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. 45 And as to the leper in whom the sore is,—his garments shall be rent, and his head shall be uncovered, and he shall put a covering on his beard, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean! 46 All the days that the sore shall be in him he shall be unclean: he is unclean; he shall dwell apart; outside the camp shall his dwelling be.
47 And if a sore of leprosy is in a garment, in a woollen garment, or a linen garment, 48 either in the warp or in the woof of linen or of wool, or in a skin, or in anything made of skin, 49 and the sore is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is the sore of leprosy, and shall be shewn unto the priest. 50 And the priest shall look on the sore, and shall shut up [that which hath] the sore seven days.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 13:26-50
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.
Commentary on Leviticus 13:45-46
(Read Leviticus 13:45-46)
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.
Commentary on Leviticus 13:47-59
(Read Leviticus 13:47-59)
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.