they. Of the verbs in these three verses, note that two are in the singular, viz. Leviticus 14:42 , "he shall take", and "he shall plaister". Hence the authorities of the second temple interpreted the plural of the owners of the "party-wall", and the singular of the owner of the affected house. read more
The ritual cleansing of abnormalities in houses 14:33-53The 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 (Leviticus 14:34). God prescribed the same... read more
The Purification of the Leper. The Leprosy of HousesWhen a leper has been cured of his plague, and has satisfied the priest that his cure is complete, he is required to go through a ceremonial purification before being readmitted to his place in society. The ritual of purification consists of three parts. (1) Two living birds are brought, with a rod of cedar wood, a piece of scarlet wool, and a bunch of hyssop, to the priest, who kills one of the birds over water. The living bird and the cedar... read more
(39, 40) And the priest shall come again.—If on inspecting it again at the end of the first week’s quarantine, the priest finds that the depression or discolouring has spread in the walls, thus indicating the progress of the disease, just as in the case of leprous men and garments (see Leviticus 13:5), he is to order the affected stones which exhibit these symptoms to be pulled out of the walls, and to be cast into the unclean receptacle which was prepared outside every city for carcases and... read more
OF LEPROSY IN A GARMENT OR HOUSELeviticus 13:47-59; Leviticus 14:33-53"The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; whether it be in warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is the plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest: and the priest shall look... read more
4. The Cleansing of the Leper CHAPTER 14 1. The cleansing of the leper (Leviticus 14:1-32 ) 2. Leprosy in the house and its purification (Leviticus 14:33-54 ) The cleansing and restoration of the leper is full of significance, foreshadowing once more the blessed work of our Saviour. Two parts in this ceremonial are to be noticed first of all. The first thing done was to restore the leper among the people from whom he had been put away. The second part of the ceremony restored him fully to... read more
RESTORING OF A LEPER (vv. 1-20) Even a case of leprosy may be healed, though this is not frequently seen in the Old Testament. Miriam's leprosy was healed very soon after her infliction (Numbers 12:9-16) because of the intercession of Moses. She was shut out of the camp only seven days. Naaman was healed of his leprosy, but he was a Gentile (2 Kings 5:1; 2 Kings 5:14), and therefore the Jewish ritual would not apply to him. Many lepers were in Israel at the time, but none of them were healed... read more
THE TYPICAL DISEASE Here we have what appears like a treatise on leprosy, but it is not introduced simply for medical purposes. There were other diseases more serious, but this is singled out and made the subject of special regulations because of its typical character. It is a parable of sin, drawn by the divine hand of the workings, developments and effects of inborn depravity. The disease is diagnosed under four heads: (1) leprosy rising spontaneously (Leviticus 1:17 ); (2) rising out of a... read more
The Law of Leprosy Leviticus 13:0 , Leviticus 14:0 The thirteenth and fourteenth chapters are occupied with the question of leprosy. With that disease we have now, happily, nothing to do in this country; yet those who care to peruse the note at the end of this discourse will find that England was once ravaged by that terrible disease. It would be pleasant to turn over the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters, and to escape to subjects less revolting; but pleasure is not the law of life. It is... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Leviticus 14:33-57
Mildew in houses (14:33-57)Instructions were also given concerning what people were to do when, upon settling in Canaan, they lived in houses where mildew and fungus on the walls attracted disease-carrying germs. First they were to arrange for the priest to make a thorough inspection (33-36). If, after a week’s quarantine, the trouble persisted, the owners of the house were to remove and replace infected plaster and stones (37-42). If this did not cure the trouble, they had to demolish the... read more