Leviticus 13:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
As I read through this chapter, I was reminded of how the LORD is concerned about every part of our lives. In continuing to make a difference between what is clean and unclean, He continues by giving detailed instructions regarding skin diseases. It seems that the term “leprosy” is used as a general term for skin infection. I found the following helpful information at www.jewishencyclopedia.com.
“In the Biblical description, one is immediately impressed by the absence of all allusion to the hideous facial deformity, the loss of feeling, and the rotting of the members. If such conspicuous manifestations had existed they could not possibly have escaped observation….The white spots, upon which so much diagnostic stress was laid, were in all likelihood those of vitiligo, a disease quite common in tropical countries, and characterized by bright white spots, the hairs on which also become white. Vitiligo begins as small patches, which slowly spread, often involving ultimately large areas of the body's surface. The disease is harmless, but most disfiguring in those of swarthy complexion.”
New Bible Commentary: “It is not possible to be certain about the clinical identification of the variety of diseases referred to here by their symptoms. It has been suggested that they include psoriasis (2-17), favus (a form of ringworm; 29-37) and leucoderma (38-40), as well as lesions in scars caused by boils (18-23) and burns (24-28). The descriptions may also include eczema, herpes and some forms of leprosy.”
I will go through the chapter trying to summarize the instructions and make personal observations at the end.
Leviticus 13:2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
Leviticus 13:3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
In Old Testament times, the priest ministered to both the spiritual and the physical health of the people. It reminds me that our physical and spiritual beings are connected and that both need continued attention.
If someone discovered that he had a swelling, scab or white spot on the skin (keep in mind that the Jewish people have darker skin), he was to go the priest to have it checked out. If the priest saw that the hair in the affected area was white and the spot more than skin deep, the person was to be declared unclean.
Leviticus 13:4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:
Leviticus 13:5 And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:
Leviticus 13:6 And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
If the priest saw that the affected area was only skin deep and that hair in the area had not turned white, the person was to be quarantined for seven days and seen by the priest once again. If the area of concern had not gotten larger, the person was to be quarantined for seven more days and seen by the priest again. If the affected area was turning dark and not spreading, it was considered a scab and he was to be declared clean after washing his clothes.
Leviticus 13:7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:
Leviticus 13:8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
If, however, the scab had spread after being pronounced clean, the person was to go back to the priest. When the priest confirmed that the scab had spread, the person was pronounced unclean.
Leviticus 13:9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
Leviticus 13:10 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising;
Leviticus 13:11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.
When a person was brought to the priest because of an apparent infection that had turned the skin white and caused the hair in the affected area to turn white and the surrounding area was raw, he was to be declared unclean without a waiting period. The Hebrew for “old leprosy” seems to reference a long-term or chronic infection.
Leviticus 13:12 And if a 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 foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;
Leviticus 13:13 Then the priest shall consider: 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.
If a person developed a skin condition that covered his whole body, the priest was to pronounce him clean.
This seems to be describing just a change in pigment that affects the whole body, like the vitiligo mentioned above in the definition from the Jewish Encyclopedia.
Leviticus 13:14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
Leviticus 13:15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
Leviticus 13:16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
Leviticus 13:17 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.
If, however, the skin condition included raw flesh, the priest was to declare the person unclean. Once the raw flesh disappeared and turned white, the person was to return to the priest to be pronounced clean once again.
Leviticus 13:18 ¶ The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
Leviticus 13:19 And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest;
Leviticus 13:20 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.
If someone had a boil (an inflamed area) that healed but a white swelling developed in the place of the boil that was somewhat reddish, he was to be seen by the priest. If the priest saw that it was more than skin deep and the hair in the affected area had turned white, he was to pronounce the person unclean.
Leviticus 13:21 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:
Leviticus 13:22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.
However, if the priest saw that the hair in the affected area looked normal and it was no more than skin deep but somewhat dark, he was to quarantine the person for seven days before seeing him again. If the area had grown larger, the person was to be pronounced unclean.
Leviticus 13:23 But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
If the affected area did not spread, the priest was to pronounce the person clean.
Leviticus 13:24 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;
Leviticus 13:25 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.
If a person had an inflamed area of skin that was hot and discolored (reddish or white), he was to see the priest. If the priest saw that the hair in the affected area was white and it was more than skin deep, the person was to be pronounced unclean.
Leviticus 13:26 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:
Leviticus 13:27 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.
Leviticus 13:28 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.
However, if the priest saw that the hair in the affected area was normal and it was no more than skin deep and somewhat dark, the person was to be quarantined for seven days and seen again. If the area had spread, the person was unclean. If the area had not spread and was somewhat dark, the person was declared clean.
Leviticus 13:29 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
Leviticus 13:30 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.
If a man or woman developed a skin condition on his head or in his beard, the priest was to inspect it. If it was slightly deeper than the skin and the hair in it yellow and abnormal, the person was to be declared unclean.
