1, 9, 18, 24, 29, 38The laws and tokens whereby the priest is to be guided in discerning the leprosy in man or woman; 47and in a garment.
1AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
2When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a 1rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the 2plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
1 Hebr. a rising, or, raising.
2 Or, a sign of the plague of leprosy; which might well deserve to be called a plague, not only in this chapter, but likewise in Lev. 14:3, Deut. 24:8, etc. For, this leprosy was a kind of scabbiness, very infectious, and held incurable by people; distinct from the sickness which we call persons in these lands being lazar or leprous, as being far more grievous.
3And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned 3white, and the plague 4in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him 5unclean.
3 Other translations insert here the word into. In verses 16 and 17 it is also expressed as unto white, and into white.
4 That is, the indication and evidence thereof as it presents itself to the view and judgment of the priest.
5 Hebr. pollute or make unclean, that is, declare and pronounce him to be unclean. So verses 11, 15, etc. To purify and make clean are as much as to say, declare and pronounce him clean, verses 6, 13, etc.
4If the bright spot be white in the skin 6of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up 7him that hath the plague seven days:
6 Namely, the person who has the plague.
7 Hebr. shut up that plague; that is, the person who has it, or seems infected with it, so in verses 12, 13, 17, 31, etc.
5And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague 8in his sight be at a stay,aand the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:
8 Hebr. in his eyes; that is, according as he is able to discern with his eyes, and judge by his observation. Also verse 37.
a stop, hold back
6And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be 9somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him 10clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be 11clean.
9 Or, shrunk, or, obscured.
10 Hebr. cleanse, or, purify, that is, declare and pronounce him such. See on verse 3.
11 Namely, from the plague of leprosy; as appears from verse 8.
7But if the scab 12spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:
12 Hebr. spreading spread, that is, entirely or altogether very much. So also verses 22, 27, 35.
8And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
9¶When 13the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
13 See on verse 2.
10And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the risingbbe white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be 14quick 15raw flesh in the rising;
b swelling, tumor, boil
14 Hebr. life, or, liveliness.
15 Understand, the flesh is sensible yet, for, it is, as it were, mortified by leprosy so that it grows past feeling. And observe here, as also verse 14, a general observation whereby to judge of this leprosy correctly; namely, where living or healthy flesh was intermixed with that which was unhealthy and of different colors, that such was the true leprosy; on the contrary, where but one sort of color was seen, that was a sign of some other boil or infirmity.
11It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.
12And if a 16leprosy 17break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover 18all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest 19looketh;
16 That is, the swelling, which seems to be leprosy, or the mark of leprosy and so in the sequel.
17 Hebr. budding forth bud forth.
18 Hebr. the whole skin of the plague, that is, of him who has the plague upon him. See on verse 4 and on what follows.
19 That is, according to his best view and judgment.
13Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce 20him clean that hath the plague: 21it is all turned white: 22he is clean.
20 Hebr. shall he declare the plague clean, that is, he who has the plague. Also verse 17, etc.
21 Namely, the plague.
22 That is, he, who seemed to have the plague of leprosy, is free and clear of it.
14But when 23raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
23 Namely, intermixed with the flesh that was turned white; the diversity of colors being a sign of true leprosy, but the uniformity a sign of health, or of some other ulceration. See on verse 10.
15And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
16Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
17And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce 24him 25clean that hath the plague: he is clean.
24 See on verse 13.
25 Hebr. shall purify the plague. See on verse 6.
18¶The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
19And in the place of the boil there be a white rising,c or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it 26be shewed to the priest;
c swelling, tumor, boil
26 Namely, the flesh whereon that white swelling, etc., has appeared.
20And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be 27in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.
27 Namely, the blisters or swellings, as is expressed in verse 25.
21But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
22And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: 28it is a plague.
28 Namely, of leprosy. See verse 20.
23But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a 29burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
29 That is, a sign of inflammation. Other: an inflammation, or, burning. Also verse 28.
24¶Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and 30the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or 31white;
30 Hebr. the liveliness, or, the healthiness of the burning. Understand that part of the flesh, which is recovered from the inflammation, and has become healthy again.
