Leviticus 14:55 — Word Study
WLCוּלְצָרַ֥עַת הַבֶּ֖גֶד וְלַבָּֽיִת׃
BSAfor mildewtsâraʻath [leprosy, a destructive plague] in clothingbeged [garments, a covering] or in a housebayith [a dwelling place, a family home]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּלְצָרַ֥עַת | and to [the] serious disease of | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| הַבֶּ֖גֶד | clothing | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְלַבָּֽיִת׃ | and to house | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | for mildew in clothing or in a house, |
| KJV | And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house, |
| ASV | and for the leprosy of a garment, and for a house, |
| YLT | and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house, |
| WEB | and for the destructive mildew of a garment, and for a house, |
| BBE | And for signs of disease in clothing, or in a house; |
Where they part company is in the rendering of צָרַעַת — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is concise, focusing on the specific contexts of mildew as it relates to clothing and houses.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Leviticus 14:55
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Laws Regarding Infectious Diseasesgenerated
Leviticus 14:55 is part of the laws that God gave to the Israelites regarding infectious diseases, particularly focusing on mildew that can appear in clothing or houses. This section highlights the importance of maintaining purity and cleanliness in the community, as seen in the broader context of Leviticus 13-14, which deals with various skin diseases and their implications for the community's health and ritual purity.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 13:47–59 | If any fabric is contaminated with mildew —any wool or linen garment, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — צָרַעַת, u.le.tza.Ra.'atgenerated
The word צָרַעַת (tsara'at) refers to leprosy, a serious skin disease, but in this context, it also signifies mildew or mold that can affect clothing and buildings. It is derived from a root that means 'to be stricken', indicating something that causes impurity.
This term appears frequently in the laws of Leviticus, emphasizing the need for careful examination and treatment of such conditions to maintain community health and purity. The use of this word reflects the seriousness of the condition and its implications for both personal and communal cleanliness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of צָרַעַת as 'mildew' or 'leprosy'.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a main clause followed by two prepositional phrases that detail the specific contexts of the mildew: וּלְצָרַ֥עַת (and to [the] serious disease of), הַבֶּ֖גֶד (the clothing), and וְלַבָּֽיִת (and to the house). This clear structure helps to emphasize the different areas where mildew can occur.
The use of conjunctions and prepositions indicates the relationship between the disease and its locations, making it clear that both clothing and houses are subject to the same laws regarding mildew.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, צָרַעַת is rendered as λέπρας (leprosy), which shows a narrowing of the term's application to a specific type of serious skin disease. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the text and its implications for purity laws.
The Greek word ἱματίου is used for clothing, aligning with the Hebrew term בֶּגֶד, indicating that the Septuagint maintains the focus on garments affected by mildew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 14:55 outlines the laws regarding mildew, which can appear in clothing or in a house. This verse is part of a larger set of instructions about how to deal with infectious diseases, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness in the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
צָרַעַת refers to mildew or leprosy, indicating a serious condition that can affect both clothing and buildings, requiring careful examination and treatment.
Cleanliness is crucial for maintaining community health and purity, as outlined in the laws of Leviticus, which aim to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
While the specific laws regarding mildew may not apply directly today, the underlying principles of cleanliness and health remain relevant.
These laws teach the importance of being vigilant about health and cleanliness in our environments, as well as the need for community responsibility in maintaining purity.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What steps can I take to maintain cleanliness in my home?
- How can I apply the principles of these laws to my life today?
- In what ways can I support others in maintaining their health and well-being?
- What does this passage teach me about the importance of community and shared responsibility?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 14:55 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd for the leprosy of a garment,.... Of which see Leviticus 13:47; and of an house; largely treated of in this chapter, Leviticus 14:34.
Read John Gill on Leviticus 14 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 14 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(54-56) This is the law for all manner of plague.—These verses sum up the laws of leprosy given in Leviticus 13, 14. The various names contained in Leviticus 14:56 are repeated from Leviticus 13:2.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 14 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges54–57. A summary of the cases dealt with in chs. 13, 14. Special sections have also their closing verses, see Leviticus 13:59, Leviticus 14:32.
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 14 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
for mildew in clothing or in a house,
and for the destructive mildew of a garment, and for a house,
for mildew in clothing or in a house,
for the diseased garment, for the house,
Tyndale line
And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
and for the leprosy of a garment, and for a house,
and for the leprosy of a garment, and for a house;
And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
And of the leprosie of the garment, and of the house,
Strictly literal
and for the leprosy of garments, and of houses,
and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
And for the leprosy of a garment and of a house,
and for mildew in clothing and in a house,
From the Latin
Of the leprosy of garments and houses,
Simplified
for mold on clothing and in a house,
And for signs of disease in clothing, or in a house;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with it. The Septuagint also matches the Hebrew closely in its rendering, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show some editorial restoration, indicating that the core message about mildew in clothing and houses has remained consistent across these texts.
