but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:

8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.

9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;

10 And the priest shall see him: and behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw

flesh in the rising;

11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.

12 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;

13 Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.

14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.

15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.

16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;

17 And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.

18 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a "bile, and is healed,

22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.

23 But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning bile: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24Or if there be any flesh, in the skin, whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish or white;

25 Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:

27 And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

28 And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning.

29 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;

30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

31 And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the

19 And in the place of the bile there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and some-plague of the scall seven days: what reddish, and it be showed to the priest;

20 And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the bile.

21 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:

k Ch. 11. 25. & 14. 8.—1 Numb. 12. 10, 12. 2 Kings 5. 27. 2 Chron. 25. 20.

32 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;

33 He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:

34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than

m Heb. the quickening of living flesh.—n Exod. 9. 9.—o Heb. a burning fire. declared the man clean or unclean, according to signs well surface was perfectly dry, the absorbent vessels of another known, and infallible. The disciples, or ministers of person coming in contact with the diseased man, could Christ, bind or loose, declare to be fit or unfit for church- imbibe nothing; and therefore there was comparatively no fellowship, according to unequivocal evidences of inno- danger of infection. Hence that species, or stage, of the cence or guilt. In the former case, the priest declared the disease that exhibited the quick raw rising, was capable person fit or unfit for civil society; in the latter, the minis- of conveying the infection, for the reasons already assignters of Christ declare the person against whom the sus-ed, when the other was not. Dr. Mead thus accounts for picion of guilt is laid, fit or unfit for continued association the circumstance mentioned in the text. As the leprosy with the church of God. The office was the same in both, infected bodies, clothes, and even the walls of houses, is it a declaration of the truth, not from any power that they not rational to suppose that it was occasioned by a species possessed of cleansing or polluting, of binding or of of animalculæ or vermin, burrowing under the skin? Of loosing; but by the knowledge they gained from the in- this opinion there are some learned supporters. fallible signs and evidences produced on the respective

cases.

Verse 13. If the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean] Why is it that the partial leper was pronounced unclean, and the person totally covered with the disease clean? This was probably owing to a different species, or stage, of the disease: the partial disease was contagious: the total not contagious. That there are two different species, or degrees of the same disease, described here, is sufficiently evident. In one, the body was all covered with a white enamelled scurf: in the other there was a quick raw flesh in the risings. On this account the one might be deemed unclean, i. e. contagious; the other not: for contact with the quick raw flesh would be more likely to communicate the disease, than the touch of the hard dry scurf. The ichor proceeding from the former, when brought into contact with the flesh of another, would soon be taken into the constitution by means of the absorbent vessels: but where the whole

Verse 18. In the skin thereof, was a bile] Scheuchzer supposes this and the following verse to speak of phlegmonic, erysipelatous, gangrenous, and phagedenic ulcers, all of which were subjected to the examination of the priest, to see whether they were infectious, or whether the leprosy might not take its origin from them. A person with any sore, or disposition to contagion, was more likely to catch the infection by contact with the diseased person, than he was, whose skin was whole and sound, and his habit good.

Verse 29. A plague upon the head or the beard] This refers to a disease, in which, according to the Jews, the hair either on the head or the chin, dropped out by the

roots.

Verse 33. The scall shall he not shave] Lest the place should be irritated and inflamed, which, assuming in consequence, other appearances, besides those of a leprous infection, the priest might not be able to form an accurate judgment.

Verse 58. It shall be washed the second time] According to the Jews, the first washing was to put away the plague; the second to cleanse it.

BOTH among Jews and Gentiles, the leprosy has been considered as a most expressive emblem of sin, the properties and circumstances of the one, pointing out those of the other. The similitude or parallel has been usually run in the following manner:

1. The leprosy began with a spot; a simple hidden infection being the cause.

2. This spot was very conspicuous, and argued the source whence it proceeded.

3. It was of a diffusive nature, soon spreading over the whole body.

4. It communicated its infectious nature not only to the whole of the person's body, but also to his clothes and habitation.

5. It rendered the infected person loathsome, unfit for, and dangerous to society, because of its infectious nature. 6. The person infected was obliged to be separated from society, both religious and civil; to dwell by himself without the camp or city and hold commerce with none. 7. He was obliged to proclaim his own uncleanness, publicly acknowledge his defilement, and sensible of his plague, continue humbled and abased before God and man.

How expressive all these are of the nature of sin, and the state of a sinner, a spiritual mind will at once perceive. 1. The original infection or corruption of nature, is the grand hidden cause, source, and spring of all transgression.

