Leviticus 13:12

+ 13:12. Lev 13:12-13 (Lev 13:9-17, 13:1-17, 13:1-46) (#3.213): A leper who has the infection spread over his entire body, the Cohen ·Priest· is to examine him and thus declare the person clean Consider: The origin of tzara'at ·leprosy· in Judaism is said to be caused not from natural sources, rather from God Himself to call attention to a particular unrepentant sin in a person’s life. The most significant of which is lashon harah ·evil tongue·, that is speaking evil, gossip, slander, and backbiting (Talmud, Erachin 15B) / Note: Science: In the modern age, tzara'at on a person is called Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease and tzara'at in a house or on clothing is called Mold or Mildew. Neither of these modern diseases named are not identical to the Biblical description. The Modern age does not know exactly what disease tzara'at is, it is possible the disease mutated or was only of divine-origin. Therefore, in Judaism, it was understood that only God can heal tzara'at ·leprosy· Consider: Because there was no known cure for tzara'at ·leprosy· it was like unto a death sentence in society for the person would be forced to leave everything behind, including possessions and family. The person would not feel human touch again and live in isolation or in a leper colony. Consider: The passage (Isaiah 35:5-7) is interpreted by the Rabbis that Messiah would be able to heal the blind (v5) and deaf (v5) and in addition, Messiah can cleanse tzara'at ·leprosy· because “the lame will leap like a deer” (v6). Only God is recorded to cure tzara'at ·leprosy· (Ex 4:6-7; Num 12:9-15; 2 Sam 3:28-30; 2 King 5:1-10, 5:25-27; Luke 4:27; 2 King 15:5; 2 Chr 26:16-21). There is no record of a Jewish man cleansing a leper except in (Matt 8:2-3, 10:8, 11:5; Mark 1:40-42; Luke 5:12-13, 7:22, 17:11-19) “If the tzara'at breaks out all over the skin, and the tzara'at covers all the skin of the infected person from his head even to his feet, as far as it appears to the priest;

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In The King James Version

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;

In Context

11it is a chronic tzara'at in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not isolate him, for he is already unclean.

13then the priest shall examine him; and, behold, if the tzara'at has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean of the plague. It has all turned white: he is clean.

Read all of Leviticus 13

Cross References

Isaiah 64:6For we have all become like one who is unclean, 2 and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. 1 We all fade like a leaf; 2 and our depravities (moral evils), like the wind, take us away. 1

Matthew Henry on Leviticus 13:2-18

The Law Concerning Leprosy. ( b. c. 1490.) 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, 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: 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… Read the whole commentary →

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