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Leprosy.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 2 min. read • grade level: 11

A common disease among the Jews. Luke 4:27²⁷And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. (Luke 4:27).

INFECTED

Men. Luke 17:12¹²And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: (Luke 17:12).

Women. Num. 12:10¹⁰And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. (Numbers 12:10).

Houses. Lev. 14:34³⁴When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession; (Leviticus 14:34).

Garments. Lev. 13:47⁴⁷The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; (Leviticus 13:47).

An incurable disease. 2 Kin. 57.

Often sent as a punishment for sin. Nom. 12:9, 10. 2 Chr. 26:19¹⁹Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. (2 Chronicles 26:19).

Often hereditary. 2 Sam. 3:29²⁹Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread. (2 Samuel 3:29). 2 Kin. 5:27.

PARTS AFFECTED BY;

The hand. Ex. 4:6⁶And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. (Exodus 4:6).

The head. Lev. 13:44⁴⁴He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. (Leviticus 13:44).

The forehead. 2 Chr. 26:19¹⁹Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. (2 Chronicles 26:19).

The beard. Lev. 13:30³⁰Then 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. (Leviticus 13:30).

The whole body. Luke 5:12¹²And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (Luke 5:12).

Often began with a bright red spot. Lev. 13:2, 24²When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: (Leviticus 13:2)
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; (Leviticus 13:24)

Turned the skin white. Ex. 4:6⁶And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. (Exodus 4:6). 2 Kin. 5:27.

Turned the hair white or yellow. Lev. 13:3, 10, 30³And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. (Leviticus 13:3)
¹⁰And 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; (Leviticus 13:10)
³⁰Then 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. (Leviticus 13:30).

THE PRIESTS

Judges and directors in cases of. Deut. 24:8⁸Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. (Deuteronomy 24:8).

Examined persons suspected of. Lev. 13:2, 9²When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: (Leviticus 13:2)
⁹When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest; (Leviticus 13:9).

Shut up persons suspected of, seven days. Lev. 13:4⁴If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: (Leviticus 13:4).

Had rules for distinguishing. Lev. 13:5-44⁵And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: ⁶And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. ⁷But 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: ⁸And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. ⁹When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest; ¹⁰And 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; ¹¹It 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. ¹²And 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; ¹³Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. ¹⁴But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. ¹⁵And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy. ¹⁶Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest; ¹⁷And 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. ¹⁸The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed, ¹⁹And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be showed to the priest; ²⁰And 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 boil. ²¹But 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: ²²And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. ²³But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; 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; ²⁵Then 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. ²⁶But 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: ²⁷And 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. ²⁸And 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. ²⁹If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard; ³⁰Then 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. ³¹And 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 plague of the scall seven days: ³²And 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; ³³He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more: ³⁴And 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 the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. ³⁵But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing; ³⁶Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean. ³⁷But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean. ³⁸If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; ³⁹Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean. ⁴⁰And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. ⁴¹And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean. ⁴²And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. ⁴³Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; ⁴⁴He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. (Leviticus 13:5‑44).

Examined all persons healed of. Lev. 14:2²This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: (Leviticus 14:2). Matt. 8:4⁴And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (Matthew 8:4). Luke 17:14¹⁴And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:14).

Ceremonies at cleansing of. Lev. 14:3-32³And 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; ⁴Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: ⁵And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: ⁶As 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: ⁷And 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. ⁸And 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. ⁹But 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. ¹⁰And 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. ¹¹And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: ¹²And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: ¹³And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy: ¹⁴And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: ¹⁵And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: ¹⁶And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord: ¹⁷And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering: ¹⁸And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord. ¹⁹And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering: ²⁰And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean. ²¹And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil; ²²And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering. ²³And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord. ²⁴And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: ²⁵And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: ²⁶And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand: ²⁷And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord: ²⁸And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering: ²⁹And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the Lord. ³⁰And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get; ³¹Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the Lord. ³²This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing. (Leviticus 14:3‑32).

