47 The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment;
48 Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woolen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;
49 And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest:
50 And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
51 And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woolen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
54 Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
55 And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his color, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.
56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
57 And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
58 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woolen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
47 The garment H899 also that the plague H5061 of leprosy H6883 is in, whether it be a woollen H6785 garment, H899 or a linen H6593 garment; H899
48 Whether it be in the warp, H8359 or woof; H6154 of linen, H6593 or of woollen; H6785 whether in a skin, H5785 or in any thing made H4399 of skin; H5785
49 And if the plague H5061 be greenish H3422 or reddish H125 in the garment, H899 or in the skin, H5785 either H176 in the warp, H8359 or in the woof, H6154 or in any thing H3627 of skin; H5785 it is a plague H5061 of leprosy, H6883 and shall be shewed H7200 unto the priest: H3548
50 And the priest H3548 shall look H7200 upon the plague, H5061 and shut H5462 up it that hath the plague H5061 seven H7651 days: H3117
51 And he shall look H7200 on the plague H5061 on the seventh H7637 day: H3117 if the plague H5061 be spread H6581 in the garment, H899 either in the warp, H8359 or in the woof, H6154 or in a skin, H5785 or in any work H4399 that is made H6213 of skin; H5785 the plague H5061 is a fretting H3992 leprosy; H6883 it is unclean. H2931
52 He shall therefore burn H8313 that garment, H899 whether warp H8359 or woof, H6154 in woollen H6785 or in linen, H6593 or any thing H3627 of skin, H5785 wherein the plague H5061 is: for it is a fretting H3992 leprosy; H6883 it shall be burnt H8313 in the fire. H784
53 And if the priest H3548 shall look, H7200 and, behold, the plague H5061 be not spread H6581 in the garment, H899 either H176 in the warp, H8359 or H176 in the woof, H6154 or H176 in any thing H3627 of skin; H5785
54 Then the priest H3548 shall command H6680 that they wash H3526 the thing wherein the plague H5061 is, and he shall shut H5462 it up seven H7651 days H3117 more: H8145
55 And the priest H3548 shall look H7200 on the plague, H5061 after H310 that it is washed: H3526 and, behold, if the plague H5061 have not changed H2015 his colour, H5869 and the plague H5061 be not spread; H6581 it is unclean; H2931 thou shalt burn H8313 it in the fire; H784 it is fret H6356 inward, whether it be bare within H7146 or without. H1372
56 And if the priest H3548 look, H7200 and, behold, the plague H5061 be somewhat dark H3544 after H310 the washing H3526 of it; then he shall rend H7167 it out of the garment, H899 or out of the skin, H5785 or out of the warp, H8359 or out of the woof: H6154
57 And if it appear H7200 still H5750 in the garment, H899 either in the warp, H8359 or in the woof, H6154 or in any thing H3627 of skin; H5785 it is a spreading H6524 plague: thou shalt burn H8313 that wherein the plague H5061 is with fire. H784
58 And the garment, H899 either warp, H8359 or woof, H6154 or whatsoever thing H3627 of skin H5785 it be, which thou shalt wash, H3526 if the plague H5061 be departed H5493 from them, then it shall be washed H3526 the second H8145 time, and shall be clean. H2891
59 This is the law H8451 of the plague H5061 of leprosy H6883 in a garment H899 of woollen H6785 or linen, H6593 either in the warp, H8359 or woof, H6154 or any thing H3627 of skins, H5785 to pronounce it clean, H2891 or to pronounce it unclean. H2930
47 The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
48 whether it be in warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in anything made of skin;
49 if the plague be 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 plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest.
50 And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up `that which hath' the plague seven days:
51 and he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever service skin is used for; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
52 And he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in woollen or in linen, or anything of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin;
54 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
55 and the priest shall look, after that the plague is washed; and, behold, if the plague have not changed its color, and the plague be not spread, it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire: it is a fret, whether the bareness be within or without.
56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be dim after the washing thereof, then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
57 and if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is breaking out: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
58 And the garment, either the warp, or the woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or the woof, or anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
47 `And when there is in any garment a plague of leprosy, -- in a garment of wool, or in a garment of linen,
48 or in the warp, or in the woof, of linen or of wool, or in a skin, or in any work of skin,
49 and the plague hath been very green or very red in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in any vessel of skin, it `is' a plague of leprosy, and it hath been shewn the priest.
