Leviticus 13: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Leviticus 13 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Yahweh speaks to Moses and Aaron about the plague of leprosy. A man with a rising, a scab or a bright spot is brought to the priest. White hair and a spot deeper than the skin mean leprosy, and the priest pronounces him unclean (vv.

Key verse

“The leper in whom the plague is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
Leviticus 13:45 (WEB)

Outline

Leviticus 13:1–3 Initial Examination of Skin Plagues
Leviticus 13:4–8 Isolation for Observation
Leviticus 13:9–15 Chronic Leprosy Determination
Leviticus 13:16–28 Evaluation of Healed Boils and Burns
Leviticus 13:29–37 Itch and Baldness Regulations
Leviticus 13:38–41 Bright Spots and Baldness Overview
Leviticus 13:42–59 Leprosy in Clothing and Mildew

Discussion questions

What does the priest look for in v3 before he pronounces someone 'unclean'?
In v45, what does a leper have to wear according to the law?
The phrase 'in the garment' in v49: what does this suggest about communal contamination?
In vv. 12-13, why can a person with leprosy covering all their flesh be pronounced clean?
When have you felt the need to isolate yourself, similar to the leper's 'unclean' status in v46?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Leviticus 13: Leviticus 14, Luke 17, Numbers 12.

Before next time: read Leviticus 14.