LEV 13

Leviticus 13:42

WEB

But if a reddish-white plague is in the bald head or the bald forehead, it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head or his bald forehead.

BSB

But if there is a reddish-white sore on the bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on it.

KJV

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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 38–46

Leviticus 13:38–46

We have here,

I. Provisos that neither a freckled skin nor a bald head should be mistaken for a leprosy, Lev 13:38-41. Every deformity must not forthwith be made a ceremonial defilement. Elisha was jeered for his bald head (Kg2 2:23); but it was the children of Bethel, that knew not the judgments of their God, who turned it to his reproach.

II. A particular brand set upon the leprosy if at any time it did appear in a bald head: The plague is in his head, he is utterly unclean, Lev 13:44. If the leprosy of sin have seized the head, if the judgment be corrupted, and wicked principles which countenance and support wicked practices, be embraced, it is an utter uncleanness, from which few are ever cleansed. Soundness in the faith keeps the leprosy from the head, and saves conscience from being shipwrecked.

III. Directions what must be done with the convicted leper. When the priest, upon mature deliberation, had solemnly pronounced him unclean,

1. He must pronounce himself so, Lev 13:45. He must put himself into the posture of a mourner and cry, Unclean, unclean. The leprosy was not itself a sin, but it was a sad token of God's displeasure and a sore affliction to him that was under it. It was a reproach to his name, put a full stop to his business in the world, cut him off from conversation with his friends and relations, condemned him to banishment till he was cleansed, shut him out from the sanctuary, and was, in effect, the ruin of all the comfort he could have in this world. Heman, it would seem, either was a leper or alludes to the melancholy condition of a leper, Psa 88:8, etc. He must therefore, (1.) Humble himself under the mighty hand of God, not insisting upon his cleanness when the priest had pronounced him unclean, but justifying God and accepting the punishment of his iniquity. He must signify this by rending his clothes, uncovering his head, and covering his upper lip, all tokens of shame and confusion of face, and very significant of that self-loathing and self-abasement which should fill the hearts of penitents, the language of which is self-judging. Thus must we take to ourselves the shame that belongs to us, and with broken hearts call ourselves by our own name, Unclean, unclean - heart unclean, life unclean, unclean by original corruption, unclean by actual transgression - unclean, and therefore worthy to be for ever excluded from communion with God, and all hope of happiness in him. We are all as an unclean thing (Isa 64:6) - unclean, and therefore undone, if infinite mercy do not interpose. (2.) He must give warning to others to take heed of coming near him. Wherever he went, he must cry to those he saw at a distance, "I am unclean, unclean, take heed of touching me." Not that the leprosy was catching, but by the touch of a leper ceremonial uncleanness was contracted. Every one therefore was concerned to avoid it; and the leper himself must give notice of the danger. And this was all that the law could do, in that it was weak through the flesh; it taught the leper to cry, Unclean, unclean, but the gospel has put another cry into the lepers' mouths, Luk 17:12, Luk 17:13, where we find ten lepers crying with a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. The law only shows us our disease; the gospel shows us our help in Christ.

2. He must then be shut out of the camp, and afterwards, when they came to Canaan, out of the city, town, or village, where he lived, and dwell alone (Lev 13:46), associating with none but those that were lepers like himself. When king Uzziah became a leper, he was banished from his palace, and dwelt in a separate house, Ch2 26:21. And see Kg2 7:3. This typified the purity which ought to be preserved in the gospel church, by the solemn and authoritative exclusion of scandalous sinners, that hate to be reformed, from the communion of the faithful. Put away from among yourselves that wicked person, Co1 5:13.

Cross-references: Lev 13:38 · 2Kgs 2:23 · Lev 13:44 · Lev 13:45 · Ps 88:8 · Isa 64:6 · Luke 17:12 · Luke 17:13 · Lev 13:46 · 2Chr 26:21 · 2Kgs 7:3 · 1Cor 5:13

Hebrew interlinear

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H1961

הָיָהhâyâh/haw-yaw/

v — exist, be, become, come to pass

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);

to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.

הָיָה

vb — fall out

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

I.

