Leviticus 13 — Hebrew and Greek compared
← Leviticus 12 compared · Reading text of Leviticus 13 · Leviticus: all chapters · Leviticus 14 compared →
Same 13 Similar 11 Different 25 Divergent 7 Disparate 3
Disparate in this chapter: 13:11, 13:31, 13:45
Each verse is rendered independently from the Hebrew (Rabbinic reading tradition) and from the Greek (Saints reading tradition). The badge classifies the relationship between the two readings; the note beneath records the source document’s comparison and attributed interpretation. Each column retains its own verse references where numbering differs.
A swelling, eruption, or bright spot · 13:1–8
13:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:1 YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
The joint address corresponds.
13:2 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:2 If anyone has a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot on the skin of his body, and it becomes a lesion of leprosy on his skin, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests.
Greek · Saints priority
13:2 If anyone has on the skin of his body a bright scar-like mark, and it becomes a lesion of leprosy on his skin, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests.
Hebrew lists three conditions; Greek combines scar, mark, and brightness in one descriptive construction. Leprosy here is the ancient ritual category, not a modern diagnosis.
13:3 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:3 The priest shall examine the lesion on the skin of his body. If the hair in the lesion has turned white and the lesion appears deeper than the skin of his body, it is a lesion of leprosy. The priest shall examine him and declare him unclean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:3 The priest shall examine the lesion on the skin of his body. If the hair in the lesion has turned white and the lesion appears lower than the skin of his body, it is a lesion of leprosy. The priest shall examine him and declare him unclean.
Deeper / lower conveys a corresponding visual criterion.
13:4 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:4 If the bright spot on his skin is white but does not appear deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the affected person for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:4 If the bright spot on his skin is white but does not appear lower than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, but it is faint, the priest shall isolate the lesion for seven days.
Greek adds but it is faint or dark, using a feminine pronoun whose referent may be the bright spot or the hair. Its diagnostic significance is uncertain. Hebrew speaks of isolating the lesion, rendered contextually as the affected person.
13:5 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:5 On the seventh day the priest shall examine him. If the lesion remains unchanged in his eyes and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall isolate him for another seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:5 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the lesion. If it remains before him and has not changed its position in the skin, the priest shall isolate him for a second seven days.
Hebrew describes spread; Greek metapipto describes change or displacement. The observation period agrees.
13:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:6 On the seventh day the priest shall examine him again. If the lesion has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall declare him clean; it is a scab. He shall wash his garments and be clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:6 On the seventh day the priest shall examine him a second time. If the lesion is faint and has not changed its position in the skin, the priest shall declare him clean, for it is a mark. He shall wash his garments and be clean.
Scab / mark and spread / change differ; the outcome corresponds.
13:7 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:7 But if the scab spreads in the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again.
Greek · Saints priority
13:7 But if the mark changes and shifts in the skin after the priest has examined him for cleansing, he shall appear before the priest a second time,
The change is described differently; both require renewed inspection.
13:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:8 The priest shall examine him, and if the scab has spread in the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is leprosy.
Greek · Saints priority
13:8 and the priest shall examine him. If the mark has shifted in the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is leprosy.
The diagnostic vocabulary differs as above.
Established leprosy and changes of appearance · 13:9–17
13:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:9 When a lesion of leprosy occurs in anyone, he shall be brought to the priest.
Greek · Saints priority
13:9 When a lesion of leprosy occurs in anyone, he shall come to the priest.
Being brought / coming changes the expressed agency.
13:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:10 The priest shall examine him. If there is a white swelling in the skin, which has turned the hair white, and raw living flesh in the swelling,
Greek · Saints priority
13:10 The priest shall examine him. If there is a white scar in the skin, which has turned the hair white, and some sound living flesh in the scar,
Swelling / scar; raw living flesh / sound living flesh preserves the distinct terminology without imposing a modern medical equivalence.