50 `And the priest hath seen the plague, and hath shut up `that which hath' the plague, seven days;
51 and he hath seen the plague on the seventh day, and the plague hath spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, of all that is made of skin for work; the plague `is' a fretting leprosy, it `is' unclean.
52 `And he hath burnt the garment, or the warp, or the woof, in wool or in linen, or any vessel of skin in which the plague is; for it `is' a fretting leprosy; with fire it is burnt.
53 `And if the priest see, and lo, the plague hath not spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in any vessel of skin,
54 then hath the priest commanded, and they have washed that in which the plague `is', and he hath shut it up a second seven days.
55 And the priest hath seen `that which hath' the plague after it hath been washed, and lo, the plague hath not changed its aspect, and the plague hath not spread, -- it `is' unclean; with fire thou dost burn it; it `is' a fretting in its back-part or in its front-part.
56 `And if the priest hath seen, and lo, the plague `is' become weak after it hath been washed, then he hath rent it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof;
57 and if it still be seen in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in any vessel of skin, it `is' a fretting; with fire thou dost burn it -- that in which the plague `is'.
58 `And the garment, or the warp, or the woof, or any vessel of skin which thou dost wash when the plague hath turned aside from them, then it hath been washed a second time, and hath been clean.
59 `This `is' the law of a plague of leprosy `in' a garment of wool or of linen, or of the warp or of the woof, or of any vessel of skin, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.'
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.
51 And he shall see the sore on the seventh day: if the sore have spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in a skin, in any work that may be made of skin, the sore is a corroding leprosy: it is unclean.
52 And they shall burn the garment, or the warp or the woof, of wool or of linen, or anything of skin, wherein the sore is; for it is a corroding leprosy: it shall be burned with fire.
53 But if the priest look, and behold, the sore hath not spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin,
54 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the sore is, and he shall shut it up seven days a second time.
55 And the priest shall look on the sore after the washing, and behold, if the sore have not changed its appearance, and the sore have not spread, it is unclean: thou shalt burn it with fire: it is a fretting sore on what is threadbare or where the nap is gone.
56 But if the priest look, and behold, the sore hath become pale after the washing of it, then he shall rend it from the garment, or from the skin, or from the warp, or from the woof.
57 And if it appear still in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is a [leprosy] breaking out: thou shalt burn with fire that wherein the sore is.
58 But the garment, or the warp, or the woof, or whatever thing of skin which thou hast washed, and the sore departeth from them, it shall be washed a second time, and it is clean.
59 This is the law of the sore of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, to cleanse it, or to pronounce it unclean.
47 "The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment;
48 whether it is in warp, or woof; of linen, or of wool; whether in a skin, or in anything made of skin;
49 if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything made of skin; it is the plague of leprosy, and shall be shown to the priest.
50 The priest shall examine the plague, and isolate the plague seven days.
51 He shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructive mildew. It is unclean.
52 He shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of skin, in which the plague is: for it is a destructive mildew. It shall be burned in the fire.
53 "If the priest examines it, and, behold, the plague hasn't spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin;
54 then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which the plague is, and he shall isolate it seven more days.
55 Then the priest shall examine it, after the plague is washed; and, behold, if the plague hasn't changed its color, and the plague hasn't spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire. It is a mildewed spot, whether the bareness is inside or outside.
56 If the priest looks, and, behold, the plague has faded after it is washed, then he shall tear it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
57 and if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is spreading. You shall burn with fire that in which the plague is.
58 The garment, either the warp, or the woof, or whatever thing of skin it is, which you shall wash, if the plague has departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and it will be clean."
59 This is the law of the plague of mildew in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp, or the woof, or in anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
47 And any clothing of wool or of linen in which is the mark of the disease;
48 If it is in the threads of the linen or of the wool, or in leather, or in anything made of skin;
49 If there are red or green marks on the clothing, or on the leather, or in the threads of the cloth, or in anything made of skin, it is the leper's disease: let the priest see it.
