The diseased spot: this term corresponds to the word literally translated “mark” in verse 2 above. It seems to refer to the area on the person’s body where any kind of difficulty may have been detected. One may translate “the place where the problem is” or “the sick part of the skin.”
Hair: the translation should not give the impression of a single hair, but of many. The idea here is collective.
The disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body: literally “the appearance of the sore deeper than the skin of the flesh.” The words of his body, or “of his flesh” are unnecessary in most languages, since it would be understood when “skin” or “his skin” are used. The idea here is that there is a depression in the skin. The affected area is “deeper than the surrounding skin” (Good News Translation). New Jerusalem Bible has “if the disease bites into the skin.”
It is a leprous disease: this part of the sentence may be better introduced by a word like “then” in some languages. It is the logical result of the “if” clause which it follows.
When the priest has examined him: the Hebrew repeats the same verb as in the beginning of the verse, but this does not mean that a second examination takes place. It is better in some languages to omit this second occurrence, or to say “when the examination has been completed,” or “when the priest finishes examining him,” or, as suggested by Bible en français courant, “immediately after the examination.”
He shall pronounce him unclean: is this a ritual pronouncement made only to the sick person or a formal declaration to the whole community? The latter is more likely. The person is declared unfit to participate in the rituals of the community, and all are warned to have no contact with him. It is even possible to translate “he shall be regarded as unclean” or “the whole community must see him as unclean.”
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 .