3. Uncleanness due to skin and covering abnormalities chs. 13-14

Many translations and commentaries have regarded the legislation in these chapters as dealing with leprosy, but this is misleading. The confusion has arisen because the term "leprosy"appears in most English texts in these chapters, and English readers automatically think that what we know as leprosy is in view. However as the chapters unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that what is in view is not modern leprosy (Hansen's disease).¹³⁷The solution to the problem involves recognizing that the Septuagint version has influenced the English translations of the Hebrew word used here, tsara'at. In the Septuagint, the Greek word lepratranslates tsara'at, and the English translations have simply transliterated this Greek word because of similarities with modern leprosy.¹³⁸That tsara'atdoes not mean leprosy becomes especially clear in chapter 14 where we read that tsara'atappeared as mold and mildew in clothes and houses, something leprosy does not do. What tsara'atdoes describe is a variety of abnormalities that afflicted human skin as well as clothing and houses, coverings of various types. Lepraetymologically refers to scaliness, and tsara'atmay also.¹³⁹Evidently there was enough similarity between these abnormalities for God to deal with them together in this section of Leviticus.

The section contains three parts. Moses frequently divided various material into three subsections in Leviticus. Each part in this section begins, "The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron"(13:1; 14:1, 33), and it closes, "This is the law for"(13:59; 14:32, 54).

 The diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities in human skin and clothing ch. 13

We may further divide this chapter into two parts: the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities in human skin, and the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities in clothing and similar articles. A more detailed outline of the chapter follows.¹⁴⁰

Introduction v. 1

First set of tests for skin disease vv. 2-8

Second set of tests for skin disease vv. 9-17

Third set of tests for skin disease in scars vv. 18-23

Fourth set of tests for skin disease in burns vv. 24-28

Fifth set of tests for skin disease in scalp or beard vv. 29-37

A skin disease that is clean vv. 38-39

Baldness and skin disease vv. 40-44

Treatment of those diagnosed as unclean vv. 45-46

Diagnosis and treatment of skin disease in clothing vv. 47-58

Summary v. 59

Before proceeding, we need to note that by "treatment"we do not mean that God prescribed a way by which people or objects afflicted with "leprosy"could recover. Rather the "treatment"dealt with how people were to relate to God and the sanctuary in view of these problems. He was not dealing with them as a physician but as a public health inspector. His objective was not their physical recovery but their proper participation in worship.

Typically in each case we read four things: a preliminary statement of the symptoms, the priestly inspection, the basis of the priest's diagnosis, and the diagnosis itself and the treatment.

 The ritual cleansing of abnormalities in human skin 14:1-32

The procedures described here were not curative but ritual. God prescribed no treatment for the cure of leprosy here, but He explained how the priests and the Israelites could recognize healed skin so formerly afflicted individuals could resume worship in the community.¹⁵⁰The ritual involved two acts separated by an interval of seven days.

14:1-9 The first act took place outside the camp and restored the formerly unclean person to the fellowship of the other Israelites from whom he had experienced separation because of his skin disease.

Clean animals, including birds, represent Israel.¹⁵¹Both of the birds used in this ritual evidently symbolized the Israelite who was about to reenter the covenant community. The bird killed probably represented the formerly unclean person whose fate was death but for God's mercy. The bird released stood for the same person cleansed, released from the bondage of his disease, endowed with new life, and at liberty to enter the covenant fellowship again. These two birds served a symbolic function similar to that of the two goats on the Day of Atonement (ch. 16).¹⁵²

Cedar wood had antiseptic qualities and was slow to decay, so it probably represented the continuance of life. The scarlet color of the thread looked like blood, which symbolized freshness and vitality of life. The hyssop represented purification from the corruption of death since the priests used this spongy plant for purification in Israel's rituals. The blood-water used to sprinkle the individual probably signified life and purification.

14:10-32 The second act of cleansing took place before the altar of burnt offerings and restored the former leper to fellowship with the sanctuary and God. First the leper was to offer a trespass offering (v. 12). This offering compensated God for all the sacrifices, tithes, and firstfruits that the afflicted person could not present during his uncleanness.¹⁵³Another view is that the law prescribed a trespass offering because some sickness resulted from sin (cf. Num. 12:9-15; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Chron. 26:17-21).¹⁵⁴The priest then applied blood from this sacrifice to the ear, hand, and foot of the former leper symbolizing the sanctification of his hearing, serving, and walking by the atoning blood. The priest then consecrated the oil to God by sprinkling it seven times before the Lord. He then applied it to the leper's ear, hand, foot, and head representing his anointing with the power and gifts of God's Spirit. Then the priest made sin, burnt, and meal offerings. The sin offering cleansed the sanctuary, the burnt offering brought reconciliation and represented rededication, and the meal offering was a pledge of allegiance.

"The priests were the public health officers, but they served in their priestly capacity. Israel was a holy nation, and even her cleansing from sickness was done with religious ceremony. Sickness was symbolic of sin, and even now it should not be forgotten that sickness and death are part of God's curse on the sin of Adam and his race. Therefore, cleansing the diseased person required sacrifices (cf. Luke 5:12-15)."¹⁵⁵

 The ritual cleansing of abnormalities in houses 14:33-53

The fact that certain abnormal conditions afflicted houses as well as persons reminded the Israelites that their dwelling places as well as their bodies needed to be holy. This law anticipated life in Canaan when the Israelites would live in houses rather than tents. God would "put"the abnormal condition on a house as He did on a person. It did not just pass from person to dwelling by contagion (v. 34). God prescribed the same rite of purification for a house as for a person (vv. 49-53). He did not require sacrifices because buildings simply have to be clean.

". . . although it is primarily in the human body that sin manifests itself, it spreads from man to the things which he touches, uses, inhabits, though without our being able to represent this spread as a physical contagion."¹⁵⁶

 Summary of these ordinances 14:54-57

The final four verses of this section draw the instructions concerning abnormalities in skin and other coverings (chs. 13-14) to a conclusion by summarizing them and explaining the purpose of the collection.

"As the Flood was once necessary to cleanse God's good creation from the evil that had contaminated it, so the ritual washings were a necessary part of checking the spread of sin and its results in the covenant community."¹⁵⁷

". . . with the coming of Christ, God himself sought out the lepers' and healed them. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. His outreach to the lepers was on a par with his ministry to other sick people and social outcasts, such as tax-collectors and prostitutes. . . . Jesus' ministry and that of his disciples (Matt. 10:8) was one which brought reconciliation between God and man. Therefore the old laws isolating men because of their unsightly appearance had become inappropriate and out of date."¹⁵⁸