passive translation (GKC 460 §144.f, g), esp. when no active plural subject has been expressed in the context. The present translation specifies “burned to death” because the traditional rendering “burnt with fire” (KJV, ASV; NASB “burned with fire”) could be understood to mean “branded” or otherwise burned, but not fatally.
64 tn Heb “his flesh.”
65 tn See the note on Lev 17:16 above.
66 tc Smr, LXX, Syriac, and some Targum
67 tn See the note on the phrase “familiar spirit” in Lev 19:31 above.
68 tn This is not the most frequently-used Hebrew verb for stoning, but a word that refers to the action of throwing, slinging, or pelting someone with stones (see the note on v. 2 above). Smr and LXX have “you [plural] shall pelt them with stones.”
sn At first glance Lev 20:27 appears to be out of place but, on closer examination, one could argue that it constitutes the back side of an envelope around the case laws in 20:9-21, with Lev 20:6 forming the front of the envelope (note also that execution of mediums and spiritists by stoning in v. 27 is not explicitly stated in v. 6). This creates a chiastic structure: prohibition against mediums and spiritists (vv. 6 and 27), variations of the holiness formula (vv. 7 and 25-26), and exhortations to obey the
69 tn The adjective “high” has been supplied in the translation for clarity, as in many English versions.
70 tn Heb “and he has filled his hand.” For this expression see the note on Lev 8:33.
71 tn Regarding these signs of mourning see the note on Lev 10:6. His head had been anointed (v. 10a) so it must not be unkempt (v. 10b), and his garments were special priestly garments (v. 10a) so he must not tear them (v. 10b). In the translation “garments” has been employed rather than “clothes” to suggest that the special priestly garments are referred to here; cf. NRSV “nor tear his vestments.”
72 tn The particle כִּי (ki) in this context is asseverative, indicating absolutely certainty (GKC 498 §159.ee).
73 tn Lexically, the Hebrew term חָרֻם (kharum) seems to refer to a split nose or perhaps any number of other facial defects (HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם qal; cf. G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 292, n. 7); cf. KJV, ASV “a flat nose”; NASB “a disfigured face.” The NJPS translation is “a limb too short” as a balance to the following term which means “extended, raised,” and apparently refers to “a limb too long” (see the explanation in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 146).
74 sn See the note on Lev 16:2 for the rendering “veil-canopy.”
75 tn Heb “And.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here.
