A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. ANd the Lord sp…ke unto Moſes and Aar… ſay…g.]
S…e the note … on Exod. 11. 1.
Verſ. 2. When a man ſhall have in the …kinne of …is fleſh, a …iſing, a ſo…b, …r bright spot, &c.]
Theſe three particulars here mentioned, a riſing, a ſcab, and bright ſpot, are named as dangerous ſignes of a leproſie beginning to grow upon a man, for which it was fit that men ſhould be tryed, and concerning which there are given afterwards ſeverall directions, whereby it might be diſcerned whether they were leproſies or no. For which ſuch care was taken, becauſe the leproſie was a diſeaſe uſuall in thoſe hot countreys, eſpecially in Egypt, whence aroſe that malicious ſlander which Joſephus ſpeaks of, that Moſes and the I…raelites were expelled out of Egypt becauſe they were leprous perſons.
Then ſhall he be brought …nto Aaron the priest, &c.]
The prieſts are choſen to judge of it, 1. becauſe the main thing queſtioned concerning them was, whether they might come into the Sanctuary, &c. 2. becauſe there were …rtain rites, ceremonies, …nd ſacrifices appointed for their cleanſing if they were found leprous, which the prieſt was to ſee done, and therefore the judgement alſo of the diſeaſe was proper unto him.
Verſ. 3. And the priest ſhall l…ok on the plague in the skinne of the fleſh, &c.]
Three ſignes are mentioned in the former verſe which might juſtly render men ſuſpected of a leproſie growing upon them, to wit, a riſing, a ſcab, and a bright ſpot▪ Here now the prieſt is informed in the firſt place concerning the bright ſpot, which is the la…t there mentioned, and called here the plag…e in the skinne of the fleſh, to wit, how he ſhould know whether it were a leproſie or no. Becauſe one kind of leproſie made the skinne very white, Exod. 4. 6. Moſes put his hand in his boſome, and when he took it out, behold his hand was leprous as ſnow; and Numb. 12. 10. Miriam became leprous white as ſnow, therefore the white bright ſpot riſing in the skinne of the fleſh was eſteem…d a dangerous ſigne of that kind of leproſie: yet withall becauſe there were ſome white bright ſpots that did ariſe in mens skinnes which were not leproſies, as is …vident in the 4. and 38. verſes of this chapter, therefore certain directions are here given whereby the prieſt might be able to judge of ſuch white bright ſpots, whether they were leproſies or no, to wit, 1. by obſerving the colour of the hair that grew in the skinne where the bright ſpot was, for if the hair being of ſome other colour before were turned white, then it was a leproſie; and 2. by obſerving whether the plague were in ſight deeper then the skinne of the fleſh, for that wa… alſo another ſure ſigne of a leproſie, the nature of the leproſie being to eat away and conſume the fleſh, Let her not be as one dead, ſaith Moſes of Miriam, Numb. 12. 12. of whom the fleſh is half conſumed when he c…meth out of his mothers …ombe: …nd therefore when Naaman was cured of his leproſie, it is ſaid, that his fleſh came again like unto the fleſh of a little child, 2. King. 5. 14.
Verſ. 4. Th…n the prie…t ſhall ſhut him up that hath the pl…g… ſeven dayes.]
To wit▪ for further tryall, the caſe being yet doubtfull: whereby we are taught to be well adviſed ere we paſſe cenſurt upon any man concerning his ſpirituall leproſie.
Verſ. 6. And he ſhall waſh his clothes, and be clean.]
Though it proved no leproſie, y… he was to waſh▪ teaching that the righteous man is not wholly clean, Who can ſay, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my ſinne? Prov. 20. 9. but …till ne…deth repentance▪ …raving mercy for Chriſts ſake and amendment of his life. …. John 1. 8, 9. If we …ay that we have … ſinne we deceive …ur ſelv…s▪ …nd there is no truth in us. If we confeſſe our ſinnes he is faithfull and juſt to forgive, &c.
Verſ. 7. But if the ſcab ſpread much abroad in the skinne, after it hath been ſeen of the prieſt, &c.]
Direction was given in the former verſe that when the party, in whoſe skinne there was a bright ſpot, had been twice ſhut up for ſeven dayes, and ſtill after thoſe foureteen dayes expired, the plague ſtood at a ſtay, and did not ſpread in the skinne, then the prieſt ſhould pronounce him clean, becauſe it was but a ſcab, it was not a leproſie. But here now direction is given what the prieſt ſhould do in caſe the bright ſpot did ſpread, to wit, that if the ſcab did ſpread much abroad in the skinne after he had been ſeen of the prieſt, to wit, after the firſt ſeven dayes of his being ſhut up, then he ſhould be ſeen of the prieſt again, to wit, after he had been ſhut up the ſecond time ſeven dayes, and then if ſtill the ſcab did ſpread in the skinne, the prieſt was then to pronounce him unclean.
Verſ. 9. When the plague of leproſie is in a man, &c.]
Here directions were given for judging of another probable ſigne of a leproſie, to wit, a rifing or ſwelling, firſt mentioned ver. 2. but handled here in the ſecond place, namely that if 1. it were a white riſing; and 2. had turned the hair in it white; and 3. there was a quick raw fleſh in the riſing, then it was a leproſie.
