Leviticus 13:5

5 and the priest shall look on him the seventh day and see if the plague in his sight is stayed and the plague is not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days the second time.

Leviticus 13:5 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 13:5

And the priest shall look on him the seventh day
In the day, and not in the night, as Maimonides, but not on the seventh day, if it happened to be on the sabbath ^F6, then it was put off till after it; and, according to the Jewish canons ^F7, they do not look upon plagues in the morning, nor in the evening, nor in the middle of a house, nor on a cloudy day, nor at noon, but at the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth hours:

and, behold, [if] the plague in his sight be at a stay;
it appears to the priest, according to the strictest view he can take of it, that it is in the same state and condition it was, neither better nor worse:

[and] the plague spread not in the skin:
is not greater or larger than it was, though not less:

then the priest shall shut him up seven days more;
such abundant care was taken, lest after all it should prove a leprosy.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Misn. Negaim, c. 1. sect. 4.
F7 Misn. ib. c. 2. sect. 2.

Leviticus 13:5 In-Context

3 and the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh, and if the hair in the plague is turned white and the plague looks deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy; and the priest shall recognize him and pronounce him unclean.

4 If the bright spot is white in the skin of his flesh and looks to be not deeper than the skin and the hair thereof is not turned white; then the priest shall shut up the one that has the plague seven days;

5 and the priest shall look on him the seventh day and see if the plague in his sight is stayed and the plague is not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days the second time.

6 After this the priest shall look on him again the seventh day and see if the plague has darkened and that the plague is not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is but a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

7 But if the scab spreads much abroad in the skin after he has been shown unto the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again;