“But if the priest looks, and indeed the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in any article of leather,
Parallel translations
- WEB “If the priest examines it, and behold, the plague hasn’t spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin;
- KJV And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
- BSB But when the priest reexamines it, if the mildew has not spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather article,
- NKJV “But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather,
- NLT “But if the priest examines it and finds that the contaminated area has not spread in the clothing, the fabric, or the leather,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If after seven days the plague has not spread, the article is treated differently. It matters because God's law distinguished carefully between active corruption and a contained mark.
Overview
The contrast with the spreading case shows the priest weighing the evidence honestly before pronouncing judgment. Where corruption had not advanced, destruction was not yet warranted, and further steps of cleansing could follow. This careful discrimination reflects God's justice, which neither overlooks real defilement nor condemns where cleansing is possible.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 13:53 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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