18 And the flesh—when in the skin thereof cometh a boil, and it is healed, 19 and there is in the place of the boil a white rising, or a white-reddish bright spot, it shall be shewn to the priest; 20 and the priest shall look on it, and behold, it looketh deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof is turned white; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the sore of leprosy broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest look on it, and behold, there are no white hairs therein, and it is not deeper than the skin, and is pale, the priest shall shut him up seven days; 22 and if it spread much in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the sore. 23 But if the bright spot have remained in its place, [and] have not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 24 Or if in the flesh, in the skin thereof, there is a burning inflammation, and the place of the inflammation become a bright spot white-reddish or white, 25 and the priest look on it, and behold, the hair is turned white in the bright spot, and it looketh deeper than the skin, it is a leprosy which is broken out in the inflammation; and the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the sore of leprosy. 26 But if the priest look on it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is no deeper than the skin, and is pale, the priest shall shut him up seven days. 27 And the priest shall look on him the seventh day, and if it have spread much in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the sore of leprosy. 28 But if the bright spot have remained in its place, [and] not spread in the skin, and is pale, it is the rising of the inflammation; and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is the scar of the inflammation. 29 And if a man or a woman have a sore on the head or on the beard, 30 and the priest look on the sore, and behold, it looketh deeper than the skin, and there is in it yellow thin hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scall, the leprosy of the head or the beard. 31 And if the priest look on the sore of the scall, and behold, it is not in sight deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall shut up [him that hath] the sore of the scall seven days. 32 And when the priest looketh on the sore on the seventh day, and behold, the scall hath not spread, and there is in it no yellow hair, and the scall doth not look deeper than the skin, 33 he [that hath the sore] shall shave himself; but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up [him that hath] the scall seven days a second time. 34 And the priest shall look on the scall on the seventh day, and behold, the scall hath not spread in the skin, nor is in sight deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; and he shall wash his garments, and be clean. 35 But if the scall have spread much in the skin after his cleansing, 36 and the priest shall look on him, and behold, the scall hath spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair: he is unclean. 37 But if the scall have in his sight remained as it was, and there is black hair grown up therein, the scall is healed: he is clean; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38 And if a man or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, white bright spots, 39 and the priest look, and behold, there are in the skin of their flesh pale white spots, it is an eruption which is broken out in the skin: he is clean. 40 And if a man's hair have fallen off his head, he is bald: he is clean; 41 and if he have the hair fallen off from the part of the head towards his face, he is forehead-bald: he is clean. 42 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white-reddish sore, it is a leprosy which hath broken out in his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43 And the priest shall look on it, and behold, the rising of the sore is white-reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, like the appearance of the leprosy in the skin of the flesh; 44 he is a leprous man, he is unclean; the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his sore is in his head.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 13:18-44
Commentary on Leviticus 13:18-44
(Read Leviticus 13:18-44)
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, verse 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.