13:11 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:11 it is longstanding leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall declare him unclean; he shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:11 it is longstanding leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall declare him unclean and isolate him, for he is unclean.
Hebrew explicitly says not to isolate him; Greek commands isolation. The selected readings give opposing procedural instructions.
13:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:12 If the leprosy breaks out over the skin and covers all the affected person’s skin from head to foot, wherever the priest can see,
Greek · Saints priority
13:12 If the leprosy blossoms out in the skin and covers all the skin of the lesion from head to foot, within the priest’s whole view,
The full-body distribution corresponds.
13:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:13 the priest shall examine him. If the leprosy has covered all his flesh, he shall declare the affected person clean; it has all turned white, and he is clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:13 the priest shall examine him. If the leprosy has covered all the skin of his body, the priest shall declare him clean as to the lesion, because it has all turned white; it is clean.
Both declare the all-white condition clean. The distinction is ritual and observational, not a modern clinical finding.
13:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:14 But whenever raw living flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:14 But on whatever day living skin appears on him, he shall be defiled.
Living flesh / living skin.
13:15 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:15 The priest shall examine the raw living flesh and declare him unclean. The raw living flesh is unclean; it is leprosy.
Greek · Saints priority
13:15 The priest shall examine the sound skin, and the sound skin shall make him unclean, because it is unclean; it is leprosy.
Greek makes the skin the defiling agent in its second clause; Hebrew makes the priest declare the person unclean.
13:16 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:16 But if the raw living flesh changes and turns white, he shall come to the priest.
Greek · Saints priority
13:16 But if the sound skin is restored and turns white, he shall come to the priest,
Raw flesh / sound skin and changes / is restored preserve the different descriptions.
13:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:17 The priest shall examine him. If the lesion has turned white, the priest shall declare the affected person clean; he is clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:17 and the priest shall examine him. If the lesion has turned white, the priest shall declare the lesion clean; he is clean.
The declaration and result correspond; Hebrew’s lesion is rendered contextually as its bearer.
Boils and burns · 13:18–28
13:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:18 If a boil occurs on the skin of the body and heals,
Greek · Saints priority
13:18 If an ulcer occurs on the skin of the body and heals,
Hebrew shehin / Greek helkos is rendered boil / ulcer.
13:19 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:19 and a white swelling or a reddish-white bright spot appears in the place of the boil, he shall show himself to the priest.
Greek · Saints priority
13:19 and a white scar or a whitish or fiery-red bright spot appears in the place of the ulcer, he shall appear before the priest.
Hebrew combines reddish-white; Greek presents whitish or red alternatives. Swelling / scar also differs.
13:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:20 The priest shall examine it. If it appears lower than the skin and its hair has turned white, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion of leprosy that has broken out in the boil.
Greek · Saints priority
13:20 The priest shall examine it. If it appears lower than the skin and its hair has turned white, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is leprosy that has blossomed in the ulcer.
The criterion and outcome correspond, with boil / ulcer terminology.
13:21 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:21 But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in it, and it is not lower than the skin but has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:21 But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in it, and it is not lower than the skin of the body but is faint, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.
The observation rule corresponds.
13:22 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:22 If it spreads in the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion.
Greek · Saints priority
13:22 If it spreads in the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion of leprosy that has blossomed in the ulcer.
Greek supplies the explicit identification and origin in the ulcer.
13:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:23 But if the bright spot stays in its place and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil; the priest shall declare him clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:23 But if the bright spot stays in its place and does not spread, it is the scar of the ulcer; the priest shall declare him clean.
The stable scar is treated alike.
13:24 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:24 Or if the skin of the body has a burn from fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a reddish-white or white bright spot,
Greek · Saints priority
13:24 If the skin of the body has a burn from fire, and the healed area of the burn on his skin becomes a shining, bright, whitish-red or completely white spot,
Hebrew describes living or raw tissue; Greek describes the healed part and expands the brightness description.
13:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:25 the priest shall examine it. If the hair in the bright spot has turned white and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy that has broken out in the burn. The priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion of leprosy.
Greek · Saints priority
13:25 the priest shall examine him. If the hair in the shining spot has turned white and it appears lower than the skin, it is leprosy that has blossomed in the burn. The priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion of leprosy.
The diagnostic criterion and result correspond.
13:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:26 But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in the bright spot, and it is not lower than the skin but has faded, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:26 But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in the shining spot, and it is not lower than the skin but is faint, the priest shall isolate him for seven days.
The observation period corresponds.
13:27 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:27 The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion of leprosy.
Greek · Saints priority
13:27 The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; it is a lesion of leprosy that has blossomed in the ulcer.
Greek adds an origin in the ulcer even within this burn passage; its wording is not changed to burn for consistency.
13:28 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:28 But if the bright spot stays in its place, has not spread in the skin, and has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall declare him clean, for it is the scar of the burn.
Greek · Saints priority
13:28 But if the shining spot stays in its place, has not spread in the skin, and is faint, it is the scar of the burn. The priest shall declare him clean, for it is the mark of the burn.
Swelling / scar and scar / mark distinguish the descriptive terms.
The head, beard, and pale spots · 13:29–39
13:29 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:29 If a man or woman has a lesion on the head or beard,
Greek · Saints priority
13:29 If a man or woman has a lesion of leprosy on the head or beard,
Greek identifies leprosy at the outset.
13:30 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:30 the priest shall examine the lesion. If it appears deeper than the skin and has thin yellow hair in it, the priest shall declare him unclean. It is a scaly lesion, leprosy of the head or beard.
Greek · Saints priority
13:30 the priest shall examine the lesion. If it appears more hollow than the skin and has fine yellowish hair in it, the priest shall declare him unclean. It is a broken patch, leprosy of the head or leprosy of the beard.
Hebrew neteq / Greek thrausma names the hair-loss condition differently; both share the principal criteria.
13:31 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:31 If the priest examines the scaly lesion and it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate the person with the scaly lesion for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:31 If the priest examines the lesion of the broken patch and it does not appear more hollow than the skin, and there is no yellowish hair in it, the priest shall isolate the lesion of the broken patch for seven days.
The specified absent hair is black in Hebrew, yellowish in Greek. The diagnostic condition is different.
13:32 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:32 The priest shall examine the lesion on the seventh day. If the scaly lesion has not spread, no yellow hair has appeared in it, and it does not appear deeper than the skin,
Greek · Saints priority
13:32 The priest shall examine the lesion on the seventh day. If the broken patch has not spread, there is no yellowish hair in it, and it does not appear hollow below the skin,
The three inspection criteria correspond here, unlike 13:31.
13:33 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:33 he shall shave himself, but shall not shave the scaly lesion. The priest shall isolate the person with the scaly lesion for another seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:33 the skin shall be shaved, but the broken patch shall not be shaved. The priest shall isolate the broken patch for a second seven days.
Hebrew’s personal shaving instruction / Greek’s passive skin instruction.
13:34 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:34 The priest shall examine the scaly lesion on the seventh day. If it has not spread in the skin and does not appear deeper than the skin, the priest shall declare him clean. He shall wash his garments and be clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:34 The priest shall examine the broken patch on the seventh day. If it has not spread in the skin after he was shaved and does not appear hollow below the skin, the priest shall declare him clean. He shall wash his garments and be clean.
Greek explicitly links the inspection to the prior shaving.
13:35 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:35 But if the scaly lesion spreads in the skin after his cleansing,
Greek · Saints priority
13:35 But if the broken patch spreads in the skin after he has been cleansed,
The recurring condition terminology differs.
13:36 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:36 the priest shall examine him. If the scaly lesion has spread in the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair; he is unclean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:36 the priest shall examine him. If the broken patch has spread in the skin, the priest shall not inspect for yellow hair, because he is unclean.
