Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 5:13
And he put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
13. and touched him ] This was a distinct violation of the letter, but not of course of the spirit of the Mosaic law (Lev 13:46; Num 5:2). In order to prevent the accidental violation of this law, lepers, until the final stage of the disease, were then as now secluded from all living contact with others, “differing in nothing from a dead man” (Jos. Ant. iii. 11 3), and only appeared in public with the cry Tam, Tam ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ But Jesus, “because He is the Lord of the Law, does not obey the Law, but makes the Law” (St Ambrose); or rather, he obeys that divine eternal Law of Compassion, in its sudden impulse ( , Mar 1:40), which is older and grander than the written Law. (So Elijah and Elisha had not scrupled to touch the dead, 1Ki 17:21 ; 2Ki 4:34.) His touching the leper, yet remaining clean, is a type of His taking our humanity upon Him, remaining undefiled.
I will: be thou clean ] Two words in the original “a prompt echo to the ripe faith of the leper” which are accurately preserved by all three Evangelists. Our Lord’s first miracles were done with a glad spontaneity in answer to faith. But when men had ceased to believe in Him, then lack of faith rendered His later miracles more sad and more delayed (Mar 6:5; Mat 13:58). We never however hear of a moment s delay in attending to the cry of a leper. When the sinner cries from his heart, “I have sinned against the Lord,” the answer comes instantly, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin” (2Sa 12:13).
the leprosy departed ] Jesus was not polluted by the touch, but the leper was cleansed. Even so he touched our sinful nature, yet without sin (H. de St Victore).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he put forth his hand and touched him,…. Having compassion on him, and commiserating his sad case:
saying, I will, be thou clean; and immediately the leprosy departed from him;
[See comments on Mt 8:3].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I will [] . See on Mt 1:19.
Be thou clean [] . Rev., more accurately, gives the force of the passive voice, be thou made clean.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he put forth his hand,” (kai ekteinas ten cheira) “And (Jesus) stretching out his hand,” to the leper, without fear of drawing near to him, in spite of his unclean repulsiveness, Isa 1:4-6.
2) “And touched him, saying,” (epsato autou legon) “Touched him saying,” explaining, assuring him, of his will toward and sympathy for him; Jesus was not subject to, but above Moses’ Law, Lev 13:43-45; Num 5:2. Note, Elijah did not touch Naaman, 2Ki 5:10-14.
3) I will: be thou clean.” (thelo, katharistheti) “I am willing, be cleansed;” right now, at this moment. Our Lord’s touching the leper, yet remaining clean, indicates that He took our humanity upon Him, yet remaining undefiled, Heb 7:26; 1Pe 2:22-24.
4) “And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” (kai eutheose he lepa apelthen ap’ autou) “And instantly, immediately, or at once, the leprosy departed, went out of and away from him,” and he was healed by the Lord, Joh 20:30-31; Mat 8:1-3; Mar 1:40-42.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
‘And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will, be you made clean.” And immediately the skin disease left him.’ .
But Jesus had come in order to help those whom other people found disgusting, and to the man’s total surprise, He reached out His hand and touched him. It was the first time he had been touched for a long time, and the last thing that he had expected. Men normally turned away from him with a shudder. For to touch a skin diseased man like himself was for the person in question also to be rendered ritually unclean. No Pharisee would have come within a mile of him if he could help it. But then there was nothing that he could do about his condition. He was powerless to help him. But Jesus deliberately chose to touch him. He could have healed him at a word. Why then did He touch him? It was a gesture of supreme religious authority. By this Jesus revealed His conscious superiority to all disease and uncleanness. By it He was claiming that He could not be rendered unclean by His contact with the skin-diseased man because He was the source of all cleanness. He was saying that He was the One Who was so pure that His purity countered any uncleanness. In any other the claim would immediately have been dismissed. But what was to be said of a case where the disease simply disappeared before their eyes?
Jesus then added, ‘I will. Be clean.” It was Jesus’ will that he be made clean. And immediately he was healed, for immediately the skin disease was cured. It ‘left him’. Nor was Jesus rendered unclean. His purity had counteracted any uncleanness. And the man was no longer skin diseased, he would no longer render others unclean by contact with him. And who could charge with uncleanness the One Who had healed him? In this too was a picture of what Jesus had come to do for Israel. He wanted as the Messiah to make them clean. He would ‘bear their griefs and carry their sorrows’, (Isa 52:3) being afflicted for their sakes that they might be healed. Only God could so rise over uncleanness.
There are many examples in the Old Testament of God’s promise that He would make men clean, although they are not specifically related to skin disease. ‘I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols will I cleanse you, a new heart I will give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone, and will give you a heart of flesh.’ (Eze 36:25-26, compare Lev 14:7 where sprinkling of blood is used with regard to skin diseases). ‘On that day there will be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness’ (Zec 13:1). At least one member of the house of David had been stricken with skin disease (2Ki 15:5).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
Ver. 13. I will, be thou clean ] So ready is Christ to gratify his suppliants, yea, to be commanded by them, Isa 45:11 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 5:13 . : this also in all three a cardinal point; the touch the practical proof of the will and the sympathy. No shrinking from the loathsome disease. : Lk. takes one of Mk.’s two phrases, Mt. the other. Lk. takes the one which most clearly implies a cure; (Mt.) might conceivably mean: became technically clean.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
touched. See note on “city”, Luk 5:12.
thou clean = be thou made clean (Passive). ‘
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 5:13. , and) [ forming the Apodosis, and as the consequence, etc.] [A most real and immediate fruit of his prayers.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
I will: Gen 1:3, Gen 1:9, Psa 33:9, 2Ki 5:10, 2Ki 5:14, Eze 36:25-27, Eze 36:29, Hos 14:4, Mat 9:29, Mat 9:30
immediately: Luk 4:39, Luk 8:54, Luk 8:55, Joh 4:50-53
Reciprocal: Mat 8:3 – I will Luk 5:24 – I say Luk 5:25 – immediately Luk 7:7 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
Leprosy was an incurable disease by any natural means, hence it was cured miraculously by Jesus and the recovery was immediate.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
By stretching out His hand and touching the leper, Jesus was doing the unthinkable (Leviticus 13). He probably did this to express His compassion for the man as well as to identify Himself beyond doubt as the source of his healing (cf. Exo 4:4; Exo 6:6; Exo 14:16; Exo 15:12; Jer 17:5; Act 4:30). Jesus’ words offered him reassurance (cf. Luk 5:10). Jesus’ authority extended to power over disease and ceremonial uncleanness. Doctor Luke again noted an immediate cure (cf. Luk 4:35; Luk 4:39).
"The most significant lesson from the cleansing of the leper story is that even outsiders can experience God’s healing grace." [Note: Bock, Luke, p. 165.]