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FEBRUARY 21
white again, he shall come to the priest. And
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the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the
sore has turned white, then the priest shall
13:2 bright spot. This probably refers to pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is
inflammation. a leprous sore. This is a term clean.
referring to various ancient skin disorders that 18 “If the body develops a boil in the skin, and
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were sometimes superficial, sometimes seri- it is healed, and in the place of the boil there
ous. It may have included modern leprosy comes a white swelling or a bright spot, red-
(Hansen’s disease). The symptoms described dish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest;
in vv. 2, 6, 10, 18, 30, and 39 are not sufficient 20 and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed ap-
for a diagnosis of the clinical condition.For the pears deeper than the skin, and its hair has
protection of the people, observation and iso- turned white, the priest shall pronounce him
lation were demanded for all suspected cases unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken
of what could be a contagious disease. This out of the boil. But if the priest examines it,
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biblical leprosy involved some whiteness (v. 3;
Ex.4:6), which disfigured its victim but did not and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it
disable him. Naaman was able to exercise his is not deeper than the skin, but has faded,
functions as general of Syria’s army,although a then the priest shall isolate him seven days;
22 and if it should at all spread over the skin,
leper (2 Kin. 5:1,27). Both Old Testament and
New Testament lepers went almost every- then the priest shall pronounce him unclean.
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where,indicating that this disease was not the It is a leprous sore. But if the bright spot
leprosy of today that cripples. A victim of this stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the
scaly disease was unclean as long as the infec- scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce
tion was partial. Once the body was covered him clean.
with it,he was clean and could enter the place 24 “Or if the body receives a burn on its skin
of worship (see vv. 12–17). Apparently the by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes
complete covering meant the contagious a bright spot, reddish-white or white, then
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period was over. The allusion to a boil (vv. the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the
18–28) with inflamed or raw areas and hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it
whitened hairs may refer to a related infection appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy bro-
that was contagious. When lepers were cured ken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall
by Christ, they were neither lame nor pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore.
deformed. They were never brought on beds. 26 But if the priest examines it, and indeed there
Similar skin conditions are described in vv. are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is
29–37 and vv.38–44 (some inflammation from
infection). The aim of these laws was to pro- not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then
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tect the people from disease,but more impor- the priest shall isolate him seven days. And
tantly, to inculcate into them by vivid object the priest shall examine him on the seventh
lessons how God desired purity, holiness, and day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then
cleanness among His people. the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a
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leprous sore. But if the bright spot stays in
one place, and has not spread on the skin, but
swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The
the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the
in the swelling, it is an old leprosy on the skin scar from the burn.
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of his body. The priest shall pronounce him 29 “If a man or woman has a sore on the head
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unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is or the beard, then the priest shall examine
unclean. the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than
“And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, the skin, and there is in it thin yellow hair, then
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and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a
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who has the sore, from his head to his foot, scaly leprosy of the head or beard. But if the
wherever the priest looks, then the priest priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it
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shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has does not appear deeper than the skin, and
covered all his body, he shall pronounce him there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall
clean who has the sore. It has all turned white. isolate the one who has the scale seven days.
He is clean. But when raw flesh appears on 32 And on the seventh day the priest shall
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him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has
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examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it,
be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is and the scale does not appear deeper than the
leprosy. Or if the raw flesh changes and turns skin, he shall shave himself, but the scale he
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