Leviticus 13:40-41. The man whose hair is fallen off his head, &c.— The sacred writer intends in these words to instruct the priest, that the loss of hair by sickness, or age, was not to be esteemed a token of leprosy. read more
40, 41. bald . . . forehead bald—The falling off of the hair, when the baldness commences in the back part of the head, is another symptom which creates a suspicion of leprosy. But it was not of itself a decisive sign unless taken in connection with other tokens, such as a "sore of a reddish white color" [Leviticus 13:43]. The Hebrews as well as other Orientals were accustomed to distinguish between the forehead baldness, which might be natural, and that baldness which might be the consequence... read more
Abnormalities in human skin 13:1-46God dealt with 21 different cases of skin diseases in this pericope. Some of these may have included measles, smallpox, scarlet fever, and other diseases characterized by skin rash. [Note: Harris, p. 577.] Some authorities believe that exact identification of the various forms of scaly skin disorders described in this chapter is impossible today. [Note: Browne, pp. 5-6.] Others feel more confident. One authority suggested the following identifications. [Note:... read more
3. Uncleanness due to skin and covering abnormalities chs. 13-14Many 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 modern leprosy is in view. However as the chapters unfold it becomes increasingly clear that what is in view is not modern leprosy (Hansen’s... read more
Baldness did not result in uncleanness, but serious skin disease on the head did. Psoriasis may be in view here. [Note: Ibid.] read more
Uncleanness connected with LeprosyIt is tolerably certain that the leprosy of the OT. is not the leprosy of the Middle Ages, which is still to be found in the East. The latter is a terrible and loathsome disease, called elephantiasis, in consequence of which the skin thickens, the features are distorted, and the very limbs mortify and drop off from the body. The leprosy of the Bible is a skin disease, known as psoriasis, in which the skin and hair grow white, and which is accompanied with scab... read more
(40) And the man whose hair is fallen off—Better, And if a man loseth the hair of his head. The sixth and last case, discussed in Leviticus 13:40-44, is leprosy either at the back or in the front of the head. Though baldness in itself was regarded as a disgrace, and often looked upon as a Divine punishment (2 Kings 2:23; Isaiah 3:17; Jeremiah 48:37), yet the simple fact of the mere falling of the hair is not to be taken as a sign of leprosy.He is bald; yet is he clean.—Better, if he is backhead... read more
THE UNCLEANNESS OF LEPROSYLeviticus 13:1-46THE interpretation of this chapter presents no little difficulty. The description of the diseases with which the law here deals is not given in a scientific form; the point of view, as the purpose of all, is strictly practical. As for the Hebrew word rendered "leprosy," it does not itself give any light as to the nature of the disease thus designated. The word simply means "a stroke," as also does the generic term used in Leviticus 13:2 and elsewhere,... read more
3. Leprosy: Type of Indwelling Sin CHAPTER 13 1. Leprosy in a person (Leviticus 13:1-46 ) 2. The infected garment. (Leviticus 13:47-57 ) 3. The cleansing of the garment (Leviticus 13:58-59 ) The entire chapter treats of leprosy. It has been argued from the side of critics that the disease described here is not the one we know as leprosy, but only a similar disease of the skin. The arguments advanced to support this objection are silenced by Matthew 8:1-4 . The man who came to our Lord... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Leviticus 13:40
"And if a man's hair be fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. And if his hair be fallen off from the front part of his head, he is forehead bald; yet is he clean. But if there be in the bald head, or the bald forehead, a reddish-white plague; it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head, or his bald forehead. Then the priest shall look upon him; and, behold, if the rising of the plague be reddish-white in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy in the... read more