13:18-44 The priest is told what judgment to make, if there were any appearance of a leprosy in old sores; and such is the danger of those who having escaped the pollutions of the world are again entangled therein. Or, in a burn by accident, ver. 24. The burning of strife and contention often occasions the rising and breaking out of that corruption, which proves that men are unclean. Human life lies exposed to many grievances. With what troops of diseases are we beset on every side; and thy all entered by sin! If the constitution be healthy, and the body lively and easy, we are bound to glorify God with our bodies. Particular note was taken of the leprosy, if in the head. If the leprosy of sin has seized the head; if the judgment be corrupted, and wicked principles, which support wicked practices, are embraced, it is utter uncleanness, from which few are cleansed. Soundness in the faith keeps leprosy from the head.
Then the priest shall look upon it,.... And examine it, whether it has the marks and signs of a leprosy or not, such as follow:
behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white; which before was black, or of another colour from white, and is now, turned into the whiteness of chalk, as the Targum of Jonathan:
and it be in sight deeper than the skin; the same Targum is,"and its sight or colour is deeper in being white like snow, more than the skin;''but this respects not the colour of it, as appearing to the sight, but the depth of the spot, going below the skin into the flesh, which, with the change of hair, are the two signs of leprosy, Leviticus 13:3,
it is a leprosy broken out of the burning; which sprung from thence, and what that had issued in:
wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean; a leper, and to be treated as such:
it is the plague of leprosy; being a plain case, according to the rules by which it was to be judged of.
And it be in sight deeper than the skin.--Better, and its appearance is deeper than the other skin. (See Leviticus 13:3; Leviticus 13:20.)
behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white; which before was black, or of another colour from white, and is now, turned into the whiteness of chalk, as the Targum of Jonathan:
and it be in sight deeper than the skin; the same Targum is,"and its sight or colour is deeper in being white like snow, more than the skin;''but this respects not the colour of it, as appearing to the sight, but the depth of the spot, going below the skin into the flesh, which, with the change of hair, are the two signs of leprosy, Leviticus 13:3,
it is a leprosy broken out of the burning; which sprung from thence, and what that had issued in:
wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean; a leper, and to be treated as such:
it is the plague of leprosy; being a plain case, according to the rules by which it was to be judged of.