If a man or a woman had a sore on the head or the beard, the priest should examine the sore. If it appeared deeper than the skin, and there was a thin yellow hair in it, then the priest should announce him unclean. It was a scaly leprosy of the head or beard. If the scaly sore did not appear deeper than the skin and there wasn’t a black hair in it, then the priest should quarantine the one who had the scale for seven days. On the seventh day the priest should examine the sore and if the scale didn’t spread and there wasn’t a yellow hair in it and it didn’t appear deeper than the skin, he should shave himself, but not shave the scale. Then the priest should quarantine him for another seven days. On the seventh day the priest should examine the scale and if it didn’t spread over the skin and did not appear deeper than the skin, the priest should pronounce him clean. He should wash his clothes and be clean. (Leprosy? Not) If the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing, then the priest should examine him and if the scale did indeed spread over the skin, there was no need for him to look for yellow hair because he was unclean. (Leprosy? Yes) However, if the scale appeared to be at a standstill and black hair had grown in it, the scale healed. He is clean and the priest should pronounce him clean. (Leprosy? Not)
If a man or woman had bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots, the priest should look at it. If the bright spots were a dull white, it was a white spot that grew on the skin. He is clean. (Leprosy? Not)
As for the man whose hair had fallen from his head, he was bald, but he was clean. (Leprosy? Not) He whose hair had fallen from his forehead, he was bald on the forehead (receding hairline), but he was clean. (Leprosy? Not) If there was a reddish-white sore on the bald head or bald forehead, it was the breakout of leprosy. The priest should examine it and if the swelling of the sore was reddish-white on the bald head or forehead like the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body, he was a leprous man. He was unclean and the priest should pronounce him unclean because of the sore. (Leprosy? Yes) For the leper with the sore, his clothes should be torn and his head bare. He had to cover his mustache and cry out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He would be unclean for as long as he had the sore. He was to dwell alone outside the camp. (Leprosy? Yes)
If a garment had a leprous plague in the warf (threads running lengthwise) or the woof (threads running crosswise) whether or not the garment was woolen, linen or leather or anything made of leather it should be shown to the priest. The priest should examine the plague and isolate the item for seven days. On the seventh day, the priest should examine the garment or the leather item to see if it had spread. If it did spread, then the plague was an active leprosy and was unclean. (Leprosy? Yes) He should burn the garment or leather item in the fire. Upon examination if the plague did not spread, the priest should command that the garment (wool, linen, or leather) or any leather item gets washed and then isolate the item for another seven days. The priest should re-examine the item after it had been washed and if the plague did not change its color, though it did not spread, it was unclean and should be burned in the fire. It would continue eating away, whether the damage was outside or inside. (Leprosy? Yes) If, after re-examination, the priest saw that the plague had faded after washing it, then he should tear it out of the garment whether out of the warf, out of the woof, or out of the leather. However, if the plague appeared in the garment again, it was a spreading plague and should be burned in the fire. (Leprosy? Yes) If, after washing the garment, and the plague had disappeared from it, the garment should be washed a second time and would be clean. (Leprosy? Not) This was the law of the leprous plague in a woolen or linen garment, or anything made of leather to pronounce it clean or unclean.
Leprosy was not considered a mere disease, but was looked up on as symbolic of sinfulness and therefore, a cleansing was needed rather than just a healing.
Next week, it’s off to Leviticus 14.
To God Be The Glory!
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