People of Israel: literally “sons of Israel,” but in most languages it will be more natural to translate people of Israel or “Israelites.”

Statutes: the word here is a very general one for anything that is prescribed or decreed.

Which the LORD has spoken: since this is still a part of a direct quotation from God himself, Good News Translation has replaced the noun LORD with the pronoun “I.” This will also be necessary in most other languages, if direct discourse is being used.

To them: the use of the third person plural pronoun may give the impression that Aaron and his sons are not included among those to whom the laws were given. For this reason Good News Translation uses the pronoun “you,” which is intended to include the priests with the rest of the people of Israel. In some languages the translation will have to be even more explicit.

By Moses: literally “by the hand of Moses.” See 8.36.

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 .

Nevertheless: there is contrast between the objects mentioned here, which remain clean, and those above, which are ritually unclean. The transition word used at the beginning of this verse should indicate this contrast.

A spring or a cistern: the first word refers to a natural spring of fresh water. The second is a pit hollowed out of a solid rock for the purpose of storing drinking water (see Jer 2.13). They may be as large as six meters square and six meters deep. And they were normally to be kept covered (Exo 21.33). The expression a cistern holding water may be translated “a hollowed place in a rock for storing water” or something similar.

The Hebrew text, followed by Revised Standard Version, leaves implicit the idea “if a dead body falls on them,” but this may have to be made explicit in translation.

Whatever: as in verse 24 and 6.18, 27, this term may mean either “whatever” or “whoever.” In this case it is translated “whoever” by New American Bible. New Jerusalem Bible and New International Version have “anyone,” and An American Translation has “he who….” Bible en français courant interprets it as “whoever removes the body….” On the side of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, Moffatt has “anything used to lift out the dead body…,” which is more explicit. The meaning may well be a combination of these two: “anyone or anything involved in removing the dead body.”

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 .

Verses 18-44 deal with other possible causes of skin diseases. The first paragraph in this section (verses 18-23) concerns boils.

A boil: the word used here is the same as found in Exodus 9.9-11 to describe one of the plagues in Egypt. It results from the infection of a skin gland, which becomes inflamed. It often contains pus. In the case cited here, the infection has subsided and the boil had apparently been healed.

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 .

And: since this verse involves the contrary of the case introduced in verse 51, it should begin with a transition word marking contrast, such as “But,” “However,” or something similar. See also verses 21 and 26.

If the priest examines: as in verses 21 and 31, the conditional if goes with the findings of the priest and not with the examination. The Revised Standard Version rendering reflects the Hebrew text of this verse, which provides no object for the verb. But the implied object is clearly the infection (compare verses 21 and 31). In English as well as many other languages, it is unnatural for the verb “examine” to stand without an object. This is why Good News Translation has “when he examines it.” In some cases it may be necessary to indicate which examination is involved, by saying “when he examines it on the seventh day.”

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 .

The priest: the priest is specifically mentioned three times in this verse. In most languages it will be more natural to refer to him using the pronoun “he” in the last two cases.

Shall command that they empty the house: literally “shall command and they [indefinite] shall empty the house.” Some languages may be quite similar to the rather literal rendering of the Hebrew expression in Revised Standard Version. The verb “to empty” will have to be rendered “take everything out…” in some cases.

Lest: Good News Translation has “otherwise.” In some languages it may be necessary to begin a completely new sentence and say something like “If this is not done….” Another way of handling this is to say “in order that nothing in the house will have to be declared unclean” (compare New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible).

Afterward: meaning “after the house has been emptied” or “as soon as the things of the house have been taken out.”

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 .

On the eighth day: compare 12.3 and 14.10, 20.

Two turtledoves or two young pigeons: see 1.14; 5.7; 12.8; and 14.22.

The door of the tent of meeting: see 1.1.

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 .