The NIV Dictionary compares the scall to ringworm or eczema.
Leviticus 13:31 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:
Leviticus 13:32 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;
Leviticus 13:33 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:
Leviticus 13:34 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.
If, however, the area was only skin deep and contained no black hair, the person was to be quarantined for seven days and seen by the priest once again. If the area had not spread and contained no yellow hair and the area was still not more than skin deep, the person was to be shaved around the affected area and quarantined for seven more days. After that time, if the priest saw that the area had not spread and was still no deeper than the skin, the person was to be pronounced clean after washing his clothes.
Leviticus 13:35 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
Leviticus 13:36 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.
Leviticus 13:37 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.
If the area of concern spread after being pronounced clean, the priest was to check to confirm the spreading. If confirmed, the person was to be declared unclean no matter the condition of the hair. If, however, the area didn’t appear to have spread and the hair in it was black, the person was determined to be healed and was declared clean.
Leviticus 13:38 ¶ If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
Leviticus 13:39 Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.
If a person developed white spots on their skin, he/she was to go to the priest for inspection. If he determined that the spots were darkish white, it was declared a freckle and the person was declared clean.
Leviticus 13:40 And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.
Leviticus 13:41 And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.
Losing one’s hair did not make one unclean.
Leviticus 13:42 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
Leviticus 13:43 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
Leviticus 13:44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
If the man with a bald head developed a reddish sore, the priest was to inspect it. If he saw that the sore was white reddish, he was declared unclean with a waiting period.
Leviticus 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
Leviticus 13:46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
Anyone declared a leper and unclean must wear torn clothes and his head left bare. He was to cover the lower part of his face and yell “Unclean, unclean” when anyone approached him. He was to live outside the camp during the time that he was unclean.
Leviticus 13:47 ¶ The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
Leviticus 13:48 Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;
Leviticus 13:49 And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:
Leviticus 13:50 And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
Leviticus 13:51 And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
Leviticus 13:52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
Leviticus 13:53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
Leviticus 13:54 Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
Leviticus 13:55 And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.
Leviticus 13:56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
Leviticus 13:57 And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
Leviticus 13:58 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
Leviticus 13:59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
Similar instructions were given regarding clothing that developed areas of contamination such as mildew. The inspection process was established to preserve the garment if possible. If necessary, however, the garment would be destroyed by fire.
Personal observations:
It stood out to me as I was going through these instructions that an infection that was more than skin deep usually made one unclean. It reminds me of the harsh words the Lord Jesus had for the Pharisees.
Matthew 23:25–28 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
This also reminded me that we sometimes make the wrong assumptions from the appearance of things—whether in our own life or the lives of others. Circumstances do not always provide an accurate assessment of our spiritual well being.
It also stood out to me that a change in the area that caused it to swell often characterized that which was considered unclean. I connected that to our propensity to fall victim to pride. It also reminded me that sin easily spreads to affect others.
The fact that one was declared unclean did not preclude the possibility of future healing and restoration. What a blessed truth that pictures. The fact that we are sinners condemned to judgment doesn’t mean that we have to remain condemned. Jesus has provided for our salvation—for our healing and restoration to fellowship with the LORD.
Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
The contaminated clothing made me think of how we present ourselves to the world. Do we choose to cover ourselves with the righteousness that is available in Jesus through obedience to God’s word, or do we choose to cover ourselves with the things of the world that often reflect a rebellious and disobedient spirit?
On a practical note, these instructions were also important to the health of the people of Israel who did not have the benefit of the medicines we have today to prevent the spread of disease.
Leviticus 14:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Leviticus 14:2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
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;
Leviticus 14:4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
Leviticus 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
Leviticus 14:6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
Leviticus 14:7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
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.
Leviticus 14:9 But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
This was not a fun chapter to read. It gives very detailed instructions as to how to make person or home clean again after a bout with leprosy—both for person and for home. When reading through these sections, it is important to remember that diseases are some of the consequences of the curse of sin. So often you hear people pose the question of why a loving God would allow people to suffer from disease or bad things to happen to good people. Sin has consequences. We live in a fallen or cursed world among sinful, wicked people. Even those whom we consider to be “good” are sinners. We are all sinners until we accept God’s precious gift of redemption in Jesus by faith. Only then can we claim God’s promise that He will use all things—even sickness and tragedy—to work for good in the lives of those that love Him.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
This chapter opens with instructions concerning the confirmation that one has been healed from leprosy. The healed person is to be brought to the priest to a place outside the camp to inspect the individual. If pronounced clean, two living birds, cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop are to be provided for the cleansing process. The rest of the process is outlined in verses 5-9. The NIV Commentary provided some good insight that I never would have gotten on my own.
