Reference

Leviticus 13:5

Pre-Law Clean/Unclean Distinction Seventh-Day Sabbath Symbolic / Spiritual Interpretation

“And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:”

And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:

And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:

And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Pre-Law Clean/Unclean Distinction

This verse is found within the book of Leviticus, which is part of the Mosaic Law given at Sinai, therefore it describes a clean/unclean distinction *within* the Law, not before it.

Seventh-Day Sabbath

The verse mentions "the seventh day" as a point in a diagnostic timeline for a skin condition, not as a day of rest or a Sabbath. There is no explicit or implicit connection to the concept of a Sabbath.

Symbolic / Spiritual Interpretation

The verse describes a literal physical examination of a skin condition by a priest and the subsequent quarantine period, with no language or imagery that suggests a symbolic or spiritual meaning for "plague" or "skin."

Pre-Law Clean/Unclean Distinction

Related Verses

Leviticus 13:50

“And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:”

Leviticus 13:54

“Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:”

Leviticus 13:32

“And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;”

Leviticus 13:31

“And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:”

Leviticus 14:39

“And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;”

Thematic Connections

Pre-Law Clean/Unclean Distinction Seventh-Day Sabbath Symbolic / Spiritual Interpretation

Private Study Note

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