Leviticus 13:47
New International Version
“As for any fabric that is spoiled with a defiling mold—any woolen or linen clothing,

New Living Translation
“Now suppose mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing,

English Standard Version
“When there is a case of leprous disease in a garment, whether a woolen or a linen garment,

Berean Standard Bible
If any fabric is contaminated with mildew—any wool or linen garment,

King James Bible
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;

New King James Version
“Also, if a garment has a leprous plague in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment,

New American Standard Bible
“When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

NASB 1995
“When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

NASB 1977
“When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

Legacy Standard Bible
“When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

Amplified Bible
“When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

Christian Standard Bible
“If a fabric is contaminated with mildew—in wool or linen fabric,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If a fabric is contaminated with mildew—in wool or linen fabric,

American Standard Version
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;

English Revised Version
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Now about clothing-if there is a green or red area on a piece of clothing

Good News Translation
When there is mildew on clothing, whether wool or linen,

International Standard Version
"When clothing becomes infected with a contagion—whether the clothing is wool or linen—

Majority Standard Bible
If any fabric is contaminated with mildew—any wool or linen garment,

NET Bible
"When a garment has a diseased infection in it, whether a wool or linen garment,

New Heart English Bible
"The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment;

Webster's Bible Translation
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether a woolen garment, or a linen garment;

World English Bible
“The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when there is a plague of leprosy in any garment—in a garment of wool, or in a garment of linen,

Young's Literal Translation
'And when there is in any garment a plague of leprosy, -- in a garment of wool, or in a garment of linen,

Smith's Literal Translation
When a garment the stroke of leprosy shall be in it, whether in the garment of wool or in the garment of linen;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A woollen or linen garment that shall have the leprosy

Catholic Public Domain Version
A woolen or linen garment that will have held the leprosy,

New American Bible
When a fungal infection is on a garment of wool or of linen,

New Revised Standard Version
Concerning clothing: when a leprous disease appears in it, in woolen or linen cloth,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If a garment has leprous disease in it, whether it be a woolen garment or a linen garment,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a cloak, if it has in it a plague of leprosy, in a cloak of wool or in a cloak of linen;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when the plague of leprosy is in a garment, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if a garment have in it the plague of leprosy, a garment of wool, or a garment of flax,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laws about Mildew
47If any fabric is contaminated with mildew— any wool or linen garment, 48any weave or knit of linen or wool, or any article of leather—…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 22:11
Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.

Numbers 19:15
and any open container without a lid fastened on it is unclean.

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Matthew 9:20-22
Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. / She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.” / Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that very hour.

Mark 5:25-34
And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. / She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse. / When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. ...

Luke 8:43-48
including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her. / She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. / “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied it. “Master,” said Peter, “the people are crowding and pressing against You.” ...

2 Kings 5:27
Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

2 Kings 7:3-10
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? / If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.” / So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. ...

2 Chronicles 26:19-21
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead. / When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. / So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land.

Haggai 2:11-13
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling. / If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’” “No,” replied the priests. / So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered.

Matthew 23:27-28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Mark 1:40-45
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” / And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. ...

Luke 17:12-19
As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance / and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” / When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed. ...

Acts 10:9-16
The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray. / He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. / He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ...

Romans 14:14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.


Treasury of Scripture

The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment;

Isaiah 3:16-24
Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: …

Isaiah 59:6
Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

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Leviticus 13
1. The laws whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy.