Both make spreading sufficient for the declaration.
13:37 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:37 But if in his eyes the scaly lesion has remained unchanged and black hair has grown in it, the scaly lesion has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall declare him clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:37 But if before him the broken patch has remained in place and black hair has grown in it, the broken patch has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall declare him clean.
Black hair signals healing in both.
13:38 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:38 If a man or woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, white bright spots,
Greek · Saints priority
13:38 If a man or woman has shining, whitish patches on the skin of the body,
The white patches correspond.
13:39 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:39 the priest shall examine them. If the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a pale eruption that has broken out in the skin; he is clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:39 the priest shall examine him. If there are shining, whitish patches on the skin of his body, it is a white eruption; he is clean. It blossoms in the skin of his body; he is clean.
Hebrew specifies dull white; Greek repeats shining white and the clean declaration. The ancient eruption terms are not treated as modern diagnoses.
Baldness and the person declared unclean · 13:40–46
13:40 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:40 If a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald; he is clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:40 If anyone loses the hair of his head, he is bald; he is clean.
Baldness alone does not make the person unclean.
13:41 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:41 If he loses the hair at the front of his head, he is bald at the forehead; he is clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:41 If he loses the hair at the front of his head, he is bald at the forehead; he is clean.
The frontal baldness rule corresponds.
13:42 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:42 But if there is a reddish-white lesion on his bald head or bald forehead, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or bald forehead.
Greek · Saints priority
13:42 But if there is a white or fiery-red lesion on his bald head or bald forehead, it is leprosy on his bald head or bald forehead.
Combined reddish-white / white or red changes the color description.
13:43 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:43 The priest shall examine him. If the swelling of the lesion on his bald head or bald forehead is reddish-white, like leprosy on the skin of the body,
Greek · Saints priority
13:43 The priest shall examine him. If the lesion on his bald head or bald forehead appears white tinged with red, like the appearance of leprosy on the skin of his body,
The visual comparison corresponds, though Greek lacks swelling here.
13:44 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:44 he is a man with leprosy; he is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean; his lesion is on his head.
Greek · Saints priority
13:44 he is a person with leprosy. The priest must declare him unclean; his lesion is on his head.
Greek lacks the separate “he is unclean” statement while retaining the mandatory declaration.
13:45 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:45 The person with leprosy who has the lesion shall wear torn garments, let his hair hang loose, cover his upper lip, and cry, Unclean! Unclean!
Greek · Saints priority
13:45 The person with leprosy who has the lesion shall have his garments loosened, his head uncovered, and a covering around his mouth, and he shall be called unclean.
Hebrew commands the affected person’s repeated cry; Greek says he shall be called unclean. Torn / loosened clothing and loose hair / uncovered head also differ.
13:46 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:46 He shall be unclean as long as the lesion is on him; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Greek · Saints priority
13:46 All the days the lesion is on him, being unclean, he shall be unclean. He shall live separated; his residence shall be outside the camp.
Continued separation and residence outside correspond.
Rabbinic reception. Rashi, citing Arakhin 16b, interprets isolation as a response to slander that separates people. This is a moral homily, not an explicit medical explanation in Leviticus. Rashi, Leviticus 13:46
Affected clothing and leather · 13:47–59
13:47 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:47 If a garment has a lesion of leprosy, whether a woolen garment or a linen garment,
Greek · Saints priority
13:47 If a garment has a lesion of leprosy, whether a woolen garment or a tow garment,
Greek stippyinos specifies coarse flax or tow. Leprosy extends to materials in this ritual vocabulary.
13:48 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:48 or in the warp or weft of linen or wool, or in leather or anything made of leather,
Greek · Saints priority
13:48 or in warp or weft, or in linen or wool, or in leather or any worked leather,
Greek presents linen and wool as separately coordinated items rather than explicitly modifying warp and weft.
