Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 13:9
When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
9 17. The first part of this section is obscure; most modern commentators explain Lev 13:9-11 as referring to another form of leprosy in which the rising described in Lev 13:10 appears without any of the premonitory symptoms of Lev 13:2; if in addition to the white hair (already mentioned in Lev 13:3) there is ‘quick raw flesh’ ( Lev 13:10) in the rising, this is a sure sign of leprosy, and the man must be declared unclean at once without waiting for any further examination. By ‘quick raw flesh’ (Heb. ‘the rawness of raw flesh,’ or lit. ‘the quickness of quick flesh’) is understood an appearance like that of raw meat. The Heb. words for ‘raw flesh’ [ bsr ay ] are used of raw meat in 1Sa 2:15; Prof. Macalister describes it as ‘red granulation tissue’ ( HDB. iii. 96 a). The words ‘old leprosy’ must then mean a leprosy of long standing which has not manifested itself in the preliminary stages, but, when first noticed, shews this definite indication of the disease. It is possible that these verses may include the case when the first symptoms described in Lev 13:2 have been either unobserved or concealed.
Another explanation of Lev 13:9-11 is that they describe a fresh outbreak in one who has been pronounced clean, or who has been cured of a previous attack. The traditional interpretation of ‘quick raw flesh’ ( the quickening of living flesh, A. V. mg.) is ‘sound flesh.’ The appearance of this sound flesh in a rising was, in the opinion of the rabbis, evidence that an old leprosy had developed fresh activity.
The words of Lev 13:7, ‘after that he hath shewn himself to the priest for his cleansing,’ are by some considered as referring to the third of the inspections prescribed in Lev 13:2-6. It has been observed that the suspected person at the first and second inspection must either be pronounced unclean, or shut up for further enquiry, and he cannot be pronounced clean till the third examination. Then Lev 13:7-8 would refer to the reappearance of leprous symptoms after a man had been pronounced clean by the priest, and Lev 13:9-11 would supply further rules for such cases.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
9-37. if the rising be whiteThisBRIGHT WHITE leprosy isthe most malignant and inveterate of all the varieties the diseaseexhibits, and it was marked by the following distinctive signs: Aglossy white and spreading scale, upon an elevated base, theelevation depressed in the middle, but without a change of color; theblack hair on the patches participating in the whiteness, and thescaly patches themselves perpetually enlarging their boundary.Several of these characteristics, taken separately, belong to otherblemishes of the skin as well; so that none of them was to be takenalone, and it was only when the whole of them concurred that theJewish priest, in his capacity of physician, was to pronounce thedisease a malignant leprosy. If it spread over the entire framewithout producing any ulceration, it lost its contagious power bydegrees; or, in other words, it ran through its course and exhausteditself. In that case, there being no longer any fear of further evil,either to the individual himself or to the community, the patient wasdeclared clean by the priest, while the dry scales were yet upon him,and restored to society. If, on the contrary, the patches ulceratedand quick or fungous flesh sprang up in them, the purulent matter ofwhich, if brought into contact with the skin of other persons, wouldbe taken into the constitution by means of absorbent vessels, thepriest was at once to pronounce it an inveterate leprosy. A temporaryconfinement was them declared to be totally unnecessary, and he wasregarded as unclean for life [DR.GOOD]. Other skinaffections, which had a tendency to terminate in leprosy, though theywere not decided symptoms when alone, were: “a boil” (Le13:18-23); “a hot burning,”that is, a fieryinflammation or carbuncle (Le13:24-28); and “a dry scall” (Le13:29-37), when the leprosy was distinguished by being deeperthan the skin and the hair became thin and yellow.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When the plague of leprosy is in a man,…. He has all the signs of it, and it is pretty manifest both to himself and others that it is upon him;
then he shall be brought unto the priest; by his friends and neighbours, if he is not willing to come of himself: a sinner insensible of the leprosy of sin, and of his unclean and miserable state through it, has no will to come to Christ the great High Priest for cleansing; but one that is sensible of it, and of Christ’s ability to help and cleanse him, will come freely and gladly, and importunately seek to him for it; though indeed such an one is brought by powerful and efficacious grace to him, yet not against, but with his full will; see Joh 5:40; compare with this Mt 8:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 9-11:
The text gives the rule for dealing with an unmistakable case of leprosy. When the three following symptoms were present, there was to be no waiting period before declaring the victim unclean:
1. A “rising” or skin sore;
2. The hair in and around the lesion turning white;
3. Quick, raw flesh underneath the “bright” or white scab.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
b. SECOND CASE 13:917
TEXT 13:917
9
When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
10
and the priest shall look; and, behold, if there be a white rising in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising.
