The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 234

year 1880. 1 The object of the regulations of hia aona the prieata; thnt is, to the high relnting to leprosy is no more sanitary than priest or to the ordiuary priest, iind those descendiints of Auon who were disqualified of those relating to unclean meats. Like the by physical infirmities from officiating at latter they may have served a sanitary the altiir were permitted to aot u.s exo.minera purpo,so, for leprosy is, aooording to the in leprosy. prevailing medioal opinion, slightly, though Ver. 8.-Wben the hair in the plague iB only slightly, contagious. Beoause leprosy turned white. This is the first symptom, was hideous and foul, it therefore made the nnd the most noticeable as the commenoe- ment of the diseiise. The hair around the man affected by it unclean, and before he spot loses its oolour and becomes thin and could be restored to communion with God wenk, the sepiiriite hairs being hardly and his people, he must be certified by God's stronger or individunlly thicker than down. priest to be delivered from the disease. 'fhe second symptom is when the plague in As in the previous oases, physical ugli- sight be deeper than the skin of his 11.esh; that is, below the upper skin, or cuticle, ness and defilement represent spiritual o.ud in the reiil cutie. These two symptoms depravity and viciousness. "The Levitical distinguish real leprosy from other affeo- law concerning leprosy reveals to us the tions which at first beiir e. similar appearance. true nature of sin. It shows its hideousness Vera. 4-8.-In case the symptoms are nnd its foulness, and fills us with shnme, not decisive, then the priest shall shut up hntred, and loathing for it. And it reveals him that bath the plague seven diiys. The words thus translated would perhaps be to us the inestimable benefit which we better rendered, then the priest &hall bind up have received from the incnrnation of the the part aJfected for &even day&. The priest Son of God, • the Sun of Righteousness, is to delay his judgment for a week, and, if with healing in his wings' (Mai. iv. 2); and necessary, for ii second week, during which fills us with joy, thankfulness, and love to period the patient is, according to the rendering, either to be confined to his house him for hie infinite goodness to us" (Words- or, more probably, to have the spot bandaged. worth), Leprosy, the most loathsome of Whether the disease be or be not leprosy all common diseases, is the type and symbol will probably have declared itself by the of sin, and the ceremonial uncleanness end of that time; and if the plague be some- attaching to it ill a parable of the moral what dark on the fourteenth day, that is, if it hiis bt'gun to lose its colour and to fade foulness of sin. away, and has not spread in the skin, the Ver. 2.-The word translated plague of priest is to decide that it is not real leprosy literally means ,troke. It seems to leprosy, and pronounoe the man olel\U, He be used in the sense of spot. Then shall he is still, however, to be kept under super- be brought llllto Aaron the priest. That the vision, and if the spot is found to spread, he regulations respecting leprosy were uot is to be pronounced unolean, as it is proved sanitary arrangements, as has been some- to be I\ leprosy. times represented, is indicated by the autho- Vere. 9-11.-Tbe method of procedure rity over the leper being vested in the priest in the cuse of e. doubtful leprosy having rather tho.n in the physician, and the been Ju.id down in the previous verses, the question of whether a man was a leper or rule for dealing with an unmietiiku.ble case no being decided by the former rather than is here given. When the cburncteristio the lo.tter. It is to be noted also that the white spot and white hair cuo present (if priest is not made unclean by hie contact the rising be white in the skin, and it have with the leper, because he is in the per- turned the hair white), and if a third formance of his duty. The supposed leper symptom be present-if there be quiok raw may be brought either to Aaron or unto one 11.esh in the rising, that is, if there be an 1 The following description iB given by tbo physician who attended the sufferer:-" The case of leprosy occurred in a man aged fifty-eight. He had suffered for many years from a severe scaly disease of hie skin; the last two or three years of hiM life it assumed the form of true leprosy, such ae one reads of iis having occurred in former times. His skin beoame thick, hard, and hypl'rlrophical, and formed one mass of lurge see.lee, oovering the whole of hie body, including hie face and head, both of which were greatly swollen ; indeed, he seemed e.e if he were encased in a large scaly envelope. The movement of hie joints prG- duood deep, painful, iind bleeding fissures. The nails also became misshapen, rough, and ragged, and were replaced by scaly incrustations. After lingering for some months in this condition, he died in November, 1880. I believe the case we.Ma typical case of leprosy, or a■ nearly e.llied to it &B posaible," OS. xm.1-46.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS, 197