Leviticus 13:33

33 then he shall shave himself, but the itch he shall not shave; and the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for seven days more;

Leviticus 13:33 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 13:33

He shall be shaven
His head or beard, where the scall was, as Aben Ezra; and so Ben Gersom, who adds, the law is not solicitous whether this shaving is by a priest or not; so it seems any one might shave him: but the scall shall he not shave;
that is, the hair that is in it, but that was to continue and grow, that the colour of it might be easily discerned at the end of seven other days; according to the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, he was to shave round about it, but not that itself; Jarchi says, he was to leave two hairs near it F21, that he might know whether it spread; for if it spread it would go over the hairs, and into the part that was shaven; when it would be a clear case it was a spreading leprosy: now, that there might be an opportunity of observing this, whether it would or not, the following method was to be taken: and the priest shall shut up [him that hath] the scall seven days
more;
by which time it would be seen whether there was any increase or decrease, or whether at a stand, and of what colour the hair was, by which judgment might be made of the case.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Misn. Negaim, c. 10. sect. 5.

Leviticus 13:33 In-Context

31 And if the priest examines the itching disease, and it appears no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for seven days,
32 and on the seventh day the priest shall examine the disease; and if the itch has not spread, and there is in it no yellow hair, and the itch appears to be no deeper than the skin,
33 then he shall shave himself, but the itch he shall not shave; and the priest shall shut up the person with the itching disease for seven days more;
34 and on the seventh day the priest shall examine the itch, and if the itch has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
35 But if the itch spreads in the skin after his cleansing,
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.