11
it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean: he shall not shut him up; for he is unclean.
12
And if the leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his feet, as far as appeareth to the priest;
13
then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
14
But whensoever raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
15
And the priest shall look on the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean: the raw flesh is unclean: it is leprosy.
16
Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, then he shall come unto the priest;
17
and the priest shall look on him; and, behold, if the plague be turned into white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 13:917
245.
Some persons had a case of chronic leprosy. What were its symptoms?
246.
Who was not shut up or quarantined when he was brought to the priest? Why?
247.
A breaking out of leprosy can be good, When? Why?
248.
Any practical lessons in this for us?
PARAPHRASE 13:917
When anyone suspected of having leprosy is brought to the priest, the priest is to look to see if there is a white swelling in the skin with white hairs in the spot, and an ulcer developing. If he finds these symptoms, it is an established case of leprosy, and the priest must pronounce him defiled. The man is not to be quarantined for further observation, for he is definitely diseased. But if the priest sees that the leprosy has erupted and spread all over his body from head to foot wherever he looks, then the priest shall pronounce him cured of leprosy, for it has all turned white; he is cured. But if there is raw flesh anywhere, the man shall be declared a leper. It is proved by the raw flesh. But if the raw flesh later changes to white, the leper will return to the priest to be examined again. If the spot indeed turned completely white, then the priest will pronounce him cured.
COMMENT 13:917
Lev. 13:9-17 This is the second case to be considered (the first was in Lev. 13:4-8). Supposing the leprosy returns after the man is pronounced clean? Such is here to be considered.
Upon discovery of a white eruption the first step is always a visit to the priest. There are two indications to be noticed of a real reappearance of leprosy: (1) a white swelling in the skin; (2) the hair in the skin of the swelling will be turned to white. There must be both a white rising and white hair. An additional indication is the appearance of raw flesh in the swelling, i.e. if the swelling breaks open and exposes the raw flesh. Either this symptom or the white swelling and white hair will indicate the sure return of the disease. Some commentators interpret the phrase quick raw flesh as an insulated spot of sound flesh in the midst of a tubercle. In either case there was no need for quarantine. Leprosy was present and should be at once pronounced.
Lev. 13:13 gives a curious exception: . . . if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean. This is a clear indication of the crisis of this form of leprosythe white scaling will fall off and he will be well. 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 fell off. (Keil)
Leprosy was very unpredictable and needed constant and careful surveillance. Any breaking out of proud flesh or raw flesh sores was an indication that what seemed to be a cure was only temporarythe disease has not run its course and the patient must again be counted as unclean. It could be that the leprosy will fluctuate back and forth between an apparent crisis and ulcers of proud flesh several times. Each time is an occasion for an examination and a pronouncement of clean or unclean.
FACT QUESTIONS 13:917
297.
How would you describe the circumstances of the second case?
298.
Describe the two sure symptoms of returned leprosy.
299.
What was said of raw flesh?
300.
Lev. 13:13 gives a curious exception. What was it?
301.
Why do we say leprosy is unpredictable?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(9) When the plague of leprosy is in a man.The second case, discussed inverses 9-17, is of leprosy re-appearing after it has been cured, when a somewhat different treatment is enjoined. In its re-appearance, as in its first manifestation, the patient is forthwith to be brought to the priest.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Dealing With Chronic Skin Diseases ( Lev 13:9-17 ).