2. Iniquity is a seed that has its growth, gradual increase, and perfection. As the various powers of the mind are developed, so it diffuses itself, infecting every passion and appetite, through their whole extent and operation.

3. As it spreads in the mind, so it diffuses itself through the life; every action partaking of its influence,

59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

CHAPTER XIV.

Introduction to the sacrifices and ceremonies to be used in cleansing the leper, 1-3. Two living bird,, celar wood, scaria, and hyssop, to be brought for him who was to be cleanse 1, 4. One of the birds to be killel, 5, and the living bird, with the celar wool, scarket, and hyssop, to be dipped in the blood, and to be aprinklel on

him who had been intered with the leprosy, 6, 7; after which he must wash his clothes, shave his head, eye-laws, beard, &c. bathe himself, tarry abroad seren day, 8, 9: on the righth day, he must bring two he-lambe, one cwc-lamb, a tenth dent of four, moda g of off, 10; which the priest was to present as a trespass offering, wave offering, and in-fering, before the Lool, 11-13. Afterward, he

was to sprinkle both the blood and on on the person to be cleansed, 14-13. The atonement made by these offerings, 19, 30. If the person were poor, one lamb, with the bour and oil, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, were only required, 21, 22 These to be prosented, and the flood and oil applied as before, 25-31. Laws and ordinances relative to houses infected by the leprosy, 33-49. An atonement to be made in order to elevase the house, similar to that made for the healed leper, 49––53. A summary of this and the preceding chapter, relative to leprons persons, garments, and houses, 51-56. The end for which these different laws were given, 57. An. Exed. Isr. 2 Abib or Nisan.

ND the LORD spake unto Moses,

A saying,

2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest;

3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; 4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed, two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and bhyssop:

a

x Matt. 82, 4. Mark 1. 40, 41. Luke 5. 12, 14. & 17. 14.-y Or, sparrows, Numb 19. 6-a Heb. 9. 19-b Ps. 51. 7-c Heb. 9. 13.-e 2 Kings 5. 10, 14. (Heb. upon the face of the field.

till the whole conduct becomes a tissue of transgression; because every imagination of the thoughts of a sinner's heart is only evil continually, Gen. vi. This is the natural

state of man.

4. As a sinner is infected, so is he infectious; by his precept and example, he spreads the infernal contagion wherever he goes; joining with the multitude to do evil, strengthening and being strengthened in the ways of sin and death; and becoming, especially, a snare and a curse to his own household.

5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.

6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water;

e

7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean; and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

8 And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

9 But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes; also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

10 And on the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.

g Ch. 13. 6.-h Ch. 11. 25.-1 Numb. 12. 15.-k Mart. 8. 4. Mark 1. 44. Luke 5. 14. lieb. the daughter of her year.- Ch. 2. 1. Numb. 15. 4, 15.

wards, in order to be dipped in the blood of the bird that had been killed. The whole of this made an instrument for the sprinkling of this blood, and when this business was done, the living bird was let loose, and permitted to go whithersoever it would. In this ceremony, according to some rabbins, "the living bird signified that the dead flesh of the leper was restored to soundness-the cedar rood, which is not easily corrupted, that he was healed of his putrefaction. The scarlet thread, wool, or fillet, that he was restored to his good complexion; and the hyssop, which was purgative and odoriferous, that the disease was completely removed, and the bad scent that accompanied it, entirely gone." Ainsworth, Dodd, and others, have given many of these rabbinical conceits. Of all these pu6. It is owing to the universality of the evil, that sin-rifications, and their accompanying circumstances, we may ners are not expelled from society as the most dangerous safely say, because authorized by the New Testament so to of all monsters; and obliged to live without having any do, that they pointed out the purification of the soul, commerce with their fellow-creatures. Ten lepers could through the atonement and Spirit of Christ; but to run associate together, because partaking of the same infec- analogies between the type and the thing typified, is diflition: and civil society is generally maintained, because cult and precarious. The general meaning and design composed of a leprous community. we sufficiently understand; the particulars are not readily ascertainable, and consequently of little importance; had they been otherwise, they would have been pointed out.

5. That a sinner is abominable in the sight of God, and of all good men, that he is unfit for the society of the righteous, and that he cannot, as such, be admitted into the kingdom of God, need no proof.

7. He that wishes to be saved from his sins, must humble himself before God and man, sensible of his own sore and the plague of his heart; confess his transgressions, look to God for a cure, from whom alone it can be received; and bring that sacrifice, by which alone the guilt can be taken away, and his soul be purified from all unrighteousness. See the conclusion of the following chapter.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XIV.

