Leviticus 13

1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron,

2 "If anyone has a sore, a rash, or an irritated area on his skin that turns into an infectious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest Aaron or to one of his sons who are also priests.

3 The priest will examine the disease. If the hair in the diseased area has turned white, and the diseased area looks deeper than the rest of his skin, it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest has examined him, he must declare him unclean.

4 But if the irritated area is white and does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, and the hair has not turned white, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days.

5 On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the disease looks the same and has not spread, the priest must put him in isolation for another seven days.

6 On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the diseased area has faded and not spread, the priest must declare him clean. It is only a rash. The person must wash his clothes and will be clean.

7 But if the rash has spread after he has shown himself to the priest to be declared clean, he must show himself to the priest again.

8 The priest will examine him one more time, and if the rash has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.

9 "If anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest.

10 The priest will examine him. If there is a white sore that has turned the hair white, and if there is raw flesh in the sore,

11 he has a chronic skin disease. Without putting him in isolation, the priest must declare him unclean because he is unclean.

12 If skin disease develops and covers the whole person from head to foot (so far as the priest can see),

13 the priest will examine him. If the disease does cover his whole body, the priest must declare the diseased person clean. His body has turned white. The person is clean.

14 But if raw flesh appears, he will be unclean.

15 The priest will examine the raw flesh and declare him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.

16 But if the raw flesh turns white again, he must go to the priest.

17 The priest will examine him again, and if the diseased area has turned white, the priest must declare the diseased person clean. He is clean.

18 "If a boil on the skin has healed

19 and in its place there is a white sore or a pink area, it must be shown to the priest.

20 The priest will examine it. If it looks deeper than the rest of the skin and its hair has turned white, the priest must declare the person unclean. An infectious skin disease has developed in the boil.

21 But if the priest examines the affected area and the hair in it is not white or the affected area is not deeper than the rest of the skin but has faded, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days.

22 If the area has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is a skin disease.

23 But if the irritated area has not spread, it is a scar caused by the boil. The priest must declare him clean.

24 "If anyone has a burn on his skin and the raw flesh of the burn turns into a pink or bright white area,

25 the priest will examine it. If the hair on the affected area has turned white and the affected area looks deeper than the rest of the skin, an infectious skin disease has developed in the burn. The priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.

26 But if the priest examines it and the hair in it is not white and the affected area is not deeper than the rest of the skin but has faded, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days.

27 On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the area has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.

28 If the irritated area does not spread but has faded, it is only a sore caused by the burn. The priest must declare him clean, because it is a scar caused by the burn.

29 "If a man or a woman has some disease on the head or chin,

30 the priest will examine the disease. If it looks deeper than the rest of the skin and there is thin yellow hair on it, the priest must declare the person unclean. It is a scab, a disease on the head or the chin.

31 But if the priest examines the scabby disease and it does not look deeper than the rest of the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest must put the person with the scabby disease in isolation for seven days.

32 On the seventh day the priest will examine the disease. If the scab has not spread, there is no yellow hair on it, and the scab does not look deeper than the rest of the skin,

33 the person will shave everything except the scab. The priest will put the person with the scab in isolation for another seven days.

34 On the seventh day the priest will examine the scab again. If the scab has not spread on the skin and does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, the priest must declare him clean. When he has washed his clothes, he will be clean.

35 But if the scab spreads after the person has been declared clean,

36 the priest will make another examination. If the scab has spread on the skin, the priest does not have to look for yellow hair. The person is unclean.

37 But if he sees that the scab hasn't spread and black hair grows on it, the scab is healed. The person is clean, so the priest must declare him clean.

38 "If a man or a woman has white irritated areas of skin,

39 the priest will make an examination. If the irritated areas on the skin are pale white, a rash has developed on the skin. The person is clean.

40 "If a man loses his hair, he is clean, even though he is bald.

41 If he loses the hair on the front of his head, he is clean, even though he is bald on the forehead.

42 But if there is a pink patch on the bald places in back or in front, a skin disease is developing in those places.

43 The priest will examine him. If the sore from the disease in the bald places in back or in front is pink like a skin disease somewhere else on the body,

44 the man has come down with an infectious skin disease. He is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean because of the skin disease on his head.

45 "People who come down with a skin disease must wear torn clothes and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their upper lips and call out, 'Unclean, unclean!'

46 As long as they have the skin disease, they are unclean. They must live outside the camp.

47 "Now about clothing--if there is a green or red area on a piece of clothing

48 that is woven or knitted from linen or wool or on any leather article,

49 it is mildew. It must be shown to the priest.

50 The priest will examine the mildew and will put the clothing in a separate place for seven days.

51 On the seventh day he will examine the area again. If the spot is spreading, it is unclean.

52 He must burn the piece of clothing or the leather article because the mildew is growing.

53 But if the priest sees that the area has not spread,

54 he must order the area to be washed and put the clothing in a separate place for seven more days.

