Leviticus 13
DOYLYChap. XIV. ver. 2. — He shall be brought unto the priest.] See Matt. viii. 4; Mark i. 44; Luke v. 14. As the leper was shut out of the camp while the Israelites remained in the wilderness, and out of the city after they possessed the promised land; he was to be brought, in order to be pronounced clean, to a certain place in or near the city, to the end that the priest might consider his case. Bp. Kidder.
The ceremony of the cleansing of the leper, ver. 2—7, seems to be typical of the purification of our sins, by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, Is. lii. 15; 1 Pet. i. 2; the dismissal of the living bird, ver. 7, resembles that of the scapegoat into the wilderness, with the sins of the lepers upon him. It is observable that our Lord expressly commanded the lepers whom He bealed to conform to this law, Matt. viii. 4. Dr. Hales.
Leviticus 13:4
- — two birds] The solemn rite or ceremony here prescribed was perhaps ordained to signify that the leprous person owned the God of Israel to be the Lord both of heaven and earth; in opposition to the polytheism of the Gentiles; particularly to their distinction of the gods of the superior regions, and gods of the inferior, both of which were worshipped by the oblation of birds, the former by letting them fly up into the air, the latter by killing them. Dean Spencer.
Leviticus 13:5
- — in an earthen vessel over running water.] The sense seems to be, “over an earthen vessel that hath running or spring water in it.” Bp. Patrick.
The bird was to be killed, not by way of sacrifice, but merely as a rite or ceremony. Biblioch. Bibl.
Leviticus 13:7
- — loose into the open field.] As a token that the leper was restored to a free conversation with all his neighbours, as the bird was let loose to join the rest of its tribe. Bp. Patrick. There was an analogy between this bird and the scapegoat, chap. xvi. 21, both being considered, with good reason, types of our Saviour’s resurrection, as the bird slain, and the goat sacrificed, were types of His death. Bockart.
Leviticus 13:8
- — and shave off all his hair.] The shaving of the hair gave the power of washing and inspecting the whole person: also the infection of the leprosy was supposed to be peculiarly attached to the hair.
— shall tarry abroad out of his tent] He was to do this, for fear there might be some undiscerned remainder of the disease, by which his wife and children might be endangered. It is said, “out of his tent” instead of “out of his house,” because, when this law was given, the Israelites were dwelling in tents. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 13:10
- — he shall take two he lambs &c.] There were many peculiar rites different from the common usage, belonging to the cleansing of the leper; for the purpose of making him sensible how great a mercy he had received from God, who alone could cure this disease which His hand had inflicted: the most minute circumstances were to be all punctually observed, although there was no natural efficacy in them, and every thing
The rites and sacrifices in cleansing of the leper. Before CHRIST 1490. b Exod. 29. 24. c Chap. 7. 7.
Leviticus 13:18
- — shall make an atonement for him] This seems to suppose that the leprosy was inflicted for some sin, which, by this sacrifice, was to be taken away: but the expression to “make atonement” does not always signify, “to take away sin,” but sometimes merely to make a thing or person fit for holy uses. Thus Moses is said to make atonement for the altar, Exod. xxix. 36, 37.
Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 13:19
- — afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:] This being an offering to God Himself, was not accepted till the man was purified by the other offerings for trespass and sin. This very long process, through so many different rites, and for so many days, before men could be purified from a legal defilement in their bodies, was a
plain instruction to all persons of good sense, how much more difficult it would prove to cleanse their souls from those moral impurities which they contracted by long habits of sin; and what great pains must be taken, both by the sinners themselves, and by God’s ministers, to root them out: and with what repeated prayers the mercy of God towards them was to be implored, of which they ought not hastily to presume. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 13:21
- And if he be poor, &c.] It was the peculiar goodness of God, to make a merciful provision that the poor should not be charged with too costly sacrifices, and yet should partake of their benefit as much as the rich. This was peculiarly apparent in the case of cleansing the leper, where special provision is made for less costly offerings, whenever the person was unable to bear a heavy charge. Lewis.
Leviticus 13:29
- — have a plague upon the head or the beard.] Maimonides tells us that, in this sort of leprosy, the hair on the head or beard fell off by the roots, and the place of the hair remained bare. This seems to have been that kind of disease which, Pliny says, came into Italy in the middle of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, and was called Mentagra, because it commonly began in the chin; and which was so filthy that any death was preferable to it. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 13:31
- — black hair] A favourable symptom, opposed to the yellow hair in the foregoing verse.
Leviticus 13:45
- — his clothes shall be rent, &c.] This was de- Before CHRIST 1490. is piled. The laws and tokens how to discern the leprosy. Before CHRIST 1400. a Numb. 3. 2.
Leviticus 13:46
- — he shall dwell alone:] Lepers might be conversant with lepers, and the same of persons afflicted with other disorders; but those that were under different defilements might not converse promiscuously. It is probable there were certain places, where those who were diseased with the leprosy were secluded; for it were an inhuman thing to cast the leprosy out of the city or camp, without any provision for his dwelling. Dr. Lightfoot.
His living out of the camp was for his own good, as well as that of the publick; because free and fresh air would contribute not a little towards his relief and recovery. The Persians, as we find from Herodotus, followed this discipline: if any inhabitant of a city happened to have a leprosy or leprosy scurf, he was debarred entrance, and was not allowed to approach any of his countrymen. Bibiooth. Bibl.
Leviticus 13:47
- The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in,] The account here given of the leprosy in garments is long, distinct, and particular, but very obscure. It may be understood in two senses, 1st, That the garments worn by leprosy persons, receiving infection from
their wearers, became thereby unclean, that is, contagious. That this disorder may be communicated by such means, is evident from the relations of travellers in the East. This kind of infection gradually corrodes even the texture of the garments, and is much dreaded in all countries subject to the plague, and by all persons exposed to it by attendance on purulent disorders. 2d, That there was a natural disease in the garments, appertaining to themselves. This appears to be the true sense of the expressions here; but we have no account from travellers, of such a disease, any where subsisting in the present days. Script. illust.
The leprosy of garments mentioned by Moses is much more difficult of explanation, than that of human bodies; and the learned are much divided in opinion respecting it. The prevailing opinion has been, that this leprosy of garments was entirely miraculous, and no where to be found, but in the land of Canaan: that God thus treated the rebellious Jews in withdrawing Himself from them, and pouring down this sort of curse on their apparel. Others have believed that the leprosy of the body was communicated to the clothes through the pores of the skin. And hence the red and green spots on the garments of lepers are to be accounted for. It is certain that the leprosy of garments can no otherwise be called a leprosy than by analogy, and as it carries with it some near resemblance to the leprosy of the body. Another opinion has been, that this sort of leprosy was occasioned by little worms, which bred in linen, stuffs, and skins, corroding them in different parts, and thereby causing spots of different colours. Calmet.
Leviticus 13:51
- — a fretting leprosy:] A leprosy which eateth into the garment till it be consumed. Bp. Patrick.
The rites and sacrifices in cleansing of the leper. Before CHRIST 1490.
a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.