“The ritual of cleansing a house in vv. 49-53 is so similar to the cleansing of a diseased person that the latter passage may be used to explain the former. Verse 52 makes it quite explicit that the fresh water was mingled with the small amount of blood of the slaughtered bird and used in the cleansing. When the bird was killed over the fresh water, its blood dripped into the water. The wording of vv. 51 and 53 is so similar to that of vv. 6-7 that we may use v. 52 to interpret the action of the earlier verses to include the fresh water also in the sprinkling. The live bird was identified with the blood of the dead bird so that both penalty for and removal of sin are symbolized (cf. 16:21-28).”
John Wesley’s notes include the following bit of insight: “Cedar seems to be chosen, to note that the leper was now freed from that corruption which his leprosy had brought upon him, that kind of wood being in a manner incorruptible.”
Wiersbe noted that “…the priest had to go outside the camp to minister to him or her….As God’s Great Physician, Jesus makes ‘house calls’ and comes to sinners right where they are.”
Jewish Study Bible: “The purging agent is the blood of the first of two birds. This is the only instance in which purifying blood is applied to a human. The sprinkling of the reconstituted blood of the red heifer on the person contaminated by contact with a corpse (Num. ch 19) is the closest parallel….The two birds are considered one entity. Thus the impurity, after being removed by the blood of the slaughtered bird, is believed to be transferred to the second, live bird which is then dispatched, thereby permanently disposing of it.”
David Guzik pointed out that the shaving of all body hair was analogous to being born again as a newborn babe—getting a completely new start in life.
It’s significant to note that no instruction is given as to how to heal someone from leprosy. It was understood that only a miracle of God could bring about such healing. That is one of the reasons that the person with leprosy is recognized as a type of the sinner. Only God can save the sinner.
Leviticus 14:10 ¶ And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
Leviticus 14:11 And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
Leviticus 14:12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
Leviticus 14:13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
Leviticus 14:14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
Leviticus 14:15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
Leviticus 14:16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD:
Leviticus 14:17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:
Leviticus 14:18 And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD.
Leviticus 14:19 And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
Leviticus 14:20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
This section details the offerings (detailed in previous chapters) that are to be made at the tabernacle on the 8th day of this process. The anointing mirrored that done in the consecration process of the priests (see chapter 8).
Note: Easton’s dictionary defines a “log” as “equal to the contents of six ordinary hen’s eggs—the twelfth part of a hin, or nearly a pint.”
Leviticus 14:21 ¶ And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
Leviticus 14:22 And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
Leviticus 14:23 And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.
Leviticus 14:24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
Leviticus 14:25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
Leviticus 14:26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
Leviticus 14:27 And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
Leviticus 14:28 And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:
Leviticus 14:29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.
Leviticus 14:30 And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
Leviticus 14:31 Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.
Leviticus 14:32 This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.
In this section provision is made for the poor person. We are reminded that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus is for everyone despite their social standing.
New Bible Commentary: “The cleansing rituals were lengthy, significant and public. They provided not only subjective assurance to the sufferer that all was now well, but also objective social legitimation of his or her return to the community, and especially to its worship. They amounted to the celebration of new life as the person was restored from virtual death to the land of the living and to communion with God.”
Leviticus 14:33 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Leviticus 14:34 When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;
Leviticus 14:35 And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:
Leviticus 14:36 Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:
Leviticus 14:37 And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;
Leviticus 14:38 Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:
Leviticus 14:39 And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;
Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
Leviticus 14:41 And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:
Leviticus 14:42 And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other morter, and shall plaister the house.
Leviticus 14:43 And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plaistered;
Leviticus 14:44 Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
Leviticus 14:45 And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.
Leviticus 14:46 Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.
Leviticus 14:47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.
Leviticus 14:48 And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
Leviticus 14:49 And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
Leviticus 14:50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:
Leviticus 14:51 And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:
Leviticus 14:52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
Leviticus 14:53 But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.
This section addresses what to do if plague is found in a house as evidenced by walls that become discolored. Every attempt is made to salvage the home. If the plague persists in spite of all efforts to eliminate it, the house is to be taken apart piece by piece and carried outside the city to a spot designated as a dumping ground for unclean things. Note that even the person that goes into the house while it is unclean is affected and must wash his clothes. This tells me that God wants us to be careful about the environment in which we choose to place ourselves. We are to be careful to avoid the places that will place our fellowship with God in jeopardy.
New Bible Commentary: “The OT concept of wholeness included the environment as well as the person. God’s desire is for clean people in a clean world. The rituals of Leviticus sought to achieve that within the limited span of Israel. Only the redemptive work of God in Christ will finally achieve it for his whole creation when God will dwell with his people in a cleansed earth.“
Leviticus 14:54 ¶ This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,
Leviticus 14:55 And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
Leviticus 14:56 And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
Leviticus 14:57 To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
This concludes the teaching concerning the laws pertaining to leprosy. Verse 57 points out that the main point is understanding how to identify what is clean and what is unclean.
With the Bible as our mirror, the Christian should be able to look at his life and know when he is doing things that make him “unclean” and cause him to break fellowship with the LORD and when he is doing things that are “clean” and promote a growing fellowship and intimacy with the LORD.