Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 13:18
The flesh also, in which, [even] in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
Leprosy developing in the place of an old boil or a burn (18 28)
The distinguishing marks of leprosy are similar to those already indicated; it would seem that in these cases they are more easily recognised, for only one shutting up for seven days is required. The Heb. word ( shn) for ‘boil’ is used of Hezekiah (2Ki 20:7) and Job (Job 2:7); also for ‘the botch (boil R.V.) of Egypt’ (Deu 28:17). As Egypt was notorious for malignant skin diseases, this expression may denote some form of leprosy.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 18. In the skin thereof, was a boil] Scheuchzer supposes this and the following verse to speak of phlegmonic, erysipelatous, gangrenous, and phagedenic ulcers, all of which were subjected to the examination of the priest, to see whether they were infectious, or whether the leprosy might not take its origin from them. A person with any sore or disposition to contagion was more likely to catch the infection by contact with the diseased person, than he was whose skin was whole and sound, and his habit good.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The flesh also, in which, [even] in the skin thereof, was a boil,…. Or hot ulcer, by which, says Maimonides n you may understand any stroke by a stone, stick, or iron, or any other thing: and in the Misnah o, it is asked, what is an ulcer (or boil)? a stroke by wood, stone, pitch, or hot water; all that is from the force of fire is an ulcer:
and is healed; by the use of medicine, and the part, in all appearance, as well and as sound as ever.
n In Misn. Negaim, c. 6. sect. 8. o Ib. c. 9. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed, 19 And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be showed to the priest; 20 And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil. 21 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: 22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. 23 But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 24 Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white; 25 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: 27 And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 28 And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning. 29 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard; 30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard. 31 And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days: 32 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin; 33 He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more: 34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 35 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing; 36 Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean. 37 But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
The priest is here instructed what judgment to make if there was any appearance of a leprosy, either, 1. In an old ulcer, or bile, that has been healed, v. 18, c. When old sores, that seemed to be cured, break out again, it is to be feared there is a leprosy in them such is the danger of those who, having escaped the pollutions of the world, are again entangled therein and overcome. Or, 2. In a burn by accident, for this seems to be meant, v. 24, c. The burning of strife and contention often proves the occasion of the rising up and breaking out of that corruption which witnesses to men’s faces that they are unclean. 3. In a scall-head. And in this commonly the judgment turned upon a very small matter. If the hair in the scall was black, it was a sign of soundness if yellow, it was an indication of a leprosy, v. 30-37. The other rules in these cases are the same with those mentioned before. In reading of these several sorts of ailments, it will be good for us, 1. To lament the calamitous state of human life, which lies exposed to so many grievances. What troops of diseases are we beset with on every side! and they all entered by sin. 2. To give thanks to God if he has never afflicted us with any of these sores: if the constitution is healthful, and the body lively and easy, we are bound to glorify God with our bodies.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 18-23:
This text prescribes the method to determine if an old, recurring ulcer be leprous. If the ulcer exhibit the characteristics of leprosy, the “bright” or raw flesh in the area sunken below the level of the skin, and having colorless and thinning hairs around the infected area, it was regarded as leprosy. The victim was declared unclean. If it did not have these characteristics, it was to be bandaged and observed for seven days. Should there be no spreading of the infection during that period, the victim was declared clean, and the infection was declared to be an ulcerous sore. The priest would then pronounce the victim to be clean.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
c. THE THIRD CASE 13:1823
TEXT 13:1823
18
And when the flesh hath in the skin thereof a boil, and it is healed,
19
and in the place of the boil there is a white rising, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be showed to the priest;
20
and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the appearance thereof be lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy, it hath broken out in the boil.
21
But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and it be not lower than the skin, but be dim; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
22
and if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.
23
But if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 13:1823
249.
Why be concerned if a boil or an abscess has been healed?
250.
How does the priest decide there is a serious problem in the circumstance here described?
251.
Some persons were released and pronounced clean. Describe the circumstances.
PARAPHRASE 13:1823
In the case of a man who has a boil in his skin which heals, but which leaves a white swelling or a bright spot, sort of reddish white, the man must go to the priest for examination. If the priest sees that the trouble seems to be down under the skin, and if the hair at the spot has turned white, then the priest shall declare him defiled, for leprosy has broken out from the boil. But if the priest sees that there are no white hairs in this spot, and the spot does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and if the color is gray, then the priest shall quarantine him for seven days. If during that time the spot spreads, the priest must declare him a leper. But if the bright spot grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest shall declare that all is well.
