View Leviticus 14 in the note window.
The manner of cleansing a leper, ver. 1 - 9.
The sacrifices to be offered for him, ver. 10 - 32.
The management of an house suspected of leprosy, ver. 33 - 53.
The summary of the whole, ver. 54 - 57.
2: He shall be brought to the priest - Not into the priest's house,
but to some place without the camp or city, which the priest shall appoint.
3: Healed by God - For God alone did heal or cleanse him really,
the priest only declaratively.
4: Two birds - The one to represent Christ as dying for his sins,
the other to represent him as rising again for his purification or
justification. Clean - Allowed for food and for sacrifice.
Cedar - wood - A stick of cedar, to which the hyssop and one of the birds
was tied by the scarlet thread. Cedar seems to be chosen, to note that the
leper was now freed from that corruption which his leprosy had brought upon
him, that kind of wood being in a manner incorruptible. Scarlet - A
thread of wool of a scarlet colour, to represent both the leper's
sinfulness, and the blood of Christ, and the happy change of the leper's
colour and complexion, which before was wan and loathsome, now sprightly
and beautiful. Hyssop - The fragrant smell of which, signified the cure
of the leper's ill scent.
5: Killed - By some other man. The priest did not kill it himself,
because it was not properly a sacrifice, as being killed without the camp,
and not in that place to which all sacrifices were confined. In an
earthen - vessel - That is, over running water put in an earthen - vessel
- Thus the blood of the bird and the water were mixed together, partly for
the conveniency of sprinkling, and partly to signify Christ, who came by
water and blood, (1Jo 5:6).
The running water, that is, spring or river water by its liveliness and
motion did fitly signify the restoring of liveliness to the leper, who was
in a manner dead before.
7: Into the open field - The place of its former abode, signifying
the taking off that restraint which was laid upon the leper.
8: All his hair - Partly to discover his perfect soundness; partly to
preserve him from a relapse through any relicks of it which might remain
in his hair or in his clothes. Out of his tent - Out of his former
habitation, in some separate place, lest some of his leprosy yet lurking
in him should break forth to the infection of his family.
9: All his hair - Which began to grow again, and now for more caution
is shaved again.
10: Oil is added as a fit sign of God's grace and mercy, and of the
leper's healing. A log is a measure containing six egg - shells full.
11: Maketh him clean - The healing is ascribed to God,(Le 14:13), but the ceremonial cleansing was an act of the priest
using the rites which God had prescribed.
12: A trespass - offering - To teach them, that sin was the cause of
leprosy, and of all diseases, and that these ceremonial observations had a
farther meaning, to make them sensible of their spiritual diseases, that
they might fly to God in Christ for the cure of them.
14: The priest shall put it - To signify, that he was now free to
hear God's word in the appointed places, and to touch any person or thing
without defiling it, and to go whither he pleased.
15: The oil - As the blood signified Christ's blood by which
men obtained remission of sins, so the oil noted the graces of the spirit
by which they are renewed.
16: Before the Lord - Before the second veil which covered the
holy of holies.
17: Upon the blood - Upon the place where that blood was put.
25: The priest shall put the blood - Upon the extremities of the
body, to include the whole. And some of the oil was afterwards put in
the same places upon the blood. That blood seems to have been a token of
forgiveness, the oil of healing: For God first forgiveth our iniquities,
and then healeth our diseases. When the leper was anointed, the oil
must have blood under it, to signify that all the graces and comforts of
the spirit, all his sanctifying influences are owing to the death of
Christ. It is by his blood alone that we are sanctified.
36: That all be not made unclean - It is observable here, that
neither the people nor the household stuff were polluted till the leprosy
was discovered and declared by the priest, to shew what great difference
God makes between sins of ignorance, and sins against knowledge.
37: In the walls of the house - This was an extraordinary judgment of
God peculiar to this people, either as a punishment of their sins, which
were much more sinful and inexcusable than the sins of other nations; or as
a special help to repentance, which God afforded them above other people;
or as a token of the mischievous nature of sin, typified by leprosy, which
did not only destroy persons, but their habitations also: Hollow streaks
- Such as were in the bodies of leprous persons.
40: An unclean place - Where they used to cast dirt and filthy
things.
57: To teach - To direct the priest when to pronounce a person or
house clean or unclean. So it was not left to the priests power or will,
but they were tied to plain rules, such as the people might discern no less
than the priest.
