18 "When the body has a boil on its skin and it is healed , 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white , bright spot , then it shall be shown to the priest ; 20 and the priest shall look , and behold , if it appears to be lower than the skin , and the hair on it has turned white , then the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is the infection of leprosy , it has broken out in the boil . 21 "But if the priest looks at it, and behold , there are no white hairs in it and it is not lower than the skin and is faded , then the priest shall isolate him for seven days ; 22 and if it spreads farther on the skin , then the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is an infection . 23 "But if the bright spot remains in its place and does not spread , it is only the scar of the boil ; and the priest shall pronounce him clean . 24 "Or if the body sustains in its skin a burn by fire , and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot , reddish-white , or white , 25 then the priest shall look at it. And if the hair in the bright spot has turned white and it appears to be deeper than the skin , it is leprosy ; it has broken out in the burn . Therefore, the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is an infection of leprosy . 26 "But if the priest looks at it, and indeed , there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is no deeper than the skin , but is dim , then the priest shall isolate him for seven days ; 27 and the priest shall look at him on the seventh day . If it spreads farther in the skin , then the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is an infection of leprosy . 28 "But if the bright spot remains in its place and has not spread in the skin , but is dim , it is the swelling from the burn ; and the priest shall pronounce him clean , for it is only the scar of the burn . 29 "Now if a man or woman has an infection on the head or on the beard , 30 then the priest shall look at the infection , and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and there is thin yellowish hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is a scale , it is leprosy of the head or of the beard . 31 "But if the priest looks at the infection of the scale , and indeed , it appears to be no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the person with the scaly infection for seven days . 32 "On the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection , and if the scale has not spread and no yellowish hair has grown in it, and the appearance of the scale is no deeper than the skin , 33 then he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the scale ; and the priest shall isolate the person with the scale seven more days . 34 "Then on the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale , and if the scale has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin , the priest shall pronounce him clean ; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean . 35 "But if the scale spreads farther in the skin after his cleansing , 36 then the priest shall look at him, and if the scale has spread in the skin , the priest need not seek for the yellowish hair ; he is unclean . 37 "If in his sight the scale has remained , however, and black hair has grown in it, the scale has healed , he is clean ; and the priest shall pronounce him clean .
38 "When a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body , even white bright spots , 39 then the priest shall look , and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faint white , it is eczema that has broken out on the skin ; he is clean . 40 "Now if a man loses the hair of his head , he is bald ; he is clean . 41 "If his head becomes bald at the front and sides , he is bald on the forehead ; he is clean . 42 "But if on the bald head or the bald forehead , there occurs a reddish-white infection , it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or on his bald forehead . 43 "Then the priest shall look at him; and if the swelling of the infection is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead , like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body , 44 he is a leprous man , he is unclean . The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean ; his infection is on 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.