13:49 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:49 and the lesion in the garment, leather, warp, weft, or any leather article is greenish or reddish, it is a lesion of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest.
Greek · Saints priority
13:49 and the lesion in the leather, garment, warp, weft, or any worked leather article is greenish or fiery red, it is a lesion of leprosy, and he shall show it to the priest.
The list order and agency differ; the principal criteria agree.
13:50 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:50 The priest shall examine the lesion and isolate the affected article for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:50 The priest shall examine the lesion, and the priest shall isolate the lesion for seven days.
The affected article is supplied contextually in Hebrew–English; both prescribe isolation.
13:51 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:51 On the seventh day he shall examine the lesion. If it has spread in the garment, warp, weft, or leather, whatever work the leather is used for, the lesion is malignant leprosy; it is unclean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:51 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the lesion. If it has spread in the garment, warp, weft, or leather, in whatever use is made of leather, the lesion is persistent leprosy; it is unclean.
Hebrew mam’eret / Greek emmonos emphasizes destructive character / persistence.
13:52 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:52 He shall burn the garment, the warp or weft of wool or linen, or any leather article that has the lesion, for it is malignant leprosy; it shall be burned with fire.
Greek · Saints priority
13:52 He shall burn up the garment, the warp or weft in wool or linen, or any leather article that has the lesion, for it is persistent leprosy; it shall be burned up with fire.
Malignant / persistent recurs; disposal agrees.
13:53 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:53 But if the priest examines it and the lesion has not spread in the garment, warp, weft, or any leather article,
Greek · Saints priority
13:53 But if the priest examines it and the lesion has not spread in the garment, warp, weft, or any leather article,
The non-spreading condition corresponds.
13:54 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:54 the priest shall give instructions, and they shall wash the article with the lesion; he shall isolate it for another seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
13:54 the priest shall give instructions, and he shall wash the article with the lesion; the priest shall isolate the lesion for a second seven days.
The washing agent is plural in Hebrew, singular and unstated in Greek.
13:55 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:55 After it has been washed, the priest shall examine the lesion. If it has not changed its appearance, though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it with fire; it is a corrosive condition on its bare side or its hairy side.
Greek · Saints priority
13:55 After it has been washed, the priest shall examine the lesion. If it has not changed its appearance and has not spread, it is unclean; it shall be burned up with fire. It has become established in the garment, warp, or weft.
Hebrew uses difficult surface and corrosion terms; Greek names the textile components and an established condition. The Hebrew surface rendering is provisional.
13:56 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:56 But if the priest examines it and the lesion has faded after washing, he shall tear it out of the garment, leather, warp, or weft.
Greek · Saints priority
13:56 But if the priest examines it and the lesion is faint after washing, he shall tear it out of the garment, leather, warp, or weft.
Removal of the affected patch corresponds.
13:57 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:57 If it appears again in the garment, warp, weft, or any leather article, it is breaking out; burn the affected article with fire.
Greek · Saints priority
13:57 If it appears again in the garment, warp, weft, or any leather article, it is blossoming leprosy; the affected article shall be burned up with fire.
Greek explicitly identifies the recurrence as leprosy.
13:58 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:58 A garment, warp, weft, or any leather article that you wash, from which the lesion has departed, shall be washed a second time and be clean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:58 A garment, warp, weft, or any leather article that is washed, from which the lesion departs, shall be washed a second time and be clean.
The second washing after disappearance corresponds.
13:59 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
13:59 This is the law of a lesion of leprosy in a woolen or linen garment, warp, weft, or any leather article, for declaring it clean or unclean.
Greek · Saints priority
13:59 This is the law of a lesion of leprosy in a woolen or tow garment, warp, weft, or any leather article, for declaring it clean or unclean.
The coarse-flax term recurs; the summary function agrees.
← Leviticus 12 compared · Reading text of Leviticus 13 · Leviticus: all chapters · Leviticus 14 compared →
Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.