Leviticus 13
TSK
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
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:

rising. or, swelling
a scab

Leviticus 14:56 And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:

Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will smite you with the botch of Egypt, and with the tumors, …

Isaiah 3:17 Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of …

the plague of leprosy Tzaraath, the Leprosy, from the Greek [] from [], a scale; so called, because in this disease the body is covered with {thin white scales}, so as to give it the appearance of snow. The leprosy [note: Leprosy is now more commonly called Hansen's disease] is a dreadful, contagious disorder, common in Egypt and Syria, and generally manifests itself at first in the manner described in the text. Its commencement is imperceptible; there appearing only a few reddish spots on the skin, which are not attended with pain or any other symptom, but cannot be removed. It increases imperceptibly, and continues for some years to be more and more manifest. The spots become larger, spread over the whole skin, and are sometimes rather raised, though generally flat. When it increases the upper part of the nose swells, the nostrils distend, the nose becomes soft, swellings appear on the under jaws, the eyebrows are elevated, the ears grow thick, the ends of the fingers, feet, and toes, swell, the nails grow scaly, the joints of the hands and feet separate, the palms of hands and soles of the feet are ulcerated, and in its last stage the patient becomes horrible, and falls to pieces.

Leviticus 14:3,35 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall …

Exodus 4:6,7 And the LORD said furthermore to him, Put now your hand into your …

Numbers 12:10,12 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam …

2 Samuel 3:29 Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and …

2 Kings 5:1,27 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great …

2 Chronicles 26:19-21 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: …

Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness …

he shall

Deuteronomy 17:8,9 If there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood …

Deuteronomy 24:8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that you observe diligently, …

Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek …

Matthew 8:4 And Jesus said to him, See you tell no man; but go your way, show …

Mark 1:44 And said to him, See you say nothing to any man: but go your way, …

Luke 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show yourself to the …

Luke 17:14 And when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourselves to the …

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.

shall look

Leviticus 13:2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, …

Leviticus 10:10 And that you may put difference between holy and unholy, and between …

Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and …

Haggai 2:11 Thus said the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek …

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the …

Romans 3:19,20 Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them …

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not …

Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you …

Revelation 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall …

turned

Ezekiel 16:30 How weak is your heart, said the LORD GOD, seeing you do all these …

Hosea 7:9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows it not: yes, gray …

deeper

Genesis 13:3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, to the …

2 Timothy 2:16,17 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase to more …

2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and …

pronounce

Matthew 16:19 And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever …

Matthew 18:17,18 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church: but …

John 20:23 Whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted to them; and whose …

Romans 3:19,20 Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them …

1 Corinthians 5:4-6 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, …

2 Thessalonians 3:14,15 And if any man obey not our word by this letter, note that man, and …

1 Timothy 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered to Satan, …

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:
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:
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.

pronounce

Isaiah 11:3,4 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: …

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he …

Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations.

Jude 1:22,23 And of some have compassion, making a difference…

a scab

Leviticus 13:2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, …

Deuteronomy 32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his …

James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, …

wash

Leviticus 11:25,28,40 And whoever bears ought of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, …

Leviticus 14:8 And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off …

1 Kings 8:38,45 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all …

Psalm 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse you me from secret faults.

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man on earth, that does good, and sins not.

John 13:8-10 Peter said to him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, …

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves …

Hebrews 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal …

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having …

1 John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship …

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:
And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
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;
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.
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;
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.

if the leprosy It may seem strange that the partial leper should be pronounced unclean, and the person totally covered with the disease clean. This was probably owing to a different species or stage of the disease; the partial being contagious, the total not. That there are two different species, or degrees, of the disease described here, is sufficiently evident: in one, the person was all covered with {a white enamelled scurf}; in the other, there was a {quick raw flesh in the risings}. On this account, the one was deemed unclean, or contagious, the other not; for the contact with the {quick raw flesh} would be more likely to communicate the disease, than the touch of the {hard dry scurf}. The ichor proceeding from the former, when brought into contact with the flesh of another, would soon be taken into constitution by means of the absorbent vessels; but where the surface was perfectly dry; the absorbent vessels of another, coming in contact with the diseased man, could imbibe nothing, and there was consequently but little or no danger of infection. This is the learned Dr. Mead's view of the subject; who thus accounts for the circumstances mentioned in the text.

he is clean

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are …

John 9:41 Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you should have no sin: but …

But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
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.
The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
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;
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.
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:
And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.

a plague. i,e. `The plague of leprosy.'