Verse 3. The priest shall go forth out of the camp] As the leper was separated from the people, and obliged, because of his uncleanness, to dwell without the camp, and could not be admitted till the priest had declared that he was clean; hence it was necessary that the priest should go out and inspect him, and if healed, offer for him the sacrifices required, in order to his readmission to the camp. As the priest alone had authority to declare a person clean or unclean, it was necessary that the healed person should show himself to the priest, that he might make a declaration that he was clean and fit for civil and religious society, without which, in no case, could he be admitted: hence when Christ cleansed the lepers, Matt. viii. 2-4. he commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest, &c. Verse 4. Two birds alive and clean, &c.] Whether these birds were sparrows, or turtle-doves, or pigeons, we know not; probably any kind of clean bird, or bird proper to be eaten, might be used on this occasion; though it is more likely that turtle-dores or pigeons were employed, because these appear to have been the only birds offered in sacrifice. Of the cedar wood, hyssop, clean bird, and scarlet wool or fillet, were made an aspergillum, or instrument to sprinkle with. The cedar wood served for the handle, the hyssop and living bird were attached to it, by means of the scarlet wool or crimson fillet. The bird was so bound to this handle, as that its tail should be down

Verse 5. Over running water] Literally, liring, that is, spring water. The meaning appears to be this; some water (about a quarter of a log, an egg shell and half full, according to the rabbins,) was taken from a spring, and put in a clean earthern vessel, and they killed the bird over this water, that the blood might drep into it: and in this blood and water mixed, they dipped the instrument before described, and sprinkled it seven times upon the person who was to be cleansed. The living or spring irater was chosen, because it was purer than what was taken from pits or wells, the latter being often in a putrid or corrupt state; for, in a ceremony of purifying or cleansing, every thing must be as pure and perfect as possible. Verse 7. Shall let the living bird loose] The Jews teach that wild birds were employed on this occasion; no tame or domestic animal was used. Mr. Ainsworth piously conjectures, that the ring and dead birds were intended to represent the death and resurrection of Christ, by which an atonement was made to purify the soul from its spiritual leprosy. The bird let loose bears a near analogy to the scape-goal.-See chap. xvi.

Verse 8. Shall share off all his hair] That the water by which he was to be washed, should reach every part of his body, that he might be cleansed from whatever defilement might remain on any part of the surface of his body. The Egyptian priests shaved the whole body every third day, to prevent all manner of defilement. Verse 10. Two he-lambs] One for a tresspass-offering, ver. 12. the other for a burnt-offering, ver. 19, 20.

One ewe-lamb] This was for a sin-offering, ver. 19. Three tenth deals] Three parts of an ephah, or three omers; see all these measures explained, Exod. xvi. 16. The three tenth deals of flour were for a minchah, meat.

13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin-offering and the burntoffering, in the holy place: for as the sin-offer-fering: ing is the priest's, so is the trespass-offering: it is most holy.

for a waring.-y Ch. 12 8. & 15. 14, 15-2 Ver. 11-a Ver. 12-6 Ver. 14. o Ver. 2. Ch. 15. 15-d Ver. 10-e Geu. 17. 8. Numb. 32. 22. Deut. 7. 1. & 32. 49. f Psa. 91. 10. Prov. 3. 33. Zeph. 5. 4-g Or, prepare.

person be poor, he must provide one lamb; this could not be dispensed with: so every soul to whom the word of divine revelation comes, must bring that Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. There is no redemption but in this blood.

Verse 34. When ye be come into the land and I put the plague of leprosy] It was probably from this text that the leprosy has been generally considered to be a disease inflicted immediately by God himself; but it is well known that in Scripture, God is frequently represented as doing, what in the course of his providence, he only permits or suffers to be done. It is supposed that the infection of the house, as well as of the person and the garments, proceeded from animalcula.-See the notes on chap. xiii. 47. and 52.

behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house; it is unclean. 45 And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city, into an unclean place.

46 Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up, shall be unclean until the even.

47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.

48 And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plastered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

49 And he shall take to cleanse the house, two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel, over running water:

51 And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:

h Ch. 13. 15. Zech. 5. 4-i Heb. in coming in shall come in, &c.-k Ver. 4. 1 Ver. 2-m Ch. 13. 30.-n Ch. 13. 47.-0 Ver. 34.-p Ch. 13. 2-q Deut. 24. 8. Ezek. 41. 23.

