What Does Leviticus 13:21 Mean?
But if the priest looks upon it, and behold, there is no white hair in it, and it is not sunken below the skin, but is somewhat dim; then the priest shall shut him in seven days;
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:THE KEY
A faint mark does not become a verdict here; it becomes a reason to wait seven days and look again.
THE MEANING
When a sign is faint and its decisive markers are absent, its meaning remains unresolved. The person is kept within a seven-day interval while the condition is observed again. Uncertainty receives a boundary and a time instead of being mistaken for certainty.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
A suspicious mark already proves the feared condition.
THE ROOT
כֵהָה
kehah
GROWS FROM
כהה
To be dim, dull, or faint.
“dim” in this verse is kehah. This root describes diminished clarity or force, not only a dark color. Here the subdued appearance leaves the condition unresolved, so the verse gives it time to be seen again.
ALSO GROWS
tikhēnā: Isaac’s eyes grew dim.
תִּכְהֶיןָ
The same root describes sight losing clarity, echoing how a faint sign can leave what is happening uncertain.
yikhheh: The servant will not grow dim or fail.
יִכְהֶה
The root can describe a loss of force as well as dimness; here the sign’s subdued appearance prompts continued observation rather than a settled conclusion.
וְהִסְגִּירוֹ
vehisgiro
GROWS FROM
סגר
To close, shut in, or enclose; in some forms, to hand over.
“shut him up” in this verse is vehisgiro. The Hebrew verb places the person within a defined interval of custody. Its other uses include shutting someone in and handing someone over, giving this closure the weight of containment while the signs are still being examined.
ALSO GROWS
vayisgor: The LORD shut Noah into the ark.
וַיִּסְגֹּר
The same root marks an enclosing boundary; here that boundary lasts seven days while the condition is watched.
tasgir: To hand an escaped servant over to his master.
תַּסְגִּיר
This form shows the root can describe placing someone into another’s custody, illuminating the bounded, temporary custody in this verse.
THE PATTERN
When signs remain inconclusive, judgment waits for another observation.
And the priest shall look upon him on the seventh day; and behold, if the stroke in its sight stands, and the stroke has not spread in the skin; then the priest shall shut him in seven days more;The one who returns a word before he hears it, folly and shame are his.Do not judge by what the eye sees, but judge the judgment of alignment.THE THREAD
And the priest shall look upon him on the seventh day; and behold, if the stroke in its sight stands, and the stroke has not spread in the skin; then the priest shall shut him in seven days more;Leviticus 13:5 repeats the Hebrew verb וְהִסְגִּירוֹ (vehisgiro, shut him in), from סגר (sagar, close or enclose). If the sign remains unchanged, the interval continues: the boundary holds while the evidence is observed again.
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