But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
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;

a hot burning [heb] a burning of fire

Isaiah 3:24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall …

This is supposed to state the case of such as had been hurt by fire; which would leave a scar, in which the leprosy might appear, and which was to be distinguished by the rules here given.

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.
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:
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.
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.
If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
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.
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:
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;
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:
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.
But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
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.
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.
If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
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.

if the bright

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man on earth, that does good, and sins not.

Romans 7:22-25 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man…

James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, …

a freckled spot The word {bohak}, from the Syriac {behak}, to be {white} or {shining}, here rendered `a freckled spot,' is used by the Arabs to denote a kind of {leprosy}, of which Niebuhr says, `Bohak is neither contagious nor dangerous. a black boy at Moch, who was affected with this eruption, had here and there upon his body {white spots}. We were told that the use of sulphur had relieved this boy for a time, but had not entirely remove the disease.' He adds subsequently from Forskal's papers, `The Arabs call a sore of {leprosy}, in which some little spots shew themselves here and there on the body, {behaq}; and it is without doubt the same as is named {bohak}, (le ch.

Leviticus 13:13 Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have …

And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.

hair is fallen off his head. [heb] head is pilled

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.
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.
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;
He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
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.

his clothes

Genesis 37:29 And Reuben returned to the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the …

2 Samuel 13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors …

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell …

Jeremiah 3:25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us: for we have …

Jeremiah 36:24 Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, …

Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD …

and his head

Leviticus 10:6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, …

Leviticus 21:10 And he that is the high priest among his brothers, on whose head …

put

Ezekiel 24:17,22 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of your …

Micah 3:7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yes, …

Unclean

Job 42:6 Why I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Psalm 51:3,5 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me…

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean …

Isaiah 52:11 Depart you, depart you, go you out from there, touch no unclean thing; …

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are …

Lamentations 4:15 They cried to them, Depart you; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch …

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart …

Luke 7:6,7 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, …

Luke 17:12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that …

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.
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;

The garment This leprosy in garments appears so strange to us, that it has induced some, with B. Patrick, to consider it as an extraordinary punishment inflicted by God upon the Israelites, as a sign of his high displeasure; while others consider the leprosy in clothes (and also houses) as having no relation to the leprosy in man. When Michaelis was considering the subject, he was told by a dealer in wool, the wool of sheep which die of a disease, if it has not been shorn from the animal while living, is unfit to manufacture cloth, and liable to something like what Moses here describes, and which he imagines to be the plague of leprosy in garments. The whole account, however, as Dr. A. Clarke observes, seems to intimate that the garment was {fretted} by the contagion of the real leprosy; which it is probable was occasioned by a species of {animacula, or vermin} burrowing in the skin, which we know to be the cause of the {itch}; these, by breeding in the garments, must necessarily multiply their kind, and fret the garments, i.e. corrode a portion of the finer parts, after the manner of {moths}, for their nourishment. The infection of garments has frequently been known to cause the worst species of scarlet fever, and even the plague; and those infected with {psora}, or itch animal, had communicated the disease even in six or seven years after the infection.

Isaiah 3:16-24 Moreover the LORD said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, …

Isaiah 59:6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves …

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are …

Ezekiel 16:16 And of your garments you did take, and decked your high places with …

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast …

Ephesians 4:22 That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, …

Colossians 3:3 For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even …

Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;

thing made of {heb] work of

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:
And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
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.
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.
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;
Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
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.
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:
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.
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.

be washed

2 Kings 5:10,14 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan …

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves …

2 Corinthians 12:8 For this thing I sought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

Hebrews 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal …

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first …

The plague of leprosy was inflicted immediately from the hand of God, and came not from natural causes, as other diseases; and therefore must be managed according to a divine law. Miriam's leprosy, and Gehazi's and King Uzziah's were all the punishments of particular sins; and if generally it was so, no marvel there was so much care taken to distinguish it from a common distemper, that none might be looked upon as lying under this extraordinary token of Divine displeasure, but those that really were so.

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.
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge by R. A. Torrey [ca. 1880]
Expanded version courtesy INT Bible ©2013, Used by permission

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