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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 13:38-46

We have here, I. Provisos that neither a freckled skin nor a bald head should be mistaken for a leprosy, Lev. 13:38-41. Every deformity must not forthwith be made a ceremonial defilement. Elisha was jeered for his bald head (2 Kgs. 2:23); but it was the children of Bethel, that knew not the judgments of their God, who turned it to his reproach. II. A particular brand set upon the leprosy if at any time it did appear in a bald head: The plague is in his head, he is utterly unclean, Lev. 13:44.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:46

All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled ,.... Reckoned an unclean person, and avoided as such: he is unclean ; in a ceremonial sense, and pronounced as such by the priest, and was to be looked upon as such by others during the time of his exclusion and separation, until he was shown to the priest and cleansed, and his offering offered: he shall dwell alone ; in a separate house or apartment, as Uzziah did, 2 Chronicles 26:21 ; none were allowed to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:1-46

The name leprosy has been made to cover a number of diseases similar but not identical in character. There are many spurious forms of leprosy, and many diseases akin to leprosy which do not now come under discussion. The disease here dealt with is elephantiasis, especially in its anesthetic form, which is otherwise called white leprosy. The two varieties of elephantiasis—the tuberculated and the anesthetic—are, however, so closely connected together that they cannot be separated, the one.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:1-59

The diagnosis of sin as illustrated in the leprosy. cf. 2 Kings 5:1-27 : Psalms 88:1-18 ; Matthew 8:1-4 ; Luke 5:12-15 . The preceding chapter brings forward sin as an inheritance through ordinary generation. No thorough sense or treatment of sin can be reached unless it is recognized as a nature. But God went further in his education of his people. He took one disease with unmistakable characteristics; he legislated about it, doomed the possessor of it to a certain treatment,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:1-59

Leprosy. That leprosy is a type of sin is evident from David's allusion in confessing his own horrible offenses (see Psalms 51:7 )? This also appears from the words of Jesus to the only leper, out of the ten cleansed by him, who returned to give glory to God: "Thy faith hath saved thee" (see Luke 17:11-19 ). The others had faith which availed them to remove the leprosy of the body; but this man's faith availed to remove the leprosy of the soul. Hence this plague often came as a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:1-59

The priest's adjudication. We have considered the plague of leprosy as an emblem of sin; the adjudication upon it will suggest thoughts concerning the treatment of sin. In this business the principal actor was the priest, who must be viewed as the type of Christ. The judgment in this case will be disciplinary rather than final; for when Messiah will come to judge the world at the last day, he will appear not as a priest but as a king. We are now concerned with the functions of the priest. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:45-46

The cases for examination having been discussed, the law for the treatment of the man in whom leprosy has been proved to exist is pronounced. The leper in whom the plague is to be ex-eluded from the camp, lest others should contract defilement from him. tie is for the same reason to cry, Unclean, unclean , lest any wayfarer should unwittingly come in contact with him; and his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip , these being the signs... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:45-46

A picture of sin. The stringent rules for the treatment of the leper are not sufficiently explained by sanitary considerations. The Jews saw in the leper a symbol of the sinner visited with the displeasure of God. His was a stroke of smiting ("plague of leprosy") from the hand of Jehovah, which made him "utterly unclean" ( Leviticus 13:44 ). The instructions of this chapter may convey to us important truth respecting the sinner's condition. To behold it thus forcibly depicted may... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 13:46

The right and duty of excommunication. "He shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be." The right of expulsion from the Jewish camp would be founded, in the mind of Moses, on the Divine commandment (text; Numbers 5:2 , etc.). That was all-sufficient for the great legislator. We may, however, "justify the ways of God to men" to our mind by the considerations: 1 . That if the disease were not positively contagious, the dread of contagion would be most harmful to the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Leviticus 13:46

Dwell alone - More properly, dwell apart; that is, separated from the people.Though thus excluded from general contact with society, it is not likely that lepers ceased to be objects of sympathy and kindness, such as they now are in those Christian and Moslem countries in which the leprosy prevails. That they associated together in the holy land, as they do at present, is evident from 2 Kings 7:3; Luke 17:12. It has been conjectured that a habitation was provided for them outside Jerusalem, on... read more

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