THOSE AFFLICTED WITH,

Ceremonially unclean. Lev. 13:8, 11, 22⁸And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. (Leviticus 13:8)
¹¹It 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. (Leviticus 13:11)
²²And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague. (Leviticus 13:22).

Separated from intercourse with others. Num. 12:14, 15¹⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. ¹⁵And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. (Numbers 12:14‑15).

Associated together. 2 Kin. 7:3. Luke 17:12¹²And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: (Luke 17:12).

Dwelt in a separate house. 2 Kin. 15:5.

Cut off from God's house. 2 Chr. 26:21²¹And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. (2 Chronicles 26:21).

Excluded from priest's office. Lev. 22:2-4²Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the Lord. ³Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord. ⁴What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him; (Leviticus 22:2‑4).

To have their heads bare, clothes rent, and lip covered. Lev. 13:45⁴⁵And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. (Leviticus 13:45).

To cry unclean when approached. Lev. 13:45⁴⁵And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. (Leviticus 13:45).

Less inveterate when it covered the whole body. Lev. 13:13¹³Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. (Leviticus 13:13).

Power of God manifested in curing. Num. 12:13, 14¹³And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. ¹⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. (Numbers 12:13‑14). 2 Kin. 5:8-14.

Power of Christ manifested in curing. Matt. 8:3³And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:3). Luke 5:13¹³And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. (Luke 5:13). Luke 17:13, 14¹³And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. ¹⁴And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:13‑14).

Christ gave power to heal. Matt. 10:8⁸Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8).

GARMENTS

Suspected of, shown to priest. Lev. 13:49⁴⁹And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest: (Leviticus 13:49).

Suspected of, shut up seven days. Lev. 13:50⁵⁰And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days: (Leviticus 13:50).

Infected with, to have the piece first torn out. Lev. 13:56⁵⁶And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: (Leviticus 13:56).

Incurably infected with, burned. Lev. 13:51, 52⁵¹And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. ⁵²He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. (Leviticus 13:51‑52).

Suspected of, but not having, washed and pronounced clean. Lev. 13:53, 54, 58, 59⁵³And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; ⁵⁴Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: (Leviticus 13:53‑54)
⁵⁸And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. ⁵⁹This 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. (Leviticus 13:58‑59).

HOUSES

Suspected of, reported to priest. Lev. 14:35³⁵And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house: (Leviticus 14:35).

Suspected of, emptied. Lev. 14:36³⁶Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house: (Leviticus 14:36).

Suspected of, inspected by priest. Lev. 14:37³⁷And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall; (Leviticus 14:37).

Suspected of, shut up seven days. Lev. 14:38³⁸Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days: (Leviticus 14:38).

To have the part infected with, first removed, and the rest scraped, &c. Lev. 14:39, 42³⁹And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house; (Leviticus 14:39)
⁴²And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house. (Leviticus 14:42).

Incurably infected with, pulled down and removed. Lev. 14:43-45⁴³And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plaistered; ⁴⁴Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean. ⁴⁵And 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. (Leviticus 14:43‑45).

Infected with, communicated uncleanness to every one who entered them. Lev. 14:46, 47⁴⁶Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even. ⁴⁷And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes. (Leviticus 14:46‑47).

Suspected of, but not infected, pronounced clean. Lev. 14:48⁴⁸And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed. (Leviticus 14:48).

Ceremonies at cleansing of. Lev. 14:49-53⁴⁹And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: ⁵⁰And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water: ⁵¹And 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: ⁵²And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet: ⁵³But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean. (Leviticus 14:49‑53).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Law of Moses, the.

• Leprosy.

• Levites, the.

• Liberality.

• Liberty, Christian.

• Life, Eternal.

• Life, Natural.

• Life, Spiritual.

• Locust, the.

• Long-Suffering of God, the.

• Love of Christ, the.

• Love of God, the.

• Love to Christ.

• Love to God.

• Love to Man.

• Loving-Kindness of God, the.

• Macedonian Empire, the.

• Magistrates.

• Manasseh, the Tribe of.