131 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron , saying , 2 "When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot , and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body , then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests . 3 "The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body , and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body , it is an infection of leprosy ; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean . 4 "But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body , and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin , and the hair on it has not turned white , then the priest shall isolate him who has the infection for seven days . 5 "The priest shall look at him on the seventh day , and if in his eyes the infection has not changed and the infection has not spread on the skin , then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days . 6 "The priest shall look at him again on the seventh day , and if the infection has faded and the mark has not spread on the skin , then the priest shall pronounce him clean ; it is only a scab . And he shall wash his clothes and be clean . 7 "But if the scab spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing , he shall appear again to the priest . 8 "The priest shall look , and if the scab has spread on the skin , then the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; it is leprosy . 9 "When the infection of leprosy is on a man , then he shall be brought to the priest . 10 "The priest shall then look , and if there is a white swelling in the skin , and it has turned the hair white , and there is quick raw flesh in the swelling , 11 it is a chronic leprosy on the skin of his body , and the priest shall pronounce him unclean ; he shall not isolate him, for he is unclean . 12 "If the leprosy breaks out farther on the skin , and the leprosy covers all the skin of him who has the infection from his head even to his feet , as far as the priest can see e ,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 13:1-12
Commentary on Leviticus 13:1-17
(Read Leviticus 13:1-17)
The plague of leprosy was an uncleanness, rather than a disease. Christ is said to cleanse lepers, not to cure them. Common as the leprosy was among the Hebrews, during and after their residence in Egypt, we have no reason to believe that it was known among them before. Their distressed state and employment in that land must have rendered them liable to disease. But it was a plague often inflicted immediately by the hand of God. Miriam's leprosy, and Gehazi's, and king Uzziah's, were punishments of particular sins; no marvel there was care taken to distinguish it from a common distemper. The judgment of it was referred to the priests. And it was a figure of the moral pollutions of men's minds by sin, which is the leprosy of the soul, defiling to the conscience, and from which Christ alone can cleanse. The priest could only convict the leper, (by the law is the knowledge of sin,) but Christ can cure the sinner, he can take away sin. It is a work of great importance, but of great difficulty, to judge of our spiritual state. We all have cause to suspect ourselves, being conscious of sores and spots; but whether clean or unclean is the question. As there were certain marks by which to know it was leprosy, so there are marks of such as are in the gall of bitterness. The priest must take time in making his judgment. This teaches all, both ministers and people, not to be hasty in censures, nor to judge anything before the time. If some men's sins go before unto judgment, the sins of others follow after, and so do men's good works. If the person suspected were found to be clean, yet he must wash his clothes, because there had been ground for the suspicion. We have need to be washed in the blood of Christ from our spots, though not leprosy spots; for who can say, I am pure from sin?