If any fabric
The Hebrew word for "fabric" here is "beged," which generally refers to clothing or garments. In ancient Israel, clothing was not just a necessity but also a symbol of one's status and identity. The mention of fabric highlights the importance of purity and cleanliness in everyday life, reflecting God's desire for His people to maintain holiness in all aspects of their existence.

is contaminated
The term "contaminated" is translated from the Hebrew word "nega," which means a plague or affliction. This word is often used in the context of skin diseases or other forms of uncleanness. The use of "contaminated" underscores the seriousness with which God views purity, not only in physical health but also in spiritual and communal life. It serves as a reminder of the pervasive nature of sin and the need for vigilance in maintaining holiness.

with mildew
"Mildew" is translated from the Hebrew word "tzaraath," which is often associated with leprosy or other skin diseases. However, in this context, it refers to a form of mold or fungus that affects fabrics. The presence of mildew symbolizes decay and corruption, serving as a metaphor for sin's corrupting influence. It illustrates the need for constant purification and the removal of anything that defiles.

any wool or linen garment
Wool and linen were the primary materials used for clothing in ancient Israel. Wool, derived from sheep, and linen, made from flax, were both valued for their durability and comfort. The specific mention of these materials indicates the comprehensive nature of God's laws, covering all aspects of life. It also reflects the cultural and economic realities of the time, where clothing was a significant investment and a vital part of daily life.

(47) The garment also that.--Better, And if a garment hath. The fact that the same phrase, "plague of leprosy," is used both in the case of garments and of human beings, and that the symptoms and working of leprous garments and those of leprous men are identical, shows beyond doubt that the same distemper is meant. The theory, therefore, that "plague of leprosy" is here used figuratively of garments fretted by a species of animalculae or vermin, which feed upon and corrode the finer parts of the texture in the manner of moths, is contrary to the uniform import of this phrase in the discussion of the disorder, and is against the testimony of the administrators of the law during the second Temple, who came in personal contact with the complaint. They assure us that leprosy of garments and houses was not to be found in the world generally, but was a sign and miracle in Israel to guard them against an evil tongue. Equally untenable is the theory that it denotes an infectious condition of clothes caused by contact with the leprous matter of wounds and boils, which is so strong that it corrodes and injures all kinds of texture. Neither the regulations here laid down, nor the further development of them exhibited in the canons which obtained during the second Temple, regard leprosy as contagious. This is evident from the fact that the priest was in constant and close contact with the leper; that the leper who was entirely covered was pronounced clean, and could mix with the community (see Leviticus 13:12-13); that the priest himself ordered all the things in a leprous house to be taken out before he entered it, in order that they might be used again (see Leviticus 14:36); that according to the ancient canons a leprous minor, a leprous heathen or proselyte, as well as leprous garments in houses of non-Israelites, do not render any one unclean, nor does a bridegroom who is seized with this malady during the nuptial week defile any one. All this most unquestionably implies that there was no fear of contagion on the part of the authorities who had personally to deal with this distemper.

Whether it be a woollen garment.--As among the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, woollen and linen garments were the only apparel worn by the Israelites. (Comp. Deuteronomy 22:11; Hosea 2:7; Hosea 2:11; Proverbs 31:13.) The administrators of the law during the second Temple, however, took this enactment literally as referring strictly to wool of sheep and flax, but not to hemp and other materials. Hence they declared that a material made of camels' hair and sheep's wool is not rendered unclean by leprosy if the camels' hair preponderates, but is unclean when the sheep's hair preponderates, or when both are equal. The same rule also applies to mixtures of flax and hemp. Dyed skins and garments are not rendered unclean by leprosy. We have here another proof that these authorities did not regard leprosy as contagious. . . .

Verse 47. - Whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment. Wool and flax are the two materials for clothes mentioned in Deuteronomy 22:11; Proverbs 31:13; Hosea 2:7.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

any fabric
וְהַבֶּ֕גֶד (wə·hab·be·ḡeḏ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

is
יִהְיֶ֥ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

contaminated
נֶ֣גַע (ne·ḡa‘)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5061: Mark -- a blow, a spot

with mildew—
צָרָ֑עַת (ṣā·rā·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6883: Leprosy

any wool
צֶ֔מֶר (ṣe·mer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6785: Wool

or
א֖וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

linen
פִּשְׁתִּֽים׃ (piš·tîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6593: Flax, linen

garment,
בְּבֶ֣גֶד (bə·ḇe·ḡeḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage


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OT Law: Leviticus 13:47 The garment also that the plague (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 13:46
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