Lev 13:9-11
‘When the plague of a suspicious skin disease is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall look, and, behold, if there be a white rising in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising, it is an old suspicious skin disease in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not shut him up, for he is unclean.”
In this case the man or his relatives are suspicious about some symptom that has occurred in someone who has previously been cleared of skin disease, because it look so inflamed, so they bring him to the priest. The priest will then check it and if he discovers that there is a white rising in the skin which has turned the hair white, and also an inflamed rising elsewhere in the skin, he must immediately declare him unclean. Quick action needs to be taken. He is not to be quarantined within the camp but immediately put out of the camp.
Lev 13:12-13
‘And if the suspicious skin disease breaks out abroad in the skin, and the suspicious skin disease covers all the skin of him who has the plague from his head even to his feet, as far as appears to the priest, then the priest shall look, and, behold, if the suspicious skin disease has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean who has the disease: it is all turned white. He is clean.”
On the other hand if in fact he discovers that the skin disease has spread to cover the whole of his body from head to foot it is clearly something harmless and he can be declared clean. It may simply be due to a lack of pigmentation.
Lev 13:14-15
“But whenever raw flesh appears in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall look on the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean. It is a suspicious skin disease.”
But whenever raw flesh appears the situation changes, the man is declared unclean.
Lev 13:16-17
“Or if the raw flesh change again, and be changed to white, then he shall come to the priest, and the priest shall look on him, and, behold, if the plague be turned into white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the disease. He is clean.”
But if the raw flesh then changes again and becomes white the priest can alter the diagnosis and proclaim him clean. So ‘raw flesh’ that remains raw flesh and gets worse is clearly the test. If it does so the man is unclean, if it dies down the man is clean.
The constant repetition stresses the need for us to continually examine ourselves before our Great High Priest. There are many different types of sin by which we can be affected. What is there about us that would draw attention to our plagued condition? Let us quickly respond to it and rid ourselves of it that we might be truly ‘clean’.
We must distinguish between what is superficial and does not really affect us at all, giving only an appearance of sin, what is not truly sin within (although we should still avoid the appearance of sin – 1Th 5:22), not filling our thoughts with trivialities, and what is more serious and becomes ‘raw flesh’, inflamed and deep. If the latter is at all true of us we need quickly to ensure that we come to the Great Physician and seek His remedy. Then we will be able to be declared clean.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Observe, the leper is to be brought to the priest. So the sinner must be led of the SPIRIT. Rom 8:27 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 13:9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
Ver. 9. He shall be brought unto the priest. ] Who was to discern it by the law of leprosy: so must we find out our sins by the moral law. Rom 3:20 ; Rom 7:7 “The works of the flesh are manifest.” Gal 5:19 Neither need we half so much caution or curiosity to be persuaded of our spiritual leprosy, which is too apparent: only those many ceremonies, as one well noteth, may put us in mind how much more exquisite our diligence ought to be in finding and ferreting out our special sins.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 13:9-10. When the plague of leprosy (symptoms thereof) is in a man If the priest plainly see that it has reached not only the skin, and changed the hair, but eaten into the very flesh, so that he can see the whiteness there, as well as in the skin, he shall look upon it as an evident case, and without shutting him up for further trial, shall judge it a leprosy that has long been breeding, and of the worst kind, and accordingly shall remove the person out of the camp, that he may dwell by himself, Lev 13:46.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
These tests were appropriate when raw flesh appeared in an infected area of the skin. White hair in the raw flesh area was a sure sign of serious skin disease.
If the afflicted person became completely white rather than blotchy, the priest was to consider him or her clean. Evidently it was the patchy condition of the skin that made the person unclean. Another explanation is that a totally white condition indicated that the disease was over or not contagious. [Note: Bush, p. 119; Keil and Delitzsch, 2:380.]