50 And after it has been seen by the priest, the thing which is so marked is to be shut up for seven days:
51 And he is to see the mark on the seventh day; if the mark is increased in the clothing, or in the threads of the material, or in the leather, whatever the leather is used for, it is the disease biting into it: it is unclean.
52 And the clothing, or the wool or linen material, or anything of leather in which is the disease, is to be burned: for the disease is biting into it; let it be burned in the fire.
53 And if the priest sees that the mark is not increased in the clothing or in any part of the material or in the leather,
54 Then the priest will give orders for the thing on which the mark is, to be washed, and to be shut up for seven days more:
55 And if, after the mark has been washed, the priest sees that the colour of it is not changed and it is not increased, it is to be burned in the fire: the disease is working in it, though the damage may be inside or outside.
56 And if the priest sees that the mark is less bright after the washing, then let him have it cut out of the clothing or the leather or from the threads of the material:
57 And if the mark is still seen in the clothing or in the threads of the material or in the leather, it is the disease coming out: the thing in which the disease is will have to be burned with fire.
58 And the material of the clothing, or anything of skin, which has been washed, if the mark has gone out of it, let it be washed a second time and it will be clean.
59 This is the law about the leper's disease in the thread of wool or linen material, in clothing or in anything of skin, saying how it is to be judged clean or unclean.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 13
Commentary on Leviticus 13 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Leprosy. - The law for leprosy, the observance of which is urged upon the people again in Deuteronomy 24:8-9, treats, in the first place, of leprosy in men: ( a ) in its dangerous forms when appearing either on the skin (vv. 2-28), or on the head and beard (Leviticus 13:29-37); ( b ) in harmless forms (Leviticus 13:38 and Leviticus 13:39); and ( c ) when appearing on a bald head (Leviticus 13:40-44). To this there are added instructions for the removal of the leper from the society of other men (Leviticus 13:45 and Leviticus 13:46). It treats, secondly , of leprosy in linen, woollen, and leather articles, and the way to treat them (Leviticus 13:47-59); thirdly , of the purification of persons recovered from leprosy (Lev 14:1-32); and fourthly , of leprosy in houses and the way to remove it (vv. 33-53). - The laws for leprosy in man relate exclusively to the so-called white leprosy, λεύκη λέπρα , lepra , which probably existed at that time in hither Asia alone, not only among the Israelites and Jews (Numbers 12:10.; 2 Samuel 3:29; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Kings 7:3; 2 Kings 15:5; Matthew 8:2-3; Matthew 10:8; Matthew 11:5; Matthew 26:6, etc.), but also among the Syrians (2 Kings 5:1.), and which is still found in that part of the world, most frequently in the countries of the Lebanon and Jordan and in the neighbourhood of Damascus, in which city there are three hospitals for lepers ( Seetzen , pp. 277, 278), and occasionally in Arabia ( Niebuhr, Arab. pp. 135ff.) and Egypt; though at the present time the pimply leprosy, lepra tuberosa s. articulorum (the leprosy of the joints), is more prevalent in the East, and frequently occurs in Egypt in the lower extremities in the form of elephantiasis. Of the white leprosy (called Lepra Mosaica ), which is still met with in Arabia sometimes, where it is called Baras , Trusen gives the following description: “Very frequently, even for years before the actual outbreak of the disease itself, white, yellowish spots are seen lying deep in the skin, particularly on the genitals, in the face, on the forehead, or in the joints. They are without feeling, and sometimes cause the hair to assume the same colour as the spots. These spots afterwards pierce through the cellular tissue, and reach the muscles and bones. The hair becomes white and woolly, and at length falls off; hard gelatinous swellings are formed in the cellular tissue; the skin gets hard, rough, and seamy, lymph exudes from it, and forms large scabs, which fall off from time to time, and under these there are often offensive running sores. The nails then swell, curl up, and fall off; entropium is formed, with bleeding gums, the nose stopped up, and a considerable flow of saliva... The senses become dull, the patient gets thin and weak, colliquative diarrhea sets in, and incessant thirst and burning fever terminate his sufferings” ( Krankheiten d. alten Hebr. p. 165).
