Leviticus 14:2

_THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER IN THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING: HE SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE PRIEST:_ Law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. A leper, though quite convalescent, was not allowed to return to society immediately and at his own will. The malignant character of his disease rendered the greatest precautions necessary to his re-admission among the people. One of the priests most skilled in the diagnosis of the disease (Grotius) being appointed to attend to such outcasts, the restored leper was inspected in the presence this particular official; and when, after having been examined according to the rules prescribed in the preceding chapter, a certificate of health was given, the ceremonies here described were immediately observed outside the camp....

2_This shall be the law of the leper. _Moses now treats of the manner in which those who were cured of leprosy were to be cleansed and restored. Thus far he had shewn whom the priest was to admit into the holy congregation, and account to be clean; he now prescribes the rite of expiation, whereby the people might learn how greatly God abominates the uncleanness, which He commands to be purified by a solemn propitiation; and also that he who is healed may acknowledge that he is rescued from death by God’s special blessing, and may in future be more diligent in seeking to be pure. For there were two parts in the sacrifice here demanded-purification and thanksgiving. But we must ever keep in view the object which I have stated in the last chapter, that the Israelites were instructed by this ceremony to serve God in chastity and purity, and to keep far away from those defilements, whereby re...

1-9 The priests could not cleanse the lepers; but when the Lord removed the plague, various rules were to be observed in admitting them again to the ordinances of God, and the society of his people. They represent many duties and exercises of truly repenting sinners, and the duties of ministers respecting them. If we apply this to the spiritual leprosy of sin, it intimates that when we withdraw from those who walk disorderly, we must not count them as enemies, but admonish them as brethren. And also that when God by his grace has brought to repentance, they ought with tenderness and joy, and sincere affection, to be received again. Care should always be taken that sinners may not be encouraged, nor penitents discouraged. If it were found that the leprosy was healed, the priest must declare it with the particular solemnities here described. The two birds, one killed, and the other dipped...

EXPOSITION THE FORM OF PURIFICATION OF THE LEPER (Leviticus 14:1). This is the most minute of all the forms of purification, those for purification from contact with a dead body (Numbers 19:1) and for the cleansing of a defiled Nazarite (Numbers 6:1) being alone to be compared with it in this respect. Some purifications were accomplished, as we have seen, in a very summary manner: one who touched the carcass of a beast that had died a natural death had only to wash his clothes (Leviticus 11:40). The

THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER, IN THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING,.... Or the rules, rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices to be observed therein. Jarchi says, from hence we learn that they were not to purify a leper in the night: HE SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE PRIEST: not into the camp, or city, or house, where the priest was, for till he was cleansed he could not be admitted into either; besides, the priest is afterwards said to go forth out of the camp to him; but he was to be brought pretty near the camp or city, where the priest went to meet him. As the leper was an emblem of a polluted sinner, the priest was a type of Christ, to whom leprous sinners must be brought for cleansing; they cannot come of themselves to him, that is, believe in him, except it be given unto them; or they are drawn with the powerful and efficacious grace of God, by which souls are brought to Christ, and enabled to...

4. THE CLEANSING OF THE LEPER CHAPTER 14 _ 1. The cleansing of the leper (Leviticus 14:1)_ 2. Leprosy in the house and its purification (Leviticus 14:33) The cleansing and restoration of the leper is full of significance, foreshadowing once more the blessed work of our Saviour. Two parts in this ceremonial are to be noticed first of all. The first thing done was to restore the leper among the people from whom he had been put away. The second part of the ceremony restored him fully to communion with God. The first part was accomplished on the first day; the second part on the eighth day. A careful distinction must be made between the healing and the cleansing. All the ceremonies could not heal the leper. Jehovah alone could heal that loathsome disease. But after the

NORMAL LAW OF CLEANSING after the disease has disappeared. The patient brings to the priest two birds, and he is sprinkled with the blood of one of them, killed in an earthenware (and therefore cheap) bowl, for mixing the blood, over running (and therefore pure) water, along with cedar wood (perhaps because of its supposed healing properties), scarlet wool, and hyssop (_cf._ Numbers 19:6 *). The other bird carries away the pollution. He then removes his hair and washes himself and his clothes (_cf._ Deuteronomy 21:12; Numbers 6:18 *). In the second part of the rite, next day, the semi-magical elements (except perhaps in Le

THE LAW OF THE LEPER: provides for his cleansing. IN THE DAY. when. Compare Genesis 2:17, and see App-18. SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE PRIEST. Compare Matthew 8:2.Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12; Luke 17:13. BROUGHT. The leper could do nothing. He must be "brought". The priest must go forth to him (Leviticus 14:3)....

_The purification of the leper_(ch. Leviticus 14:1-32) The ceremonies to be observed are of two kinds: (1) before the leper is brought into the camp, (_a_) by the priest (Leviticus 14:2), (_b_) by the leper (Leviticus 14:8), (2) after the leper is readmitted to the camp, but remaining outside his tent seven days, (_c_) by the leper on the seventh day (Leviticus 14:9), (_d_) the sacrificial ritual on the eighth day (Leviticus 14:10), (_e_) modification for

HE SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE PRIEST— The priests, being instructed in the diagnostics of the leprosy, are now informed, what ceremonies and sacrifices were to be used for the purification of the leper, when it appeared that his leprosy was healed. The reader will observe, what we have before remarked, that these ceremonies were not used for the purpose of healing the disorder, but for the legal purification of the leper when healed; (see Leviticus 14:3.) and for this reason, instead of the words _cleansing_ and _cleansed_ in this chapter, it would be more proper to use _purifying_ and _purified,_ which would be equally agreeable to the original. The leper being excluded from the camp now, as afterwards from the city, the priest was to go forth to him without the camp, and there inspect him. When our Saviour, by his omnipotent word, healed the leper, he commanded him to