Verse 32 is very similar to verse 5.

He shall shave himself: literally “he must be shaved,” but the passive cannot be translated into all languages. The pronoun refers to the sick person rather than to the priest and this should be made clear in the receptor language. New American Bible and Moffatt translate “the man,” while An American Translation has “the person,” and New Jerusalem Bible “the sick person.”

As the text stands it may give the impression that only the beard is to be shaved. But the intention is surely that the area around the affected part is to be shaved, whether it is on the head or in the beard. Good News Translation provides a good model to follow at this point (assuming that “head” includes the chin as well as the top of the head). Wenham translates “he must shave himself except for the severely infected area.”

Seven days more: see verse 4.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .