Leviticus 13

Leviticus 13:1-59

: IN this Chapter (said a famous School-man, and Commentator of the Popish partie, when he had rehearsed it) of the discerning of the Leprosie in men and in garments, there is nothing for me to expound; but I leave this charge to the Physitians: but Divines must not so passe it over. The Leprosie treated of in this Chapter, seemeth to be, not only that disease which is best known by that name in later times, but as Valesius observeth, de sacra Philosophia, Chap. 19. by the various description of it, it may be conceived to containe the severall kinds of diseases, at least divers of them, which appeare in the skin, as Morphew, Itch, Ring-worme, Scaldhead, and other breakings out of the skin, which overspread or crust it with a kinde of tetter, scab, or skurfe; as also that disease, which arising from a grosse distemper of the humours, causeth the loosening of the haire of the head and beard, and the falling of it off from the roots: all which might be called leprosie, being one way or other like that which is commonly known by that name, which was more incident to such as lived in hot regions, as Egypt; especially, if their multitude were great, and roome little; which might occasion the slander of Justine the Historian against the Jewes; which was, that they were driven out of Egypt, because they were infected with the scall, or itch; So Justine histor. lib. 36. p. 284. There is another disease imputed to the Jews by Appion, to which Josephus maketh Answer in his second Booke against that Grammarian, p. 783. but that is brought in upon another occasion, which hath no affinitie with the fiction of Justine.

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BRight spot] Shining like the scale of a fish, for so the leprosie sometimes beginneth to appeare.

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white] This is the first sort of leprosie observed, which is discerned by the white colour of the haire, and the degree of inherence of it below the skinne and within the flesh: of this colour, was Moses leprous hand, Exodus 4:6. and Miriam his sisters leprosie as sister to his was of the same complexion, Numbers 12:10.

the Priest shall looke] The Priest rather then the Physitian, because it belonged to him to admit, or to keep back from the Sanctuary, and services of Religion, 2 Chronicles 26:20. and to see that the ceremonies of cleansing were duely observed; yet when he viewed the leprosie, he had (as some conceive) the advise of the Physitian; for the profession of Physick is ancient, as appeareth, Genesis 50:2. though the authoritie of pronouncing leprous or cleane belonged to the Priests only. And for this discerning or differencing between the sound and infected, (touching this disease) they might have sufficient knowledge, either by Art, or observation, and the direction of the rules here delivered; or, if need were, by revelation from God, for God would not call the Priests to an office, for which he would not see them furnished some way with gifts to discharge it; and if the Priest pronounced any uncleane, they were put out of the Camp, whosoever he or she were.

deeper then the skinne] Which eateth into the flesh. See Numbers 12:12. & 2 Kings 5:14. The leprosie of the body is a resemblance of the defilement of the soule, and the depth of it below the skinne though but one spot, is as sinne deeply rooted 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉in the soule by habituall inherence, though but one. See vers. 20. 25, 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35.

pronounce him uncleane] Hebr. make him uncleane. But the meaning is, he shall declare or pronounce him so to be; as Ezekiel is said to destroy the Citie by an assured prediction of the Cities destruction, Ezekiel 43:3. And so the ministeriall remission of sins is sometimes phrased as if it were Judiciall, when it is but declarative; which though another may doe as fully as he, as another may sprinkle water with the words of Baptisme, yet it cometh with more assurance and comfort from him, who doth it with an especiall warrant from God.

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and be cleane] Though he be not cleane from the scab, yet he shall be pronounced cleane from the leprosie; and so not be shut out of the Camp, though he might keep in, because in such a case he could not be seene with acceptation of others for humane societie.

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rising be white] Physitians of later times make triall of leprosie by rubbing of the flesh, and pricking of a needle: for if the flesh being rebbed turne not red, and if pricked with a needle, it bleed not, it is a signe of leprosie in a deep degree of infection; and if it eate into the flesh and the bones, as sometimes it doth, it is incurable.

quicke raw flesh] The former kinde of leprosie appeared in the haire and skin, this sheweth a deeper degree of malignitie fretting into the quick flesh, and making it raw.

