Leviticus 13:42

And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(42) And if there be in the bald head.—Better, But if there be in the bald backhead. But if a reddish-white eruption appears either in the hinder or fore part of the bald head, resembling that which arises in the place of healed boils (see Leviticus 13:19-24), then it indicates the existence of leprosy.

In his bald head.—Better, in his bald backhead.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:18-44 The priest is told what judgment to make, if there were any appearance of a leprosy in old sores; and such is the danger of those who having escaped the pollutions of the world are again entangled therein. Or, in a burn by accident, ver. 24. The burning of strife and contention often occasions the rising and breaking out of that corruption, which proves that men are unclean. Human life lies exposed to many grievances. With what troops of diseases are we beset on every side; and thy all entered by sin! If the constitution be healthy, and the body lively and easy, we are bound to glorify God with our bodies. Particular note was taken of the leprosy, if in the head. If the leprosy of sin has seized the head; if the judgment be corrupted, and wicked principles, which support wicked practices, are embraced, it is utter uncleanness, from which few are cleansed. Soundness in the faith keeps leprosy from the head.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sore - Rather, stroke. It is the same word which elsewhere in this and the next chapter is rendered plague.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

40, 41. bald … forehead bald—The falling off of the hair, when the baldness commences in the back part of the head, is another symptom which creates a suspicion of leprosy. But it was not of itself a decisive sign unless taken in connection with other tokens, such as a "sore of a reddish white color" [Le 13:43]. The Hebrews as well as other Orientals were accustomed to distinguish between the forehead baldness, which might be natural, and that baldness which might be the consequence of disease.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

It is a sign that such baldness came not from age or any accident, but from the leprosy.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And if there be,.... Or, "but if there be", or, "when there shall be" (y), or shall appear to be:

in the bald head, or in the bald forehead, a white reddish sore; white and red mixed, as the Targum of Jonathan, having something of both colours, neither a clear white nor thorough red; though, according to Bochart, it should be rendered "a white sore exceeding bright"; See Gill on Leviticus 13:19,

it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or in his bald forehead; the signs of which were raw flesh and spreading; so it is said in the Misnah (z),"those two sorts of baldness defile in two weeks, by two signs, by quick raw flesh and by spreading;''if there was the bright spot and no quick flesh, then he was to be shut up seven days, and looked upon at the end of them; and if there was either quick flesh or a spreading, he was pronounced unclean, but if neither, he was shut up seven days more; and if either of the above signs appeared he was pronounced unclean, if not he was set free.

(y) "sin autem", V. L. "quum autem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator Drusius. (z) Ut supra. (Misn. Negaim, c. 10. sect. 10.)

Geneva Study Bible

And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Leviticus 13:42

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

But if a white reddish mole was formed upon the bald place before or behind, it was leprosy breaking out upon it, and was to be recognised by the fact that the rising of the mole had the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body. In that case the person was unclean, and to be pronounced so by the priest. "On his head is his plague of leprosy," i.e., he has it in his head.