Leviticus 13:47-59

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 13:47-59

This is the law concerning the plague of leprosy in a garment, whether linen or woollen. A leprosy in a garment, with discernible indications of it, the colour changed by it, the garment fretted, the nap worn off, and this in some one particular part of the garment, and increasing when it was shut up, and not to be got out by washing is a thing which to us now is altogether unaccountable. The learned confess that it was a sign and a miracle in Israel, an extraordinary punishment inflicted by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:47

The garments also, that the plague of leprosy is in ,.... Whether this sort of leprosy proceeded from natural causes, or was extraordinary and miraculous, and came immediately from the hand of God, and was peculiar to the Jews, and unknown to other nations, is a matter of question; the latter is generally asserted by the Hebrew writers, as Maimonides F5 Hilchot Tumaat Tzarat, c. 16. sect. 10. , Abraham Seba F6 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 99. 3. , and others F7 Ramban, Bechai, Isaac... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:48

Whether it be in the warp, or woof, of linen, or of woollen ,.... When these are woven and mixed together, it seems difficult, if not impossible, to judge whether the plague of leprosy was in the one or in the other; one would think it should be unavoidably in both; wherefore Castalio renders the words, whether "in the outer part of it, or in the inner"; in the outside or inside, or what we call the right side or the wrong side of the cloth: but to me it seems that the warp and woof,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:49

And if the plague be greenish or reddish the garment, or in the skin ,.... Either of these two colours were signs of leprosy in garments; but it is not agreed whether stronger or weaker colours are designed; the radicals of both these words being doubled, according to some, and particularly Aben Ezra, lessen the sense of them; and so our translators understand it; but, according to Ben Gersom, the signification is increased thereby, and the meaning is, if it be exceeding green or exceeding... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:50

And the priest shall look upon the plague ,.... The green or red spot in the garment, &c.; and shut up it that hath the plague seven days ; the woollen or linen garment, the warp or the woof, or skins, and those things that were made of them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:51

And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day ,.... To see whether there is any alteration in it in that space of time: 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 green and red spot be spread more and more in either of them, whether the colour remains the same or not, be changed, the green into red, or the red into green, yet if there was a spreading, it was a sign of leprosy. According to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:52

He shall therefore burn that garment ,.... That there may be no more use of it, nor profit from it; and this was done without the city, as Ben Gersom asserts: whether in warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or anything of skin , wherein the plague is ; all and either of them were to be burnt: for it is a fretting leprosy ; See Gill on Leviticus 13:51 , it shall be burnt in the fire ; which may teach both to hate the garment spotted with the flesh, and to put no trust in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:53

And if the priest shall look ,.... On the seventh day as before, after shutting up: and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything of skin ; but is at an entire stay, that it may be hoped it is not a fretting leprosy: so when men do not proceed to more ungodliness, as wicked men commonly do, but there is a stop put to their vicious life and conversation, it is an hopeful sign of future good. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:54

Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is ,.... The priest did not wash it himself, but ordered others to do it; and this was either the part in which the plague was, or the whole garment or skin in which it was; which may be typical of the washing of the garments of men in the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin, Revelation 7:14 , and he shall shut it up seven days more : the garment or skin in which the leprosy was, or suspected to be,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 13:55

And the priest shall look on the plague after it is washed ,.... That is, on the second seventh day, or thirteenth day from his first inspection of it: and, behold, if the plague has not changed its colour; and the plague be not spread, it is unclean, thou shalt burn it in the fire ; if it remains just as it was at first, very green or very red, and has not diminished of its colour at all, nor changed from one colour to another, although it should not have spread itself, yet it is... read more

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