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 , 13 then the priest shall look , and behold , if the leprosy has covered all his body , he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection ; it has all turned white and he is clean . 14 "But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean . 15 "The priest shall look at the raw flesh , and he shall pronounce him unclean ; the raw flesh is unclean , it is leprosy . 16 "Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white , then he shall come to the priest , 17 and the priest shall look at him, and behold , if the infection has turned to white , then the priest shall pronounce clean him who has the infection ; he is clean .
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 .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 13:1-40
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?
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.