Leviticus 13:12-17 - Exposition

If a leprosy break out abroad … and cover all the skin. There was a form of disease similar to true leprosy, and bearing the name of leprosy, and by some thought to be the final phase of true leprosy, which was yet not to cause legal uncleanness. It was distinguishable from the leprosy which caused uncleanness by a diffusion of the white flakes over the whole body, and by the absence of any patches bearing the appearance of raw flesh ( Leviticus 13:12 , Leviticus 13:13 ). Real leprosy might pass into this harmless kind or phase, and it was known to have done so as soon as the raw patches of flesh had disappeared ( Leviticus 13:16 , Leviticus 13:17 ). When this had taken place, the priest pronounced him clean .