1.

a. Fall out, happen

b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

a.

(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

II. Come into being, become

1.

a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

b. sq. prep.

2. become

a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

b. sq. pred. adj.

c. become like

d. sq. pred. לְ pers.

e. sq. לְ pred.

f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

g. with עַל and לְ

h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

1. exist, be in existence

2. abide, remain, continue

3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.

5. periphrastic conjug.

Niph.

1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass

2. be done, finished, gone

H7146

קָרַחַתqârachath/kaw-rakh'-ath/

n-f — bald, threadbare

Derivation: from 7139;

a bald spot (on the back of the head); figuratively, a threadbare spot (on the back side of the cloth)

KJV: bald head, bare within.

קָרַ֫חַת

n.f — baldness of head

קָרַ֫חַת n.f. baldness of head

H176

אוֹʼôw/o/

conj — desire, or, if

Derivation: presumed to be the 'constructive' or genitival form of אַו ; short for 185;

desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if

KJV: also, and, either, if, at the least, × nor, or, otherwise, then, whether.

אֵו

n.m — desire

[אֵו] n.m. אוֹ, Kt Pr 31:4 desire, so Thes MV; but < Qr אֵי q.v.

אוֹ

conj — or

אוֹ 320 conj. or

1. sometimes implying a preference, nearly or rather

2. introducing a sentence, esp. a particular case under a general principle, or = or if

3. if perchance

4. once, with the juss. = except

H1372

גַּבַּחַתgabbachath/gab-bakh'-ath/

n-f — baldness, bare spot

Derivation: from the same as 1371;

baldness in the forehead; by analogy, a bare spot on the right side of cloth

KJV: bald forehead, × without.

גַּבַּ֫חַת

n.f — bald forehead

גַּבַּ֫חַת n.f. bald forehead

H5061

נֶגַעnegaʻ/neh'-gah/

n-m — blow, spot

Derivation: from 5060;

a blow (figuratively, infliction); also (by implication) a spot (concretely, a leprous person or dress)

KJV: plague, sore, stricken, stripe, stroke, wound.

נֶ֫גַע

n.m — stroke

נֶ֫גַע 78 n.m. stroke, plague, mark, plague-spot

H3836

לָבָןlâbân/law-bawn'/

a — white

Derivation: or (Genesis 49:12) לָבֵן; from 3835;

white

KJV: white.

לָבָן

adj — white

לָבָן adj. white

H125

אֲדַמְדָּםʼădamdâm/ad-am-dawm'/

a — reddish

Derivation: reduplicated from 119;

reddish

KJV: (somewhat) reddish.

אֲדַמְדָּם

adj — reddish

אֲדַמְדָּם adj. reddish of leprous sores

H6883

צָרַעַתtsâraʻath/tsaw-rah'-ath/

n-f — leprosy

Derivation: from 6879;

leprosy

KJV: leprosy.

צָרַ֫עַת

n.f — leprosy

צָרַ֫עַת 35 n.f. leprosy

H6524

פָּרַחpârach/paw-rakh'/

v — break forth, bloom, spread, fly, flourish

Derivation: a primitive root;

to break forth as a bud, i.e. bloom; generally, to spread; specifically, to fly (as extending the wings); figuratively, to flourish

KJV: × abroad, × abundantly, blossom, break forth (out), bud, flourish, make fly, grow, spread, spring (up).

פָּרַח

vb — bud

פָּרַח vb. bud, sprout, shoot

Qal bud, sprout, send out shoots, of vine

Hiph.

1. cause to bud or sprout

2. shew buds, sprouts, of tree

פָּרַח

vb — break out

פָּרַח vb. break out, of leprosy and like eruptions

פָּרַח

vb — fly

[פָּרַח] vb. fly, Aramaism

H1931

הוּאhûwʼ/hoo/

p — he, she, it, self, same, this, that, as, are

Derivation: of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is הִיא; he a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular;

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are

KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.

הוּא

m — he

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

1. an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

2. It resumes the subj. with emph.

3. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

4. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

5. As an emph. predicate, of God

6. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

7. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

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