COMMENT 13:1823
Lev. 13:18-23 According to those who administered the law in the time of Christ, the boil and inflammation here meant are such as arise from a stroke by a piece of wood or a stone, from having come in contact with pitch or hot water, thus distinguishing it from the burn by fire mentioned in Lev. 13:13. (C. D. Ginsburg)
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. But if the hair has 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, it had not spread, it was the closing of the abscess. (Keil)
FACT QUESTIONS 13:1823
302.
What was the cause of this boil or inflammation?
303.
What two conditions must prevail before the priest pronounces it leprosy?
304.
What happens during the seven days to determine the decision of the priest?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(18) The flesh also, in which.Rather, and if there is in the skin of the flesh a boil. The third case, discussed in Lev. 13:18-28, is of leprosy developing itself from a healed boil, or from an inflammation which has apparently been healed. According to those who administered the law in the time of Christ, the boil and inflammation here meant are such as arise from a stroke by a piece of wood or a stone, and from having come in contact with pitch or hot water, thus distinguishing it from the burn by fire mentioned in Lev. 13:24.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. A boil In the Hebrew of Deu 28:27; Deu 28:35, the same word is found, and is translated in Lev 13:35, “a sore blotch which cannot be healed.” Both Gesenius and Furst think that the ulcers of elephantiasis, or “the joint evil,” is here intended, which leave tender scars susceptible of the leprous eruption.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Dealing With Boils/Ulcers ( Lev 13:18-23 ).
Lev 13:18-20
“And when the flesh has a boil in its skin, and it is healed, and in the place of the boil there is a white rising, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest, and the priest shall look; and, behold, if the its appearance be deeper than the skin, and its hair be turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a suspicious skin disease. It has broken out in the boil.”
If a man has a boil (or ulcer) he also must come to the priest with it. No man must enter the court of the tabernacle with such a boil unless it has been checked. And if the boil has subsided and has been replaced by a white rising or a bright reddish-white spot, and it goes deeper than the skin and the hairs have turned white, the priest must declare him unclean. He has a suspicious skin disease as a result of the boil.
Lev 13:21-23
“But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but is uninflamed, then the priest shall shut him up seven days, if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a suspicious disease. But if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.”
On the other hand if there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but appears uninflamed, then the priest must quarantine him for seven days, and if he then finds it has spread abroad he must declare the man unclean, but if there is no spread it is merely the scar of the boil. The man can then be declared clean.
We are all aware how quickly a boil can spring up. One moment we seem to be well and whole, and then suddenly there it is, often a sign that all is not really well with us. And sin springs up just as quickly, and often that too is evidence of even more sin. We must be as quick to take our ‘boils’ to the Master, as these men were to take themselves before the priest, for if we do not our boil may become worse, and end in marring our whole lives.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
These verses convey the same doctrine, only they are diversified so as to answer the diversified appearances of sin. The spots which appear without may differ, but the disease, if leprous, is the same within. Sin breaks out in numberless ways, but the polluted fountain of our fallen nature is at the bottom, and therefore the disease is the same. Out of the heart proceed both evil thoughts and murders, and a long train of evils. Mat 15:18-20 . Here again, the only remedy is JESUS. It is the blood of CHRIST alone which cleanseth from all sin. 1Jn 1:7 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 13:18 The flesh also, in which, [even] in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
Ver. 18. Was a boil, and is healed. ] Seemed to be healed, as apostates to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ, 2Pe 2:20 and to have known the way of righteousness, 2Pe 2:21 and yet the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. They become altogether filthy. Psa 53:3 Forsakers of the covenant, yea, wicked doers against the covenant. Dan 11:30 ; Dan 11:32 These sin not common sins, as Core and his company died not common deaths. Jdg 1:11
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a boil: Exo 9:9, Exo 15:26, 2Ki 20:7, Job 2:7, Psa 38:3-7, Isa 38:21
Reciprocal: Lev 13:25 – turned white
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Similarly white hair in a deep infection or scar indicated serious skin disease. Psoriasis can occur on scars and at sites of burns and other previous injuries. [Note: Hulse, p. 98.]