Verſ. 13. If the leproſie have covered all his fleſh he ſhall pronounce him clean that hath the plague.]
Becauſe in ſuch ſtrength of nature in the party expelling the inward corruption all over his body, it proves not the infectious leproſie, which makes the fleſh raw, but is indeed a kind of ſcurf or ſcab, though termed here a leproſie, becauſe it was ordinarily ſo eſteemed by the people.
Verſ. 14. But when raw fleſh appeareth in him, he ſhall be unclean.]
This is an exception given to the direction in the two former verſes, to wit, that though a man ſhould be covered all over from head to foot with ſuch a white leproſie or ſcurf as is before ſpoken of, yet if there were here and there any raw fleſh appearing, he ſhould be pronounced unclean, and that becauſe his raw fleſh was a ſigne that the poyſon of the diſeaſe was not wholly driven out, but did ſtill lurk within the fleſh, and ſo rendred the diſeaſe more perillous to him that had it, and more infectious to others.
Verſ. 16. Or if the raw ſleſh turn again, and be changed into white, &c.]
That is, when the party, in whom there was found ſuch places of raw fleſh, was by the prieſt pronounced unclean, if afterwards this raw …leſh turned to white like the reſt of his body, then he ſhould again be pronounced clean, to wit, becauſe this did manifeſt that the venome of the plague was wholly come forth.
Verſ. 18. The fleſh alſo, in which, …ven in the skinne thereof, was a bil… and is healed.]
Here begins the deſcription of a third ſort of leproſie ariſing of a ſcab, mentioned verſe the 2. in the ſecond place, but here handled in the third. And firſt he begins with the ſcab that comes of a bile healed, then ver. 24. he proceeds to that which comes of a burning. In both which it is obſervable that out of the ſcab of an healed ſore there ſprings a leproſie, which may we…l ſhew how ſinnes, after we are healed of them, when they return do make us worſe then before.
Verſ. 24. Or if there be any fleſh in the skinne wherein there is an h…t burning, &c.]
This is not a new kind of leproſie (for ſtill the Law ſpeaketh of a leproſie that groweth from the ſcab of an ulcer) but another ca…e is propounded of another kind of ulcer which ariſeth from a burning of fire, coals, hot iron, &c. as is before noted.
Verſ. 29. If any man or woman hath a plague upon the head, or beard.]
Hitherto of the leproſie in the body in generall, now of that in the head or beard.
Verſ. 31. And that there is no black hair in it, &c.]
For if there had been black hair in it, he had been undoubtedly clean, black hair being a ſigne of …oundneſſe and ſtrength of nature. S…e ver. 37.
Verſ. 34. And he ſhall waſh his clothes and be clean.]
See the note above upon verſe 6.
Verſ. 45. And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes ſhall be rent, &c.]
Both to teſtifie their ſorrow for ſinne, which had provoked God to puniſh them thus; as alſo that by this mark they might be known from others, who uſed to wear long robes or garments cloſe before, &c.
And he ſhall put a covering upon his upper lip, &c.]
This was alſo both to expreſſe ſorrow and ſhame: for this was one thing that was uſed by mourners, and thoſe that were dejected. See Ezek. 24. 17. Make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy ſhooes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips. and Mich. 3. 7. Then ſhall the ſeers be aſhamed, &c. yea, they ſhall all cover their lips: alſo it might diſtinguiſh the unclean from the clean, and withall ſecure the parties whom he met, that they might not be infected with his breath.
And ſhall cry, unclean, unclean.]
As bewailing his condition, and giving warning to thoſe he met to keep aloof from him, Lam. 4. 15. They cried unto them, Depart ye, it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not, &c.
Verſ. 46. He ſhall dwell alone, without the camp ſhall his habitation be.]
And ſo afterwards without the towns and cities where the Iſraelites inhabited: for ſo we reade that as Chriſt entred into a certain village there met him ten men that were lepers, and ſtood a farre off, Luke 17. 12. And that when Samaria was ſtraightly ſhut up and beſieged by the Syrians, there were foure leprous men without the citie at the entring in of the gate, 2. King. 7. 3. Even Aſariah king of Judah, being ſtricken with a leproſie, dwelt in a ſeverall houſe apart by himſelf unto the day of his death, 2. King. 5. 5. Now hereby they were taught how hatefull to God the ſpirituall lepro…ie of …inne is, and how perilous and infectious to men the company of unclean and wicked perſons is.
Verſ. 50. And ſhut up it that hath the plague ſeven dayes.]
To ſee whether it will ſpread: for then it is a fretting leproſie, verſe 51. and the garment muſt be burnt.
Verſ. 54. And he ſhall ſhut it up ſeven dayes more.]
To ſee whether upon waſhing it will change colour or no: for if the colour were not changed by waſhing, the garment muſt be burnt, though it did not ſpread, verſe 55. Becauſe that was a ſig…e that it did fret inward.
Verſ. 56. Whether it be bare inward or without.]
That is, whether the plague be on the inſide of the garment, or on the out ſide.