The symptoms of leprosy, whether proceeding directly from eruptions in the skin, or caused by a boil or burn . - Leviticus 13:2-8. The first case: “When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh (body) a raised spot or scab, or a bright spot.” שׂאת , a lifting up (Genesis 4:7, etc.), signifies here an elevation of the skin in some part of the body, a raised spot like a pimple. ספּחת , an eruption, scurf, or scab, from ספח to pour out, “a pouring out as it were from the flesh or skin” ( Knobel ). בּהרת .)le , from בּהר , in the Arabic and Chaldee to shine, is a bright swollen spot in the skin. If ether of these signs became “a spot of leprosy,” the person affected was to be brought to the priest, that he might examine the complaint. The term zaraath , from an Arabic word signifying to strike down or scourge, is applied to leprosy as a scourge of God, and in the case of men it always denotes the white leprosy, which the Arabs call baras . נגע , a stroke (lit., “stroke of leprosy”), is applied not only to the spot attacked by the leprosy, the leprous mole (Leviticus 13:3, Leviticus 13:29-32, Leviticus 13:42, etc.), but to the persons and even to things affected with leprosy (Leviticus 13:4, Leviticus 13:12, Leviticus 13:13, Leviticus 13:31, Leviticus 13:50, Leviticus 13:55).
Leviticus 13:3
A person so diseased was to be pronounced unclean, ( a ) if the hair of his head had turned white on the mole, i.e., if the dark hair which distinguished the Israelites had become white; and ( b ) if the appearance of the mole was deeper than the skin of the flesh, i.e., if the spot, where the mole was, appeared depressed in comparison with the rest of the skin. In that case it was leprosy. These signs are recognised by modern observers (e.g., Hensler ); and among the Arabs leprosy is regarded as curable if the hair remains black upon the white spots, but incurable if it becomes whitish in colour.
Leviticus 13:4-6
But if the bright spot was white upon the skin, and its appearance was not deeper than the skin, and the place therefore was not sunken, nor the hair turned white, the priest was to shut up the leper, i.e., preclude him from intercourse with other men, for seven days, and on the seventh day examine him again. If he then found that the mole still stood, i.e., remained unaltered, “in his eyes,” or in his view, that it had not spread any further, he was to shut him up for seven days more. And if, on further examination upon the seventh day, he found that the mole had become paler, had lost its brilliant whiteness, and had not spread, he was to declare him clean, for it was a scurf, i.e., a mere skin eruption, and not true leprosy. The person who had been pronounced clean, however, was to wash his clothes, to change himself from even the appearance of leprosy, and then to be clean.
Leviticus 13:7-8
But if the scurf had spread upon the skin “after his (first) appearance before the priest with reference to his cleansing,” i.e., to be examined concerning his purification; and if the priest notice this on his second appearance, he was to declare him unclean, for in that case it was leprosy.
Leviticus 13:9-17
The second case (Leviticus 13:9-17): if the leprosy broke out without previous eruptions.
Leviticus 13:9-11
“If a mole of leprosy is in a man, and the priest to whom he is brought sees that there is a white rising in the skin, and this has turned the hair white, and there is raw (proud) flesh upon the elevation, it is an old leprosy.” The apodosis to Leviticus 13:9 and Leviticus 13:10 commences with Leviticus 13:11. חי בּשׂר living, i.e., raw, proud flesh. מחיה the preservation of life (Genesis 45:5), sustenance (Judges 6:4); here, in Leviticus 13:10 and Leviticus 13:24, it signifies life in the sense of that which shows life, not a blow or spot ( נגע , from מחה to strike), as it is only in a geographical sense that the verb has this signification, viz., to strike against, or reach as far as (Numbers 34:11). If the priest found that the evil was an old, long-standing leprosy, he was to pronounce the man unclean, and not first of all to shut him up, as there was no longer any doubt about the matter.
Leviticus 13:12-13
If, on the other hand, the leprosy broke out blooming on the skin, and covered the whole of the skin from head to foot “with regard to the whole sight of the eyes of the priest,” i.e., as far as his eyes could see, the priest was to pronounce the person clean. “He has turned quite white,” i.e., his dark body has all become white. The breaking out of the leprous matter in this complete and rapid way upon the surface of the whole body was the crisis of the disease; the diseased matter turned into a scurf, which died away and then fell off.
