Leviticus 13
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Rules for the identification of leprosy
Text
Comments
 1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
.2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: 
 3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
 4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:
 5 And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:
 6 And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
Leprosy: Apparently different from the modern disease by that name.

  2 - Skin of his flesh Apparently the epidermis (surface skin).
  2 - Rising ... scab ... Rather "a swelling or an eruption." (RSV). The "eruption" may have been an abscess.
  2 - Brought He would have been reluctant.
  2 - Plague of leprosy Not specifically the disease we know by that name today. The variations in description indicate that the plague was a general term for several diseases or several manifestations of a disease.
  3 - Priest shall look He needed to know for himself the condition.
  3 - Leprosy From sara' meaning "to strike down." It was considered a curse from God which was the case with Miriam nu1210. Also see 2ki0527, 2ki1505. But for others it may not have been as divine punishment. Probably several skin diseases were called leprosy.
  4 - Deeper Below the surface skin.
 7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:
 8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
 9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
 10 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising; 
 11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.		   8 - Priest shall see As in other cases. Did they pray for the victims of this disease? We don't know, but the Lord could have healed in response to prayer and humility. Jesus and His disciples healed lepers mt1008, mt1115, lu0722, lu1712. In Jesus' day, lepers were social outcasts. God did punish people by the disease nu1210, 2ki0527, 2ki1505. But some may have had the disease for natural reasons 2ki0501, 2ki0703. The diseases described could have been psoriasis or vitiligo or leprosy as we know it today.
  11 - Old leprosy A case not immediately reported. The advanced stage would make the case certain and the person was pronounced unclean without quarantine.
 12 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;
 13 Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
 14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
 15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
 16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
 17 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.		   12ff - Cover all Perhaps a different disease.
.18 ¶ The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
 19 And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest;
 20 And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.
 21 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
 22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.
 23 But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.		   - 18 - Healed This is the fourth type of leprosy considered here. The diagnosis is similar to the first type, verses 2-8.
 24 Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white; 
 25 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
 26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
 27 And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
 28 And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning.		   24 - Bright burning This 5th type may have been caused by a burn.
 29 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
 30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.
 31 And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:
 32 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;		   30 - Scall Or "diseased place."
 33 He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:
 34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
 35 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
 36 Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.
 37 But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.		   38 - Bright spots "It is evident, then, that this common form of leprosy is not contagious; otherwise Moses would have prescribed as strict a quarantine in this as in the other cases. And hereby we see the great superiority of the Mosaic law." (JFB). Skin disease is now well understood and probably more dangerous.
 38 ¶ If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
 39 Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.
 40 And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. 
 41 And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.
 42 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
 43 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
 44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.		   38 - Bright spots "This modification of the leprosy is distinguished by a dull white color, and it is entirely a cutaneous disorder, never injuring the constitution. It is described as not penetrating below the skin of the flesh and as not rendering necessary an exclusion from society. It is evident, then, that this common form of leprosy is not contagious; otherwise Moses would have prescribed as strict a quarantine in this as in the other cases. And hereby we see the great superiority of the Mosaic law (which so accurately distinguished the characteristics of the leprosy and preserved to society the services of those who were laboring under the uncontagious forms of the disease)" (JFB Commentary)
  40 - Bald yet he is clean Important clarification.
 45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
 46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.		   45 - Clothes shall be rent As a sign of mourning for his coming death jb0120, jb0212, mt2665.
 47 ¶ The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
 48 Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 
 49 And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest: 
 50 And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:		   47 - Garment Damp conditions could cause mold to grow.
 51 And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
 52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
 53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;		   51 - Fretting Or "malignant."
 54 Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
 55 And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without. 
 56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
 57 And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
 58 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
 59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

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