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covered all his flesh] Such a scurfe, though it were a grievous plague, was not the infective plague of leprosie; and it argued the strength of naturall constitution within, when the venome of the disease was driven out and diffused over the outward parts, except when here and there raw flesh appeared, which was a token that it was not wholly driven out, but lurked still in the flesh.

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changed into white] When a white skin cometh upon the place that was raw, it is a signe that the flesh is healed.

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spread not] That is, a clearing signe, because the leprosie is a running or spreading disease. See vers. 28, 34.

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head or beard] The head common to man and woman, the beard peculiar to the man, though both seeme to be said of both.

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yellow] Vers. 3. The leprosie of other parts was noted by a white haire, this of the head and beard by a yellow thin haire, in such sort, that if a man were of yellow haire before, it might be discerned what was naturall to him, and what adventitiall coming from the disease.

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shaven] That the haire taken away, it may the better appeare whether the leprosie spread.

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not seeke for yellow] That is, he shall not care whether yellow haire be there or no.

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freckled spot] Like the Morphew, which some conceive to be one of the disfigurings and diseases here described in this Chapter.

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he is bald] The haire though it be an excrement; is an ornament to the head, and face, where there is maturitie of age for a beard, and when it cometh kindly, it sheweth a good temperament of heate and moisture: and therein as many take a pride, so God sometimes punisheth that pride with a shamefull baldnesse, Isaiah 3:24.

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cloths rent] Which might conduce to the cure of the diseased; for so the bad humours might the better evaporate and breath out; and to the caution or safety of the sound, who might thereby be warned to keepe a due distance from the infected partie; for they did weare long garments close before: and it might also signifie the sorrow of the Leper because of his present sense of sinne and misery; which is often signified by the rending of the garments in the Scriptures.

covering upon his lip] See Ezekiel 24:17. & Micah 3:7.

uncleane, uncleane] As lamenting his misery, and giving warning to others against the infection. Such as leprosie is to the body, is sinne to the soule; and therefore we must flye from the infection of it, as a loathsome leprosie, Esa. 52. 11. Lamentations 4:15. the cause of this disease here described many times did not so much proceed from a naturall distemper, as (out of an excesse of flegme, or black melancholy bloud) as from a divine judgement for the sin of man; see 2 Kings 15:5. especially that kind of it which set so deepe an infection upon the clothes and wals, Leviticus 14:37. And it is observed to have most infected the Jewes upon their revoltings from Religion, and that Christians tooke the infection of it from their Countrey, when they came thither to manage the warre undertaken for recovery of it out of the hands of the Turks.

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without the Camp] As Miriam was, Numbers 12:14. This was during the peoples journeying in the wildernesse; after when they were setled in Canaan, the lepers were shut out of the Cities, Luke 17:12. 2 Kings 7:3. at least were confined to an house by themselves, though Kings, as Azariah was, 2 Kings 15:5. & 2 Chron. 26. 21. yet upon necessary occasions they were permitted to come into the streets, and high-wayes, observing a due distance, that they might neither give offence, nor others take offence from them. Luke 17:1. This may intimate how odious the spirituall leprosie is to God, and how infectious evill company is to men.

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not changed his colour] That is, so as to returne to the colour it had, before it was infected; for washing would make some change, but if a taint of the contagion yet appeared in it, which could not by washing be got out of it; it was to be burned: at least that part which was so deepely infected, that it could not be washed cleane, was to be cut out, and cast into the fire.

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the second time] To the intent he might be sure the leprosie was departed, and that all occasion of infection might be taken away.

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the law of the plague] If the Christians compare their condition with the Jews for laws and plagues in this and the 11. Chapter, they will find great cause to praise God for their better state; no such prohibitions of meats as these, no such plague, or not so common in most places, as the plague here very frequent among the Jewes.