Leviticus 13:7 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 13:7 mean?

Leviticus 13:7 says that an earlier decision about a skin condition was not necessarily final. If the affected patch spread after the priest had examined the person for cleansing, the person had to return to the priest for another examination.

The verse follows an earlier inspection in verse 6, where the priest pronounced the person clean. The phrase “spread much abroad” pictures the affected area extending across the skin. God gives these instructions to Moses and Aaron for the Israelites, with the priest responsible for examining the condition.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 13:7

• “scab” — מִסְפַּחַת (mispaḥat): The word refers to a skin eruption or affected patch. The English word “scab” might suggest only a crust over a healing wound, but the Hebrew term can describe a broader kind of skin condition.
• “cleansing” — טָהֳרָה (ṭohorah): The word refers to being made or pronounced clean. In this passage, “clean” describes a person’s standing under Israel’s rules for approaching sacred places, rather than simply whether the skin looked washed.

Why Leviticus 13:7 matters

• The instruction depends on a change after the first inspection. The words “after that he hath been seen” show that the earlier examination had already taken place.
• The priest’s new examination could lead to a different decision. In verse 8, if the priest sees that the affected patch has spread, he pronounces the person unclean.
• “Unclean” in this passage was a status with practical consequences. Later in the chapter, a person with the condition described there had to live outside the camp for as long as the condition made them unclean (Leviticus 13:45–46).