Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 22:4
What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing [that is] unclean [by] the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
See Lev 15:13-16.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. Is a leper, or hath a running issue] See the case of the leper treated at large in the notes on Le 13:1-14:57; and for other uncleannesses, see the notes on Le 15:1-30.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
What man soever, i.e. or woman, of Aarons seed; for they were under the same law.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-6. wash his flesh with waterAnyIsraelite who had contracted a defilement of such a nature asdebarred him from the enjoyment of his wonted privileges, and hadbeen legally cleansed from the disqualifying impurity, was bound toindicate his state of recovery by the immersion of his whole personin water. Although all ceremonial impurity formed a ground ofexclusion, there were degrees of impurity which entailed a longer orshorter period of excommunication, and for the removal of whichdifferent rites required to be observed according to the trivial orthe malignant nature of the case. A person who came inadvertentlyinto contact with an unclean animal was rendered unclean for aspecified period; and then, at the expiry of that term, he washed, intoken of his recovered purity. But a leper was unclean so long as heremained subject to that disease, and on his convalescence, he alsowashed, not to cleanse himself, for the water was ineffectual forthat purpose, but to signify that he was clean. Not a single case isrecorded of a leper being restored to communion by the use of water;it served only as an outward and visible sign that such a restorationwas to be made. The Book of Leviticus abounds with examples whichshow that in all the ceremonial washings, as uncleanness meant lossof privileges, so baptism with water indicated a restoration to thoseprivileges. There was no exemption; for as the unclean Israelite wasexiled from the congregation, so the unclean priest was disqualifiedfrom executing his sacred functions in the sanctuary; and in the caseof both, the same observance was requireda formal intimation oftheir being readmitted to forfeited privileges was intimated by theappointed rite of baptism. If any one neglected or refused to performthe washing, he disobeyed a positive precept, and he remained in hisuncleanness; he forbore to avail himself of this privilege, and wastherefore said to be “cut off” from the presence of theLord.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a leper,…. A young, or an old man, as the Targum of Jonathan, and indeed man or woman; for the wives and daughters of the priests, if in this, and other circumstances following, might not eat of the holy things until cleansed, who otherwise might, see Le 13:2;
or hath a running issue; a gonorrhoea, whether man or woman,
Le 15:2;
he shall not eat of the holy things until he be clean; he might eat of the tithes, but not of the wave breast, or heave shoulder:
and whoso toucheth any [that is] unclean [by] the dead; not only that touched the dead, which made unclean, but that touched any person or thing that was made unclean by it:
or a man whose seed goeth from him; involuntarily when asleep, in a dream, and through a lustful imagination; see Le 15:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4) Is a leper.The different forms of uncleanness are now specified. (For the leper, see Lev. 13:3.)
Or hath a running issue.See Lev. 15:2.
Whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead.That is, if he touches any person or anything that had been defiled through contact with a corpse. (See Num. 19:11-14.)
Whose seed goeth from him.This is the same case mentioned in Lev. 15:16. The two passages ought therefore to be uniform in the translation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. A leper Leprosy was a ceremonial defilement which excluded even the laymen from the camp; much more would it disqualify a priest for the tabernacle. See chaps. 13 and 14, notes.
A running issue This was probably limited to the gonorrhea. See Lev 15:2, note.
Unclean by the dead See Lev 21:1, note.
Seed goeth from him See Lev 15:16, note.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 22:4. What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper These defilements, spoken of at large in the 15th chapter, were to seclude the priests from all public offices, in the same manner as they secluded common Israelites from the general intercourse of life. The words, whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, are rendered by Houbigant, whoever shall touch any uncleanness of a funeral: they might more literally be rendered, whoso toucheth any unclean thing of the dead; and they seem to express, that not only the touching of a dead body; but the having any concern at all with such, was sufficient to render the priest legally unclean; see the note on chap. Lev 21:1.
Note; (1.) It is no light matter to profane with unhallowed touch the sacred table of the Lord. (2.) The higher the station, the deeper the fall. A priest who perishes, sinks into the lowest pit. (3.) It becomes us with jealousy, knowing what a God we have to do with, to take heed to our ways in this naughty world, and never to omit daily application to the fountain which is opened for sin and for uncleanness.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Though some pollutions here spoken of, were in their nature greater than others; yet it is well to observe, that all equally disqualified from approaching the sanctuary. And what did these things teach, but that our most holy things are only accepted in JESUS? Observe what is said, I the LORD do sanctify them. Joh 17:19 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 22:4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing [that is] unclean [by] the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
Ver. 4. Or hath a running issue. ] Seminifluus: especially if it come by contemning that counsel of the wise man. Pro 31:3
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the dead. Hebrew. nephesh (App-13), rendered “soul” in preceding verse. Heb = “a dead soul”. Compare Lev 22:11.
seed goeth. See Lev 15:16.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the seed: These words include the daughters as well as the sons of Aaron.
a leper: Lev 13:2, Lev 13:3, Lev 13:44-46
running issue: Heb. running of the reins, Lev 15:2, Lev 15:3
holy things: Lev 2:3, Lev 2:10, Lev 6:25-29, Lev 21:22, Num 18:9, Num 18:19
until: Lev 14:2-32, Lev 15:13-15
unclean: Lev 21:1, Num 19:11-16
whose: Lev 15:16
Reciprocal: Lev 5:3 – the uncleanness Lev 7:21 – the uncleanness Eze 44:25 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing [that is] {c} unclean [by] the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
(c) By touching any dead thing, or being at burial of the dead.