Leviticus 13:14-19
“But in the day when proud flesh appears upon him, he is unclean,...the proud flesh is unclean; it is leprosy.” That is to say, if proud flesh appeared after the body had been covered with a white scurf, with which the diseased matter had apparently exhausted itself, the disease was not removed, and the person affected with it was to be pronounced unclean.
The third case: if the leprosy proceeded from an abscess which had been cured. In Leviticus 13:18 בּשׂר is first of all used absolutely, and then resumed with בּו , and the latter again is more closely defined in בּעורו : “if there arises in the flesh, in him, in his skin, an abscess, and (it) is healed, and there arises in the place of the abscess a white elevation, or a spot of a reddish white, he (the person so affected) shall appear at the priest's.”
Leviticus 13:20
If the priest found the appearance of the diseased spot lower than the surrounding skin, and the hair upon it turned white, he was to pronounce the person unclean. “It is a mole of leprosy: it has broken out upon the abscess.”
Leviticus 13:21-23
But if the hair had not turned white upon the spot, and there was no depression on the skin, and it (the spot) was pale, the priest was to shut him up for seven days. If the mole spread upon the skin during this period, it was leprosy; but if the spot stood in its place, and had not spread, it was השּׁחין צרבת , “the closing of the abscess:” literally “the burning;” here, that part of the skin or flesh which has been burnt up or killed by the inflammation or abscess, and gradually falls off as scurf ( Knobel ).
Leviticus 13:24-28
The fourth case (Leviticus 13:24-28): if there was a burnt place upon the skin of the flesh ( מבות־אשׁ , a spot where he had burnt himself with fire, the scar of a burn), and the “life of the scar” - i.e., the skin growing or forming upon the scar (see Leviticus 13:10), - “becomes a whitish red, or white spot,” i.e., if it formed itself into a bright swollen spot. This was to be treated exactly like the previous case. המּכוה שׂאת (Leviticus 13:28), rising of the scar of the burn, i.e., a rising of the flesh and skin growing out of the scar of the burn.
Leprosy upon the head or chin . - If the priest saw a mole upon the head or chin of a man or woman, the appearance of which was deeper than the skin, and on which the hair was yellow ( צהב golden, reddish, fox-colour) and thin, he was to regard it as נתק . Leprosy on the head or chin is called נתק , probably from נתק to pluck or tear, from its plucking out the hair, or causing it to fall off; like κνήφη , the itch, from κνάω , to itch or scratch, and scabies , from scabere . But if he did not observe these two symptoms, if there was no depression of the skin, and the hair was black and not yellow, he was to shut up the person affected for seven days. In בּו אין שׁחר (Leviticus 13:31) there is certainly an error of the text: either שׁחר must be retained and אין dropped, or שׁהר must be altered into צהב , according to Leviticus 13:37. The latter is probably the better of the two.
If the mole had not spread by that time, and the two signs mentioned were not discernible, the person affected was to shave himself, but not to shave the nethek, the eruption or scurfy place, and the priest was to shut him up for seven days more, and then to look whether any alteration had taken place; and if not, to pronounce him clean, whereupon he was to wash his clothes (see Leviticus 13:6).
But if the eruption spread even after his purification, the priest, on seeing this, was not to look for yellow hair. “He is unclean:” that is to say, he was to pronounce him unclean without searching for yellow hairs; the spread of the eruption was a sufficient proof of the leprosy.
But if, on the contrary, the eruption stood (see Leviticus 13:5), and black hair grew out of it, he was healed, and the person affected was to be declared clean.
Harmless leprosy . - This broke out upon the skin of the body in בּהרת plaits, “white rings.” If these were dull or a pale white, it was the harmless bohak , ἀλφός (lxx), which did not defile, and which even the Arabs, who still call it bahak , consider harmless. It is an eruption upon the skin, appearing in somewhat elevated spots or rings of inequal sizes and a pale white colour, which do not change the hair; it causes no inconvenience, and lasts from two months to two years.
The leprosy of bald heads . - קרח is a head bald behind; גּבּח , in front, “bald from the side, or edge of his face, i.e., from the forehead and temples.” Bald heads of both kinds were naturally clean.