Verse 45. He shall break down the house] "On the suspicion of a house being infected, the priest examined it, and ordered it to be shut up seven days: if he found the plague or signs of the plague, (hollow streaks, greenish or reddish) were not spread, he commanded it to be shut up seven days more. On the thirteenth day he revisited it: and if he found the infected place dim, or gone away, took out that part of the wall, carried it out to an unclean place, mended the wall, and caused the whole house to be new plastered. It was then shut

he

proof of his gratitude, and an evidence of his obedience. -When a sinner is restored to the divine favour, he should offer continually the sacrifice of a grateful heart: and in willing obedience, show forth the virtues of Him who has called him from darkness and wretchedness, to marvellous light and happiness.

and he came on the nineteenth, and a third seven days, and such the means by which alone it can be removed.

if he found that the plague was broken out anew, he ordered the house to be pulled down."-See Ainsworth. From all this may we not learn a lessen of instruction? If the means made use of by God and his ministers for the conversion of a sinner be, through his wilful obstinacy, rendered of no availif, by his evil practices he trample under foot the blood of the covenant wherewith he might have been sanctified, and do despite to the Spirit of God, then God will pull down his house; dislodge his soul from its earthly tabernacle, consign the house, the body, to corruption, and the spirit to the perdition of ungodly men. Reader, see well how it stands with thy soul. God is not mocked; what a man soweth that shall he reap.

5. Reader, such was the leprosy, its destructive nature and consequences, and the means of removing it! such is the spiritual evil represented by it, such its consequences, The disease of sin, inflicted by the devil, can only be cured by the power of God. 1. Art thou a leper? Do the spots of this spiritual infection begin to appear on thee? 2. Art thou young, and only entering into the ways of the world and sin? Stop! bad habits are more easily conquered to-day, than they will be to-morrow. 3. Art thou stricken in years, and rooted in transgression? How kind is thy Maker to have preserved thee alive so long! Turn from thy transgressions, humble thy soul before him, confess thine iniquity, and implore forgiveness. Seek, and thou shalt find! Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! 4. Hast thou been cleansed, and hast not returned to give glory to God? Hast not continued in the truth, serving thy Maker and Saviour with a loving and obedient heart? How cutting is that word, Were there not TEN cleansed, but where are the NINE? Thou art probably one of them! Be confounded at thy ingratitude, and distressed for thy backsliding, and apply a second time for the healing efficacy of the great Atonement. Turn, thou backslider! for he is married unto thee, and will heal thy backslidings, and 1. That the leprosy was a disease generally acknow-will love thee freely. Amen. So be it, Lord Jesus! fedged to be incurable by any human means; and therefore the Jews did not attempt to cure it. What is directed to be done here, was not in order to cure the leper, but to declare him cured and fit for society.-In like manner the contagion of sin, its guilt, and its power, can only be removed by the hand of God; all means, without his especial influence, can be of no avail.

Verse 53. He shall let go the living bird] This might as well be called the scape-bird, as the goat, in chap. xvi. is called the scape-goat. The rites are similar in both cases, and probably had nearly the same meaning.

We have already taken occasion to observe (see the end of the preceding chapter) that the leprosy was strongly emblematical of sin; to which we may add here:

2. The body must be sprinkled and washed, and a sacrifice offered for the sin of the soul, before the leper could be declared to be clean.-To cleanse the spiritual leper, the Lamb of God must be slain, and the sprinkling of his blood be applied. Without the shedding of this blood there is no remission.

3. When the leper was cleansed, he was obliged to show himself to the priest, whose province it was to pronounce him clean, and declare him fit for intercourse with civil and religious society.-When a sinner is converted from the error of his ways, it is the business, as it is the prerogative of the ministers of Christ, after having duly acquainted themselves with every circumstance, to declare the person converted from sin to holiness, to unite him with the people of God, and admit him to all the ordinances which belong to the faithful.

4. When a leper was cleansed, he was obliged by the law to offer a gift unto the Lord for his healing, as a

NOTES ON CHAPTER XV.

Verse 2. When any man hath a running issue] The cases of natural uncleanness, both of men and women, mentioned in this chapter, taken in a theological point of view, are not of such importance to us as to render a particular description necessary, the letter of the text being, in general, plain enough. The disease mentioned in the former part of this chapter, appears to some to have been either the consequence of a very bad infection or of some criminal indulgence; for they find that it might be communicated in a variety of ways, which they imagine are here distinctly specified. On this ground, the person was declared unclean, and all commerce and connexion with him strictly forbidden. The Septuagint renders an ha-zab, the man with the issue, by opeens, the man with a gonorrhea, no less than nine times in this chapter; and that it means what, in the present day, is commonly understood by that disorder, taken not only in its mild, but in its worst sense, they think, there is little room to doubt. Hence they infer, that a disease which is supposed to be comparatively recent in Europe, has existed almost from time immemorial in the Asiatic countries; that it ever has been, in certain measures, what it is now; and that it ever must be the effect of sensual indulgence, and illicit and