Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

13:1-59 This chapter deals with uncleanness brought about by "leprosy." The ESV adopts the traditional rendering "leprosy" for the Hebrew tsara‘at, but its exact modern equivalent is unclear (see ESV footnote on v. 2; cf. also Matt. 8:2 with ESV footnote), particularly in view of the fact that it manifests itself not only in humans but also in clothes and articles (Lev. 13:47-59), and even in the walls of houses (14:34-53). The term used in Leviticus is in fact generic: it could include many skin ailments, such as psoriasis, urticaria (hives), favus (which produces honeycomb-shaped crusts), and leukoderma (which produces white patches on the skin). What today is called leprosy (Hansen's disease) was unknown in the Near East at the time of Leviticus. Clear references to it do not occur until the late first millennium b.c.

13:1-8 Basic symptoms of a leprous disease are given in vv. 2-3 (the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body). priest shall pronounce. By this means, the priest makes the status of uncleanness official. The person receiving such a pronouncement must dwell outside the camp, as stated in vv. 45-46, until he or she becomes clean.

13:3 unclean (cf. v. 8). See Introduction: Interpretative Issues. This requires such persons to live outside the camp until they are free of their disease (vv. 45-46), and to present a sacrifice as part of a cleansing ceremony (14:1-32). Modern readers should not confuse this kind of "uncleanness" with "under God's condemnation," nor even with "excluded from the love of the community": the purpose of this law is to prevent what is unclean from coming into contact with what is holy (a contact that would be dangerous for the unclean person and for the whole community).

13:9-17 This is the case of a person with a severe, chronic skin condition. The patient has raw flesh, i.e., it is oozing, red, and active. His condition is easily recognizable, and therefore no quarantine is needed. The priest simply declares him ritually unclean and impure.

13:18-44 These rules deal with various cases of the leprous disease in relation to other common skin diseases or disorders, such as a boil (vv. 18-23), a burn (vv. 24-28), itching disease (vv. 29-37), leukoderma (vv. 38-39), and baldness (vv. 40-44). The priest is responsible for discerning whether or not the condition is one that makes a person unclean (cf. 10:10-11); this is one way in which the priesthood is to serve the well-being of the people.

13:45-46 The person with a skin disease is to tear his clothes, go about with an unadorned head, and have his beard and mouth covered. These are all signs of mourning in the OT (Ezek. 24:17, 22; Mic. 3:7). Here they symbolize that a person is ritually dead. Cf. Luke 17:12-13, where lepers "stood at a distance" and called for help from Jesus.

13:47-59 Except for the symptoms and actual treatments such as washing, the procedure of the examination in cases of leprous disease in a garment follows that of the cases for humans. Causes of such disease include various molds or fungi. When it becomes clear that the suspected area is affected by the disease, the treatment (i.e., tear or burn it) is destructive; the object must no longer be used, or has to be completely abandoned.

14:1-32 Chapter 13 told how an unclean person is consigned to a place outside the camp. Chapter 14 explains how that person is readmitted into the covenant community.

14:1-9 Cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop all seem to have cleansing properties (see Num. 19:6) and are thus used in this two-bird ritual. The release of a live bird into the wilderness is reminiscent of the scapegoat in Lev. 16:6-10. The live bird being driven into the fields may symbolize the patient's disease being carried outside the camp of Israel.

14:10-20 This final series of sacrifices, focusing on cleansing at the sanctuary, restores the patient to full fellowship as a member of the covenant community. When the three standard offerings are presented--the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the grain offering--then the person has full restoration.

14:21-32 These sacrifices are a concession to the poor who cannot afford the animals of vv. 10-20. Birds are substituted for the expensive large animals, and the amount of grain required is two-thirds less than the normal amount. Cf. note on 12:8.

14:33-57 These laws regarding leprous disease in houses anticipate the time when Israel will settle in the Land of Promise and the people will be living in houses. Houses may become infected with disease; this latter term is a general word that may refer to things such as mold, mildew, and fungus. These are unclean and dangerous, and therefore must be eradicated. The priest determines what course of action is to be taken when such a problem occurs.