Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 14:8
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
8. The person to be cleansed now began to take part in the ceremonial. He must wash his clothes, shave and wash himself; he was then admitted into the camp, but not allowed to enter his own dwelling.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. And shave off all his hair] That the water by which he was to be washed should reach every part of his body, that he might be cleansed from whatever defilement might remain on any part of the surface of his body. The Egyptian priests shaved the whole body every third day, to prevent all manner of defilement.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Shave off all his hair; partly, to discover his perfect soundness; partly, to preserve him from relapse through any seeds or relics of it which might remain in his hair, or in his clothes; and partly, to teach him to put off his old lusts, and become a new man.
Out of his tent; out of his former habitation, in some separate place, lest some of his leprosy yet lurking in him should break forth to the infection of his family.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes,…. That there may be no remains of the infection in them, and that they might not convey an ill scent to others: so the conversation garments of the saints are to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, Re 7:14;
and shave off all his hair; what is here expressed in general is more particularly declared in Le 14:9; the hair of his head, beard, and eyebrows; according to Gersom, this was done by the priest, and so Maimonides says g, that none but a priest might shave him; and yet the text seems plainly to ascribe this, as well as the washing of his clothes and himself, to the leper that was to be cleansed; and the same writers say, that if two hairs were left it was no shaving; and so says the Misnah h: the shaving of the leper’s hairs signified the weakening of the strength of sin; the mortification of the deeds of the body, through the Spirit, and the laying aside all superfluity of naughtiness, and the excrescences of the flesh; a parting with every thing that grows out of a man’s self, sin or self-righteousness; a laying a man bare and open, that nothing may lie hid and covered, and escape cleansing:
and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: which was to be done by dipping in a collection of water, and not in running water, as Gersom observes, in a quantity of water sufficient to cover the whole body; which, according to the Talmud i, was forty seahs, and was a cubit square in breadth, and three cubits deep: this may denote the washing of sinful men with the washing of regeneration, but more especially with the blood of Christ, the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, Zec 13:1;
and after that he shall come into the camp; into the camp of Israel, while in the wilderness, and in after times into the city, where he used to dwell; and may sign try the admittance of such into the church of God again, who appear to be cleansed from sin, to have true repentance towards God for it, and faith in the blood of Christ:
and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days; that is, out of his own tent or house, where his wife and family dwelt: this precaution was taken, lest there should be any remains of his disorder lurking, in him that might endanger his wife and family, especially his wife, with whom he was to have no conjugal conversation as yet; so it is said in the Misnah k, that he was to be separated from his house seven days, and forbid the use of the marriage bed; and this prohibition. Jarchi thinks is intended in this clause, and so Maimonides l, to which agrees the Targum of Jonathan,
“he shall sit without the tent of the house of his habitation, and shall not come near to the side of his wife seven days.”
g Hilchot Tumaat Tzarat, c. 11. sect. 3. h Negaim, c. 14. sect. 4. i T. Bab. Eruvin, fol. 14. 1, 2. k Ut supra, (Misn. Negaim, c. 11) sect. 2. l Ut supra, (Hilchot Tumaat Tzarat, c. 11.) sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 8-11:
The healed leper washed his clothes, shaved his head, and bathed, He was then allowed to return to the camp, but he was not allowed to return to his own tent for seven days.
A second series of ceremonies followed the week-long quarantine period:
1. The cleansed leper repeated the bathing and washing process, this time shaving off all his body hair.
2. On the eighth day, he brought the following sacrifices to the priest: a lamb for a Trespass Offering, a log (about 2/3 of a pint), of oil, a Meat (grain) Offering, a Sin Offering, and a Burnt Offering.
The priest who officiated at his cleansing presented him and his offerings at the door of the tabernacle.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) Shall wash his clothes.This was done not to disinfect them, for leprosy, as we have seen, was not contagious, but as an act of purification, which was performed after every kind of defilement. (See Lev. 6:20; Lev. 11:25, &c.)
And shave off all his hair.The razor had to pass over the whole of his body, even his secret parts. A similar process was undertaken at the consecration of the Levites. (Comp. Num. 8:7.)
And shall tarry abroad out of his tentBut though permitted to return to the camp, yet he had to live the first week out of his own house. This the authorities during the second Temple rightly regarded as an euphemism for seclusion from connubial intercourse during the first seven days, in order that he might not contract impurity (see Lev. 15:10), and thus interrupt the period of holy preparation. Hence the ancient Chaldee Version of the so-called Jonathan translates it: He shall sit without the tent of the house of his habitation, and shall not come near to the side of his wife seven days. With this ended the first stage of purification, which restored the convalescent to his social or civil privileges, but not to the sanctuary.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Wash his clothes Before his cleansing all the efforts of the leper to purify himself by improving his externals were vain, because these would only be put out of harmony with his inward self. But since his purification such efforts are demanded in order that the “outside of the cup and platter” may correspond with the purity within. Good works as means of regeneration are futile, but as fruits of that divine change they are well pleasing unto God. Gal 2:16; Gal 3:2; Tit 2:14; Tit 3:8; Tit 3:14. Washed clothes represent changed habits.
Shave off all his hair As much as possible of his former self he was to leave behind, in order that he might enter into communion with holy people among whom Jehovah abode.
Tarry abroad out of his tent This is an euphemism for abstinence from marital rights, viewed as an uncleanness by the ceremonial law. Exo 19:15; chap. Lev 15:18. His cleansing has been initiated but not completed, and hence he is not yet invested with all his personal rights, especially those which prefigure the most intimate communion with God and his people.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 14:8. Shall wash his clothes, &c. All these ceremonies were no less productive, than they were demonstrative, of entire purification: and, as the disorder was so contagious, a seven days exclusion was reasonably enjoined to prevent all infection, and to shew that the disease was perfectly cured; after which the leper was deemed pure, and was re-admitted to all the privileges of society.
REFLECTIONS.1. If the leper was cured, the priest went forth to him to view him. Though a sinner has, for a time, given himself up to his own heart’s desires, yet, when he is willing through grace to return, we must charitably lend our helping hand. 2. After careful inspection, if he appeared clean, the priest was to pronounce him such, after the proper solemnities were performed. We should neither be too suspicious, nor too credulous, respecting the reality of grace in men’s hearts, but, after serious observation, judge according to our best knowledge, agreeably to charity and God’s word. 3. In respect to the birds, one of which was to be killed, and his blood mixed with water; and the other to be let loose. Note; (1.) If our souls be sprinkled with that blood and water which flowed from the Saviour’s wounded side, then shall we be presented before the tabernacle of God, without spot or blemish, or any such thing. (2.) They who are delivered from the power and guilt of sin, as birds escaped from the snare of the fowler, rejoice in their liberty, and fly away towards heaven on wings of faith and love. 4. The person cleansed was to wash, and shave off all his hair, &c. Thus they, who are saved by the blood of Jesus, will use diligence to cleanse themselves, that they may appear, in the congregation of God’s people, to have put off the old man, and to have put on the new man, which, after Christ, is renewed in righteousness and true holiness.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Do not these renewed washings serve to show that there must be the renewals of the HOLY GHOST; and the continued applications of the blood of JESUS, as the fountain always open to the house of David, and inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness? Tit 3:5 ; Zec 13:1 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 14:8 And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
Ver. 8. Shall wash his clothes, and shave. ] This the leper was to do the first day of his cleansing; to teach men to be thorough in the practice of mortification, at the first conversion: “laying a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1Ti 6:19
And shall tarry abroad.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wash = bathe.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
wash his: Lev 11:25, Lev 13:6, Lev 15:5-8, Exo 19:10, Exo 19:14, Num 8:7, Rev 7:14
wash himself: Lev 8:6, 1Pe 3:21, Rev 1:5, Rev 1:6
and shall: Num 12:15
seven days: Lev 8:33-35, Lev 13:5
Reciprocal: Exo 29:4 – wash them Exo 29:35 – seven days Lev 8:35 – the tabernacle Lev 9:1 – the eighth day Lev 11:40 – shall wash Lev 14:47 – wash his clothes Lev 15:13 – seven days Lev 16:26 – wash Num 12:14 – let her be Num 19:7 – General Joh 13:5 – to wash Heb 9:10 – divers
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 14:8. All his hair Partly to discover his perfect soundness, partly to preserve him from a relapse through any relics of it which might remain in his hair or in his clothes. Out of his tent Out of his former habitation, in some separate place, lest some of his leprosy, yet lurking in him, should break forth to the infection of his family.