Original Word: נֶתֶק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: netheq
Pronunciation: neh'-thek
Phonetic Spelling: (neh'-thek)
KJV: (dry) scall
NASB: scale, scaly
Word Origin: [from H5423 (נָתַק - drawn away)]

1. scurf

dry scall

From nathaq; scurf -- (dry) scall.

see HEBREW nathaq

Word Origin
from nathaq
Definition
scab
NASB Translation
scale (13), scaly (1).

נֶ֫תֶק noun masculine^{Leviticus 13:32} scab, an eruption of skin, on head or in beard, causing suspicion of leprosy (literally a tearing off, i.e. what one is inclined to scratch or tear away, compare scabies from scabere, Krätze from kratzen, etc., see Di^{Leviticus 13:30}); — ׳נ absolute Leviticus 13:30,32 (twice in verse); Leviticus 13:33,34 (twice in verse); Leviticus 13:35,36,37 (twice in verse); נָ֑תֶק Leviticus 14:54; נֶגַע הַנֶּתֶק Leviticus 13:31 (twice in verse) (all P).

Root Concept

נֶתֶק denotes a localized skin affliction that attacks the scalp or beard, causing the hair to fall out in patches. Scripture treats it as a discrete category within the wider laws of skin disease, demanding careful priestly inspection and, when necessary, quarantine.

Occurrences and Context in Leviticus

All fourteen appearances cluster in the priestly legislation of Leviticus 13–14:

Leviticus 13:30–37 (twelve verses) spells out how the priest must examine the affected person. When yellowish, thin hair appears in the bald spot, the individual is declared “unclean.” If the spot shows no spread after seven days, or if black hair has grown again, the person is pronounced “clean.” The final reference, Leviticus 14:54, places neteq within the summary of laws covering every kind of surface infection.

Diagnostic Criteria

1. Location – strictly on the scalp or beard.
2. Hair change – either “yellowish, thin hair” appearing (Leviticus 13:30) or “no black hair in it” (Leviticus 13:31).
3. Depth and spread – the priest looks for evidence it is “no deeper than the skin” (Leviticus 13:32) and whether it extends over time.
4. Follow-up – a seven-day quarantine, a re-examination, and only then a verdict of clean or unclean.

Relationship to Tzaraath (Leprosy)

Although modern translations often render both neteq and ṣāraʿath as “leprosy,” the two are distinct. Tzaraath can appear anywhere on the body, in clothing, or on walls; neteq is confined to the hairy regions. Tzaraath carries heavier social and ritual implications, yet both conditions share a common principle: contamination separates a person from the worshiping community until God-ordained means of cleansing are completed.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern medicine recognized various scalp conditions—ringworm, favus, and other fungal infections—that match the symptoms described. In Israel, however, medical and ritual boundaries overlapped. The priest was not merely a health inspector but God’s authorized guardian of holiness. Quarantine protected the camp from contagion, but even more from ritual defilement that would offend the holy presence in the midst of Israel (Leviticus 11:44–45).

Theological Insights

1. God’s care extends to the minutiae of daily life. Nothing, not even a patch of scalp disease, falls outside His concern.
2. Holiness demands vigilance. Neteg might seem minor, yet the law insists on the same rigorous examination given to more severe conditions.
3. Restoration is always the goal. Re-integration after healing testifies to God’s grace: “If the neteq has not spread and black hair has grown in it, the neteq is healed; he is clean” (Leviticus 13:37).

Christological Foreshadowing

The priest who examines, declares, and restores points forward to Jesus Christ, the great High Priest. He not only diagnoses mankind’s deeper malady—sin—but provides the cleansing at His own cost. When Jesus touched and healed lepers (Matthew 8:2–3), He embodied the mercy embedded in Levitical law while surpassing it. Neteg’s ritual uncleanness reminds believers that even hidden blemishes require Christ’s atoning work.

Pastoral and Practical Applications

• Health and holiness intersect. Those entrusted with spiritual oversight should not ignore physical afflictions. Compassionate guidance and referral to competent medical help align with the priestly model.

• Quarantine illustrates church discipline. Temporary separation serves the goal of eventual restoration, safeguarding the congregation’s purity while seeking the sufferer’s good (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 2:6–8).

• Vigilance against “spreading” sin. Just as the priest watched for enlargement of the spot, leaders and congregants must monitor subtle spiritual decay before it infects others (Hebrews 12:15).

Summary

Neteg, though confined to one brief section of Scripture, embodies enduring lessons: God’s holiness touches every sphere; His law guards against both physical and spiritual contagion; and His provision anticipates full cleansing in Christ. The scalp infection of Leviticus thus serves the church today by reinforcing a reverent, compassionate pursuit of purity and wholeness.

הַנֶּ֔תֶק הַנֶּ֖תֶק הַנֶּ֗תֶק הַנֶּ֙תֶק֙ הַנֶּ֛תֶק הַנֶּ֜תֶק הנתק וְלַנָּֽתֶק׃ ולנתק׃ נֶ֣תֶק נתק han·ne·ṯeq hanNetek hanneṯeq ne·ṯeq Netek neṯeq velanNatek wə·lan·nā·ṯeq wəlannāṯeqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts