אִישׁ־צָר֥וּעַ ה֖וּא טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא טַמֵּ֧א יְטַמְּאֶ֛נּוּ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן בְּרֹאשׁ֥וֹ נִגְעֽוֹ׃
he is a leprous man; he is impure. The priest shall pronounce him impure; he has the affection on his head.
(The above rendering comes from the RJPS translation, which is an adaptation of the NJPS translation. Before accounting for this rendering, I will analyze the plain sense of the Hebrew term containing אִישׁ, by employing a situation-oriented construal as outlined in this document, pp. 11–16.)
This phrase’s declaration brings to a close the long discussion of how to diagnose “leprosy” on skin. (The following verse moves to the topic of what to do about it.)
The clause אִישׁ־צָרוּעַ הוּא is a standard formula of elaboration (cf. Deut 24:12; 2 Sam 19:33), in which אִישׁ introduces certain characterizing information about the participant in question, while marking that information as being essential for grasping the depicted situation. That is, the stated information conditions the person’s participation. Heading an elaboration clause is a classic function of a situating noun.
Such phrasing with the situating noun אִישׁ makes the characterization more conspicuous and more salient than an adjective or passive participle could achieve on its own. In this case, we can contrast the clause מְצוֹרָע הוּא in 2 Chron 26:23, where the attribute is treated as given information (having been extensively discussed in vv. 19–21
In English, the situating noun man has the same function in a statement of elaboration. Compare the subtle difference between saying about someone, “He’s sick” versus “He’s a sick man.” In the first instance, we learn something new about him, but it is not flagged as situationally essential. In the second instance, the implication is that his illness makes all the difference in the situation that is under discussion. The first statement might be a fitting answer to the question “So how’s David feeling after that roller coaster ride?” whereas the second statement is a better fit for the question “What did the medical team conclude about David’s ability to join the rescue mission?”
As for rendering into English, the NJPS rendering ‘the man is leprous’ does not fully convey the marked salience of the attribute. Because it is possible to reproduce the Hebrew construction in the translation, it seems worthwhile to do so.