55 The priest will examine the area again after it is washed. If it doesn't look any different and the mildew has not spread, it is still unclean. It must be burned, whether the area is on the outside or the inside.

56 If the priest sees that the area is pale after washing, he will tear it out of the clothing or the leather.

57 However, if it shows up again, you must burn the clothing or the leather article.

58 But if the area disappears from the woven or knitted clothing or any leather article when it is washed, wash it again, and it will be clean.

59 "These are the instructions for deciding whether mildew in clothing that is woven or knitted from linen or wool or in any leather article is clean or unclean."

Leviticus 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

Directions to the priest to judge concerning leprosy. (1-17) Further directions. (18-44) How the leper must be disposed of. (45,46) The leprosy in garments. (47-59)

Verses 1-17 The plague of leprosy was an uncleanness, rather than a disease. Christ is said to cleanse lepers, not to cure them. Common as the leprosy was among the Hebrews, during and after their residence in Egypt, we have no reason to believe that it was known among them before. Their distressed state and employment in that land must have rendered them liable to disease. But it was a plague often inflicted immediately by the hand of God. Miriam's leprosy, and Gehazi's, and king Uzziah's, were punishments of particular sins; no marvel there was care taken to distinguish it from a common distemper. The judgment of it was referred to the priests. And it was a figure of the moral pollutions of men's minds by sin, which is the leprosy of the soul, defiling to the conscience, and from which Christ alone can cleanse. The priest could only convict the leper, (by the law is the knowledge of sin,) but Christ can cure the sinner, he can take away sin. It is a work of great importance, but of great difficulty, to judge of our spiritual state. We all have cause to suspect ourselves, being conscious of sores and spots; but whether clean or unclean is the question. As there were certain marks by which to know it was leprosy, so there are marks of such as are in the gall of bitterness. The priest must take time in making his judgment. This teaches all, both ministers and people, not to be hasty in censures, nor to judge anything before the time. If some men's sins go before unto judgment, the sins of others follow after, and so do men's good works. If the person suspected were found to be clean, yet he must wash his clothes, because there had been ground for the suspicion. We have need to be washed in the blood of Christ from our spots, though not leprosy spots; for who can say, I am pure from sin?

Verses 18-44 The priest is told what judgment to make, if there were any appearance of a leprosy in old sores; and such is the danger of those who having escaped the pollutions of the world are again entangled therein. Or, in a burn by accident, ver. ( 24 ) . The burning of strife and contention often occasions the rising and breaking out of that corruption, which proves that men are unclean. Human life lies exposed to many grievances. With what troops of diseases are we beset on every side; and thy all entered by sin! If the constitution be healthy, and the body lively and easy, we are bound to glorify God with our bodies. Particular note was taken of the leprosy, if in the head. If the leprosy of sin has seized the head; if the judgment be corrupted, and wicked principles, which support wicked practices, are embraced, it is utter uncleanness, from which few are cleansed. Soundness in the faith keeps leprosy from the head.

Verses 45-46 When the priest had pronounced the leper unclean, it put a stop to his business in the world, cut him off from his friends and relations, and ruined all the comfort he could have in the world. He must humble himself under the mighty hand of God, not insisting upon his cleanness, when the priest had pronounced him unclean, but accepting the punishment. Thus must we take to ourselves the shame that belongs to us, and with broken hearts call ourselves "Unclean, unclean;" heart unclean, life unclean; unclean by original corruption, unclean by actual transgression; unclean, therefore deserving to be for ever shut out from communion with God, and all hope of happiness in him; unclean, therefore undone, if infinite mercy do not interpose. The leper must warn others to take heed of coming near him. He must then be shut out of the camp, and afterward, when they came to Canaan, be shut out of the city, town, or village where he lived, and dwell with none but those that were lepers like himself. This typified the purity which ought to be in the gospel church.

Verses 47-59 The garment suspected to be tainted with leprosy was not to be burned immediately. If, upon search, it was found that there was a leprous spot, it must be burned, or at least that part of it. If it proved to be free, it must be washed, and then might be used. This also sets forth the great evil there is in sin. It not only defiles the sinner's conscience, but it brings a stain upon all he has and all that he does. And those who make their clothes servants to their pride and lust, may see them thereby tainted with leprosy. But the robes of righteousness never fret, nor are moth-eaten.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 13

In this chapter an account is given of the various sorts of leprosy, and the rules by which they were to be judged of, Le 13:1-3 of the bright spot and scab, Le 13:4-8 of the rising or swelling, Le 13:9-17 of the bile or hot ulcer, Le 13:18-23 of the hot burning or inflammation, Le 13:24-28 of the plague of the scall, Le 13:29-37 of bright spots or blisters, Le 13:38,39 and of shedding the hair, and baldness, Le 13:40-44 of what the leper was to do, and to be done unto, Le 13:45,46 of the leprosy in garments made of linen, woollen, or of skin, Le 13:47-59.