31 Understand, altogether white.
25Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
26But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
27And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be 32spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
32 Hebr. spreading spread. See verse 7.
28And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an 33inflammation of the burning.
33 Compare the annotation on verse 23.
29¶If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
30Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall,deven a leprosy upon the head or beard.
d skin disease, sore
31And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no 34black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:
34 Which was a sign of cleanness and health, verse 37, as the yellowness was a sign of uncleanness and infection, verse 30.
32And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;
33He 35shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:
35 Hebr. he shall shave himself, that is, cause himself to be shaved.
34And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him 36clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
36 Namely, of the plague of leprosy; also verses 6, 13, 37, 39, 40, 41.
35But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
36Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall 37not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.
37 That is, not heed or regard it at all.
37But if the scall be 38in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scalle is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38 Hebr. in his eyes. See on verse 5.
e skin disease, sore
38¶If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
39Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled 39spot that groweth in the skin; 40he is clean.
39 Or, white spot.
40 Namely, of the plague of the leprosy. See verse 34, also in the next two verses.
40And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.
41And he that hath his hair fallen off from 41the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.
41 That is, from the crown to the forehead and the temples of the head; which baldness is called a forehead bald, and who has it forehead bald.
42And if there be in the 42bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
42 Hence it appears that the text here does not speak of baldness coming of age or from any other disease, but only of what is caused by leprosy, and that this only and not the other is declared unclean.
43Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, 43as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
43 That is, having the appearance, by showing itself in the skin of the flesh, which is similar to that of leprosy.
44He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him 44utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
44 Hebr. declaring unclean he shall declare him unclean.
45And the 45leper in whom the plague is, his clothes 46shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his 47upper lip, and shall cry,f Unclean, unclean.
45 Those who were found unclean by the priests in manner aforesaid, were charged: 1. to wear rent or torn garments; 2. to go bare-headed; 3. to wrap their upper lip and so to cover their beard; 4. to proclaim, when they saw anybody, that they were unclean; 5. to dwell apart from the society of people. And all this, partly in regard for themselves, unto a sign of their sad and mournful condition; and partly that others also would take heed of coming near and being infected by them.
46 Compare the annotation at Gen. 37 on verse 29.
47 Other, his mustache. Compare Ezek. 24:17; Micah 3:7.
f Lam. 4:15.
46All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: 48he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
48 See Num. 5:2; 12:14; 2 Kings 15:5; 2 Chron. 26:21; Luke 17:12.
47¶The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
48Whether it be in the 49warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of 50skin;
49 Otherwise called: weaving-thread, or weft.
50 Or, furriery.
49And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp,g or in the woof,h or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:
g the threads running lengthwise in a loom
h yarns carried back and forth across the loom in weaving
50And the priest shall look upon the plague, and 51shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
51 Or, and he shall, that which hast the plague, shut up seven days. That is, what the plague has, or, on which is the plague. Compare the annotation on verse 4.
51And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a 52fretting leprosy; 53it is unclean.
52 Other, flinging, pricking, or, smarting, paining, etc., that is, such a one as will cause smart and pain to him who shall wear or use those garments.
53 Namely, the garment, the thing, or material, on which is the plague; and so in the end of the next verse.
52He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
54Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
55And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his 54colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is 55fret inward, whether it be 56bare within or without.
54 Hebr. eye.
55 Hebr. gnawing, corroding.
56 Hebr. in his baldness, or, in his bald forehead. Understand by the baldness the back or inward part of the garment, which we use to call the wrong side, which in the wear is next to the body; and by in its baldness of the forehead, whereby is understood the forepart or outside of garments, which is most seen in the wearing, is called the right side. Others understand by the former sort of baldness here, when a garment has lost its wool or hair through age, and has become leprous afterwards; and by the latter when any leprosy has bereaved a garment of its wool.
56And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
57And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
58And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
59This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.