Leviticus 15

Chap. XV. Ver. 1—33. Diseases.—It is not needful for us particularly to consider the laws contained in this chapter: they are not binding on us; and the emblematical instruction may be sufficiently understood. In some cases, the disease mentioned was contracted by licentiousness; in others it might be the result of shameful secret practices: and even the diseases and infirmities, which were only an affliction, and had no immediate connexion with personal and actual sin, were all originally the consequence of the sinful state of human nature: nay, the cases, in which neither positive disease nor actual sin was implied, might be thus marked, to show how a fallen nature pollutes every thing we do.

We have great cause for thankfulness that we need fear no defilement but that of sin; and have no occasion for any of these ceremonial and burdensome purifications: yet when we consider how nearly we are beset with occasions of moral uncleanness, by day and by night, alone and in company, nay, sleeping as well as awake, we may well say with David, ‘* Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.’—T. Scott.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XV. Ver. 2. A running issue.—The LXX. translate it, “* A gonorrhea.” See Michaelis, where also the other uncleannesses here mentioned are treated of. We will only remark, that young men, as well for the sake of their health, as of their morals, should be guarded against self-pollution; and that where there is a strong addiction to it, marriage is the best remedy. Ver. 9. Saddle.—{Merchav, from racha, to ride, here rendered by our translators saddle, and frequently chariot. Harmer thinks it rather means a litter, or coune, of which we have already given a description in (Genesis 31:34),}— Ver. 11. Rinsed his hands.—It is rather doubtful whether the words hath not rinsed his hands in water, refer to him who was diseased, or to him who had his hands touched.

Most understand it of the former, that if the person who had the issue rinsed his hands in water, just before he touched any one, he did not communicate any pollution; otherwise, he did. But the Syriac refers it to the person touched by him, though it seems strange that he should be cleansed by washing his hands, when perhaps some other part was touched. }— Bagster.; Ver. 17. Every skin, &c.—[The poorer class of Arabs of our times, make use of mats in their tents, and other inhabitants of these countries, who affect ancient simplicity of manners, make use of goat-skins. Dr. R. Chandler, in his Travels in Greece, tells us, that he saw some dervishes at Athens sitting on goat-skins; and that he was afterwards conducted into a room furnished in like manner, with the same kind of carpeting, where he was treated with a pipe and coffee by the chief dervish.

‘Those that are at all acquainted with oriental manners, in these later times, know that their dervishes (who are a sort of Mohammedan devotees, a good deal resembling the begging friars of the church of Rome) affect great simplicity, and even sometimes austerity, in their dress and way of living. As these dervishes that Dr. Chandler visited, sat on goat-skins, and used no other kind of carpet for the accommodation of them that visited them; so it should seem that the Israelites in the wilderness made use of skins for mattresses to lie upon, and consequently, we may equally suppose to sit upon in the day time instead of a carpet. Harmer’s Observ- J—-. 163