But if a white reddish mole was formed upon the bald place before or behind, it was leprosy breaking out upon it, and was to be recognised by the fact that the rising of the mole had the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body. In that case the person was unclean, and to be pronounced so by the priest. “On his head is his plague of leprosy,” i.e., he has it in his head.
With regard to the treatment of lepers , the lawgiver prescribed that they should wear mourning costume, rend their clothes, leave the hair of their head in disorder (see at Leviticus 10:6), keep the beard covered (Ezekiel 24:17, Ezekiel 24:22), and cry “Unclean, unclean,” that every one might avoid them for fear of being defiled (Lamentations 4:15); and as long as the disease lasted they were to dwell apart outside the camp (Numbers 5:2., Numbers 12:10., cf. 2 Kings 15:5; 2 Kings 7:3),
(Note: At the present day there are pest-houses specially set apart for lepers outside the towns. In Jerusalem they are situated against the Zion-gate (see Robinson, Pal. i.p. 364).)
a rule which implies that the leper rendered others unclean by contact. From this the Rabbins taught, that by merely entering a house, a leper polluted everything within it ( Mishnah , Kelim i. 4; Negaim xiii. 11).
Leprosy in linen, woollen, and leather fabrics and clothes . - The only wearing apparel mentioned in Leviticus 13:47 is either woollen or linen, as in Deuteronomy 22:11; Hosea 2:7; Proverbs 31:13; and among the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks these were the materials usually worn. In Leviticus 13:48. שׁתי and ערב , “the flax and the wool,” i.e., for linen and woollen fabrics, are distinguished from clothes of wool or flax. The rendering given to these words by the early translators is στήμων and κρόκη , stamen et subtegmen (lxx, Vulg.), i.e., warp and weft. The objection offered to this rendering, that warp and weft could not be kept so separate from one another, that the one could be touched and rendered leprous without the other, has been met by Gussetius by the simple but correct remark, that the reference is to the yarn prepared for the warp and weft, and not to the woven fabrics themselves. So long as the yarn was not woven into a fabric, the warp-yarn and weft-yarn might very easily be separated and lie in different places, so that the one could be injured without the other. In this case the yarn intended for weaving is distinguished from the woven material, just as the leather is afterwards distinguished from leather-work (Leviticus 13:49). The signs of leprosy were, if the mole in the fabric was greenish or reddish. In that case the priest was to shut up the thing affected with leprosy for seven days, and then examine it. If the mole had spread in the meantime, it was a “grievous leprosy.” ממארת , from מאר irritavit, recruduit ( vulnus ), is to be explained, as it is by Bochart , as signifying lepra exasperata . הנּגע ממארת making the mole bad or angry; not, as Gesenius maintains, from מאר = מרר acerbum faciens , i.e., dolorem acerbum excitans , which would not apply to leprosy in fabrics and houses (Leviticus 14:44), and is not required by Ezekiel 28:24. All such fabrics were to be burned as unclean.
If the mole had not spread during the seven days, the priest was to cause the fabric in which the mole appeared to be washed, and then shut it up for seven days more. If the mole did not alter its appearance after being washed, even though it had not spread, the fabric was unclean, and was therefore to be burned. “It is a corroding in the back and front” (of the fabric of leather). פּחתת , from פּחת , in Syriac fodit , from which comes פּחת a pit, lit., a digging: here a corroding depression. קרחת a bald place in the front or right side, גּבּחת a bald place in the back or left side of the fabric or leather.
But if the mole had turned pale by the seventh day after the washing, it (the place of the mole) was to be separated (torn off) from the clothes, leather or yarn, and then (as is added afterwards in Leviticus 13:58) the garment or fabric from which the mole had disappeared was to be washed a second time, and would then be clean.
But if the mole appeared again in any such garment or cloth, i.e., if it appeared again after this, it was a leprosy bursting forth afresh, and the thing affected with it was to be burned. Leprosy in linen and woollen fabrics or clothes, and in leather, consisted in all probability in nothing but so-called mildew, which commonly arises from damp and want of air, and consists, in the case of linen, of round, partially coloured spots, which spread, and gradually eat up the fabric, until it falls to pieces like mould. In leather the mildew consists most strictly of “holes eaten in,” and is of a “greenish, reddish, or whitish colour, according to the species of the delicate cryptogami by which it has been formed.”