Leviticus 13:42

42 But if he has a reddish-white sore on scalp or forehead, it means a serious skin disease is breaking out.

Leviticus 13:42 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 13:42

And if there be
Or, "but if there be", or, "when there shall be" ^F25, or shall appear to be:

in the bald head, or in the bald forehead, a white reddish sore;
white and red mixed, as the Targum of Jonathan, having something of both colours, neither a clear white nor thorough red; though, according to Bochart, it should be rendered "a white sore exceeding bright"; (See Gill on Leviticus 13:19);

it [is] a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or in his bald forehead;
the signs of which were raw flesh and spreading; so it is said in the Misnah ^F26,

``those two sorts of baldness defile in two weeks, by two signs, by quick raw flesh and by spreading;''

if there was the bright spot and no quick flesh, then he was to be shut up seven days, and looked upon at the end of them; and if there was either quick flesh or a spreading, he was pronounced unclean, but if neither, he was shut up seven days more; and if either of the above signs appeared he was pronounced unclean, if not he was set free.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (ykw) "sin autem", V. L. "quum autem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator Drusius.
F26 Ut supra. (Misn. Negaim, c. 10. sect. 10.)

Leviticus 13:42 In-Context

40 "When a man loses his hair and goes bald, he is clean.

41 If he loses his hair from his forehead, he is bald and he is clean.

42 But if he has a reddish-white sore on scalp or forehead, it means a serious skin disease is breaking out.

43 The priest is to examine it; if the swollen sore on his scalp or forehead is reddish-white like the appearance of the sore of a serious skin disease,

44 he has a serious skin disease and is unclean. The priest has to pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.