The Difficulty of Having an Infectious Skin Disease
June 8, 2020
Commentary
If you have a burn that gets infected and turns red or reddish-white, a priest must examine it (v. 24). Then if he discovers that the hair in the infected area has turned white and that the infection seems more than skin deep, he will say, “The burn has turned into leprosy, and you are unclean(v. 25).” But if the priest finds that the hair in the infected area hasn’t turned white and that the sore is only skin deep and it is healing, he will have you stay away from everyone else for seven days (v. 26). On the seventh day the priest will examine you again, and if the infection is spreading, he will say, “This is leprosy-you are unclean (v. 27)." However, if the infection has begun to heal, he will say, “you are clean (v. 28).”
If you have a sore on your head or chin, it must be examined by a priest (v. 29). If the infection seems more than skin deep, and the hair in it has thinned out and lost its color, he will say, “This is leprosy-you are unclean (v. 30).” On the other hand, if he discovers that the hair still isn’t healthy, he will order you to stay away from everyone else for seven days (v. 31). By that time, if the hairs seem healthy, and if the itch is only skin deep, you must shave off the hairs around the infection, but not those on it (vv. 32-33). Then the priest will tell you to stay away from everyone else for another seven days (v. 34). By that time, if the itch hasn’t spread and seems no more than skin deep, he will say, “You are clean; now you must wash your clothes.”
Later, if the itch starts spreading, even though the hair is still healthy, the priest will say, “You are unclean (vv. 35-36).” But if he thinks you are completely well, he will say, “You are clean (vv. 37-39).” If you become bald on any part of your head, you are still clean (vv. 40-41). But if a priest discovers that a reddish-white sore has broken out on the bald spot and looks like leprosy, he will say, “This is leprosy-you are unclean (vv. 42-44).” If you ever have leprosy, you must tear your clothes, leave your hair uncombed, cover the lower part of your face, and go around shouting, “I’m unclean! I’m unclean (v. 45)!” As long as you have the disease, you are unclean and must live alone outside the camp (v. 46).
Application
If I stick around those who are living a sinful life style it will be easy for their sinful ways to spread to me.
Leviticus 13:24– 46 (NET)
24 “When a body has a burn on its skin and the raw area of the burn becomes a reddish white or white bright spot, 25 the priest must examine it, and if the hair has turned white in the bright spot and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is a disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is a diseased infection. 26 If, however, the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot, it is not deeper than the skin, and it has faded, then the priest is to quarantine him for seven days. 27 The priest must then examine it on the seventh day, and if it is spreading further on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean. It is a diseased infection. 28 But if the bright spot stays in its place, has not spread on the skin, and it has faded, then it is the swelling of the burn, so the priest is to pronounce him clean, because it is the scar of the burn.
29 “When a man or a woman has an infection on the head or in the beard, 30 the priest is to examine the infection, and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it is reddish yellow and thin, then the priest is to pronounce the person unclean. It is scall, a disease of the head or the beard. 31 But if the priest examines the scall infection and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall infection for seven days. 32 The priest must then examine the infection on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread, there is no reddish yellow hair in it, and the scall does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 33 then the individual is to shave himself, but he must not shave the area affected by the scall, and the priest is to quarantine the person with the scall for another seven days. 34 The priest must then examine the scall on the seventh day, and if the scall has not spread on the skin and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean. So he is to wash his clothes and be clean. 35 If, however, the scall spreads further on the skin after his purification, 36 then the priest is to examine it, and if the scall has spread on the skin the priest is not to search further for reddish yellow hair. The person is unclean. 37 If, as far as the priest can see, the scall has stayed the same and black hair has sprouted in it, the scall has been healed; the person is clean. So the priest is to pronounce him clean.
38 “When a man or a woman has bright spots—white bright spots—on the skin of their body, 39 the priest is to examine them, and if the bright spots on the skin of their body are faded white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin. The person is clean.
40 “When a man’s head is bare so that he is balding in back, he is clean. 41 If his head is bare on the forehead so that he is balding in front, he is clean. 42 But if there is a reddish white infection in the back or front bald area, it is a disease breaking out in his back or front bald area. 43 The priest is to examine it, and if the swelling of the infection is reddish white in the back or the front bald area like the appearance of a disease on the skin of the body, 44 he is a diseased man. He is unclean. The priest must surely pronounce him unclean because of his infection on his head.
45 “As for the diseased person who has the infection, his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 The whole time he has the infection he will be continually unclean. He must live in isolation, and his place of residence must be outside the camp.