Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 14:3
And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, [if] the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
3. The priest goes outside to meet the leper; probably signs of convalescence have already been notified to the priest, which have satisfied him, and he now declares the plague to be healed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. The priest shall go forth out of the camp] As the leper was separated from the people, and obliged, because of his uncleanness, to dwell without the camp, and could not be admitted till the priest had declared that he was clean; hence it was necessary that the priest should go out and inspect him, and, if healed, offer for him the sacrifices required, in order to his re-admission to the camp. As the priest alone had authority to declare a person clean or unclean, it was necessary that the healed person should show himself to the priest, that he might make a declaration that he was clean and fit for civil and religious society, without which, in no case, could he be admitted; hence, when Christ cleansed the lepers, Mt 8:2-4, he commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To wit, by God; for God alone did heal or cleanse him really, the priest only ministerially and declaratively, as ministers are said to remit sins, though it be granted that none can truly and properly forgive sins but God, Mar 2:7.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the priest shall go forth out of the camp,…. A little without the camp, as Ben Gersom notes. There have been several goings forth of Christ our High Priest; first in the council and covenant of grace and peace, when he became the surety of his people; then in time by the assumption of human nature, when he came forth from his Father, and came into the world to save them; next, when he went forth out of the city of Jerusalem to suffer for them; and also, when, at the time of conversion, he goes forth in quest of them, and looks them up, and finds them, and brings them home, which may answer to the type here; and all shows the great readiness of Christ to receive sinners:
and the priest shall look, and, behold, [if] the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; that all the signs of uncleanness are removed, the swelling, the scab, or bright spot, and the white hair in them, and, instead of that, black hair is grown up. The typical priest did not heal, nor could he, the healing was of God; he only looked to see by signs if the plague was healed; but our antitypical priest looks with an eye of pity and compassion on leprous sinners, and they are enabled to look to him by faith, and virtue goes out of him to the healing of their diseases; as he looks upon them in their blood, and says to them, Live, so he looks upon them in their leprosy, and touches them, and says, “I will, be thou clean”, Mt 8:3, and they are immediately healed; he is the sun of righteousness, which arises upon them with healing in his wings.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 And the priest shall go forth. This is the examination, which was more fully treated of in the last chapter, without which it was not lawful to receive him who had been once rejected. The priest’s command, which is mentioned immediately afterwards, I refer to the Levites, some one of whom probably accompanied the priest to prepare the sacrifice, that thus the priests might only discharge the principal duty. The sum of the rite respecting the two birds tends to this, that the cleansing from leprosy was a kind of resurrection Two birds were placed before their eyes; the liberty of one was purchased by the blood of the other; because the former was not let go until it had been first dipped in the blood and the water; and thus the matter of sprinkling was prepared for the man’s purification. The sevenfold repetition was intended to impress more deeply on men’s memories a continual meditation on God’s grace; for we know that by this number perfection is often expressed in Scripture. With the same object, he who had been cured shaved his hair, and washed in water. Yet he did not return home on the first day, but on the eighth. Meantime, on the seventh day he shaved his beard, and his eyebrows, and all the hair of his head; he washed himself and his garments, and then proceeded to the sacrifice. So difficult is it to accustom men to a serious acknowledgment of the two points, to hold their vice in detestation, and worthily to estimate the grace of God whereby they are delivered.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) And the priest shall go forth.To this appointed place the priest had to go to meet and examine the restored leper, and to satisfy himself that he was thoroughly cured.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Healed See introductory remarks.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 14:3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, [if] the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
Ver. 3. If the plague of leprosy be healed. ] As it was in Simon the leper that entertained Christ. Jealousy, frenzy, and heresy are counted incurable diseases: not so leprosy; though the most carried it to their death, as Gehazi, Azariah, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
go forth
As a type of Gospel salvation the points are:
(1) The leper does nothing Rom 4:5; Rom 4:5.
(2) the priest seeks the leper, not the leper the priest Luk 19:10.
(3) “with-out shedding of blood is no remission” Heb 9:22.
(4) “and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain” 1Co 15:17.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
go forth: Lepers were obliged to live in a detached situation, separate from other people, and to keep themselves actually at a distance from them. They were distinguished by a peculiar dress; and if any person approached, they were bound to give him warning, by crying out, Unclean! unclean!
out of: Lev 13:46
be healed: Exo 15:26, 2Ki 5:3, 2Ki 5:7, 2Ki 5:8, 2Ki 5:14, Job 5:18, Mat 10:8, Mat 11:5, Luk 4:27, Luk 7:22, Luk 17:15, Luk 17:16-19, 1Co 6:9-11
Reciprocal: Lev 13:2 – the plague of leprosy Lev 14:48 – shall come in
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 14:3. Healed By God, for God alone did heal or cleanse him really, the priest only declaratively.