וּלְצָרַ֥עַת הַבֶּ֖גֶד וְלַבָּֽיִת׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ולצרעת הבגד ולבית
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ולצרעת] [הבגד] [ולבית]
nothing on the leather here — 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Leviticus 14:55
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
צָרַ֫עַת (tsara`ath) means leprosy, referring to a malignant skin disease in people, as well as mildew or mold in clothing and buildings. It is derived from the root word for 'to be stricken' and appears in contexts related to purity laws in Leviticus.
צָרַ֫עַת 35 n.f. leprosy
base
H6883 צָרַ֫עַת leprosy
6883 tsara`ath tsaw-rah'-ath
from 6879; leprosy:--leprosy.
see HEBREW for 06879
צָרַ֫עַת (tsa.ra.at) — leprosy.
1) leprosy
1a) in people, malignant skin disease (Le 13:1-14:57)
1b) in clothing, a mildew or mould (Le 13:47-52)
1c) in buildings, a mildew or mould (Le 14:34-53)
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHC/R/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
בֶּ֫גֶד (beged) has meanings related to both clothing and treachery. It can refer to a garment or covering, as well as deceit or betrayal. The word is built from a root that suggests a duality in its usage, appearing in contexts that range from apparel to treacherous actions, notably in Isaiah 24:16 and Jeremiah 12:1.
H899a בֶּ֫גֶד treachery H899b בֶּ֫גֶד garment, covering
899 beged behg'-ed
from 898; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or
pillage:--apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag,
raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.
see HEBREW for 0898
בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — treachery.
treachery, deceit
בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — garment.
(CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between
base
בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house
house
place
receptacle
of house as containing a family
household, family (592 t.)
house, including household affairs
lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards
מִבַּיִת
adv. on the inside
prep. within
base
H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house
1004 bayith bah'-yith
probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest
variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,
daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as
would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),
inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,
temple, web, + within(-out).
see HEBREW for 01129
בֵּית (bet) — place.
nm
place, origin, between
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.
: home/temple/building
nm
1) house
1a) house, dwelling habitation
1b) shelter or abode of animals
1c) human bodies (fig.)
1d) of Sheol
1e) of abode of light and darkness
1f) of land of Ephraim
2) place
3) receptacle
4) home, house as containing a family
5) household, family
5a) those belonging to the same household
5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body
6) household affairs
7) inwards (metaph.)
8) (TWOT) temple
adv
9) on the inside
prep
10) within
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncmsa
hous (bayith; oikos, in classical Greek generally "an estate," oikia, oikema (literally, "habitation"), in Ac 12:1, "prison"):
I. CAVE DWELLINGS
II. STONE-BUILT AND MUD/BRICK-BUILT HOUSES
1. Details of Plan and Construction
(1) Corner-Stone
(2) Floor
(3) Gutter
(4) Door
(5) Hinge
(6) Lock and Key
(7) Threshold
(8) Hearth
(9) Window
(10) Roof
2. Houses of More than One Story
(1) Upper Chambers and Stairs
(2) Palaces and Castles
3. Internal Appearance
III. OTHER MEANINGS
LITERATURE
I. Cave Dwellings.
The earliest permanent habitations of the prehistoric inhabitants of Palestine were the natural caves which abound throughout the country. As the people increased and grouped themselves into communities, these abodes were supplemented by systems of artificial caves which, in some cases, developed into extensive burrowings of many adjoining compartments, having…
House
Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities (Gen. 47:3; Ex. 12:7; Heb. 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1 Kings 7:9; Isa. 9:10) and marble (1 Chr. 29:2) used in building, and to the internal wood-work of the houses (
The houses of the rural poor in Egypt, as well as in most parts of Syria, Arabia and Persia, are generally mere huts of mud or sunburnt bricks. In some parts of Palestine and Arabia stone is used, and in certain districts caves in the rocks are used as dwellings. (Amos 5:11) The houses are usually of one story only, viz., the ground floor, and often contain only one apartment. Sometimes a small court for the cattle is attached; and in some cases the cattle are housed in the same building, or the live in a raised platform, and, the cattle round them on the ground. (1 Samuel 28:24) The windows are small apertures high up in the walls, sometimes grated with wood. The roofs are commonly but not always flat, and are usually formed of plaster of mud and straw laid upon boughs or…
Is often put for dwelling, residence; and hence the temple, and even the tabernacle, are called the house of God.
The universal mode of building houses in the East, is in the form of a hollow square, with an open court or yard in the center; which is thus entirely shut in by the walls of the house around it. Into this court all the windows open, there being usually no windows towards the street. Some houses of large size require several courts, and these usually communicate with each other. These courts are commonly paved; and in many large houses parts of them are planted with shrubs and trees, Ps 84:3 128:3; they have also, when possible, a fountain in them, often with a jet d’ eau, 2Sa 17:18. It is customary in many houses to extend an awning over the whole court in hot…