Leviticus 14:56

Summary

This verse consists of a list of three technical skin conditions, each introduced by the preposition la ("to/in the", H9005), joined by the conjunction ve ("and", H9002). No verb is present in this fragment; it functions as an enumeration, likely continuing instructions from a preceding clause about diagnostic law (torah) for skin afflictions.

Key words

• s.'Et ("swelling", H7613) — feminine singular noun, the first term in the list, referring to a raised or elevated skin condition.
• s.sa.Pa.chat ("flaking skin", H5597) — feminine singular noun, the second listed condition, describing scaling or peeling skin.
• be.Ha.ret ("bright spot", H0934) — feminine singular noun, the third condition, denoting a light or bright discoloration on the skin.
• la ("to/in the", H9005) — preposition with article, repeated before each noun, marking each condition as an object of reference (likely governed by a verb such as "teach" or "apply" from context outside this fragment).
• ve ("and", H9002) — conjunction repeated three times, structuring the list as a triad of coordinated nouns rather than a single compound term.

What the text says

The Hebrew presents three feminine singular nouns — s.'Et (H7613), s.sa.Pa.chat (H5597), and be.Ha.ret (H0934) — each preceded by the identical construction ve-la ("and to/in the"). This repetition of preposition plus conjunction before every noun creates a rhythmic, formulaic listing style typical of legal or diagnostic enumerations in this section of Leviticus. The repeated la prefix suggests that this list depends grammatically on a verb located outside the quoted fragment (such as one meaning "to teach," "distinguish," or "apply law"), with these three nouns marking the categories to which that action applies.

No finite verb, subject, or object marker appears within the verse itself; the sentence is purely nominal, listing conditions without asserting an action upon them within this fragment. The feminine singular form of all three nouns indicates grammatical agreement, though nothing in the provided morphology indicates plurality of instances — each term denotes a single type of skin condition category.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the three conditions as oulēs ("scar/mark"), sēmasias ("sign, mark"), and tou augazontos ("that which shines/gleams"), which softens or shifts the specific dermatological sense present in the Hebrew terms s.'Et (H7613), s.sa.Pa.chat (H5597), and be.Ha.ret (H0934). The Vulgate expands the phrase further, adding "et in varias species, coloribus immutatis" ("and into various forms, with colors changed"), a clause not present in the Hebrew or the LXX for this verse, indicating an interpretive addition beyond the base text's three-term list.