OneYearBibleOnline Discussion

Hey Everybody!

Today we wrap up Leviticus and start moving into Numbers! I say congratulations to all of us on staying the course through the book of Leviticus! This was always a sticky place for me. However, I would like to digress... hee hee...

Take a look at Leviticus 13:13 and tell me what you think! This chapter grosses me out because it's all about leprosy, but I have to think that there is a spiritual message in here somewhere.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection; it has all turned white and he is clean.

Does this make any sense? You have a guy with 100% leprosy, but you declare him clean? What gives? HELP!!!

Striving for Christ,

Paul:woohoo:

SHORT ANSWER

Leprosy in the Hebrew is Tsara'ath, which corresponds to a "smiting," or a "stroke," because the disease was regarded as a direct providential infliction. God's wrath if you will. The word Leprosy is from the Greek lepra, where the Greek physicians diagnosed the disease by its scaliness.

So how can the priest declare that the person in verse 13 was clean? According to the Smith Bible dictionary, the predominant and characteristic form of leprosy in the Old Testament is a white variety. This type called “Lepra mosaica” would cover either the entire body or a large potion of its surface.

Biblical and Modern leprosy are, in all probability, not the same disease. In the Septuagint "ẓara'at" is translated by "lepra." Hebrews attached the same meaning to "ẓara'at" that the Greeks did to "lepra," which is derived from "lepros" (= "rough" or "scaly" ). Lepra was uniformly regarded as a circular, superficial, scaly eruption of the skin; in other words, their lepra was possibly the psoriasis of modern times or even Vitiligo, also know as leukoderma.

There is absolutely nothing in the Greek description of lepra that suggests even in a remote way the modern leprosy. The Greeks, in speaking of true leprosy, did not use the term "lepra," but "elephantiasis." It is evident, therefore, that they meant by "lepra" an affection distinct and apart from the disease of leprosy as now known. The confusion and obscurity that have enveloped this subject for centuries have resulted from the use of different terms in successive ages to designate the same disease, and from the total change in the meaning and application of the word "lepra."

Scholars conclude that the exclusion of certain lepers had chiefly a religious significance concluded from the facts that lepers were obliged to remain outside the camp because they were regarded as likely to morally infect others. As long as the signs of the disease remained upon them they were obliged to live outside the camp.

There is much reason to believe that the segregation of lepers was regarded, at any rate at certain periods, more in the light of a religious ceremonial than as a hygienic restriction. Ẓara'at was looked upon as a disease inflicted by God upon those who transgressed His laws, a divine visitation for evil thoughts and evil deeds. Every leper mentioned in the Old Testament was afflicted because of some transgression.

LONG ANSWER

The topic of Leprosy does have deep spiritual meaning and as you will see, the type of leprosy that is considered clean was a very specific type of leprosy. Let’s examine the definition of Leprosy from a medical perspective as well as from the bible.

Modern Leprosy

Today, the Leprosy we are most familiar with (Hansen’s Disease) is a chronic bacterial disease of the skin and nerves in the hands and feet and, in some cases, the lining of the nose. The organism that causes leprosy is a rod-shaped bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae.

There are two forms of modern leprosy—the tuberculoid (TT) leprosy and the lepromatous (LL) leprosy; generally both forms are present. Seventy to eighty percent of all leprosy cases are of the tuberculoid type.

Medical Description of Hansen’s disease

According to various Medical References, the characteristic features of leprosy were
• The skin becomes dry and discolored and loses its sensitivity
• The nose, lips, and ears are swollen beyond their natural size
• The hair follicles, sweat glands, and nerves can be destroyed
• A blank appearance with the eyes are staring
• Eventually, insensibility of the skin and paralysis ensue
• The fingers and toes may rot away

Well-defined skin lesions that are numb are the first symptoms of tuberculoid leprosy. Lepromatous leprosy is characterized by a chronic stuffy nose due to invasion of the mucous membranes, and the presence of nodules and lesions all over the body and face.

Facial involvement can produce a lion-like appearance (leonine facies). This type of leprosy can lead to blindness, drastic change in voice, or mutilation of the nose.

The incubation period varies anywhere from six months to ten years. On an average, it takes four years for the symptoms of tuberculoid leprosy to develop. Probably because of the slow growth of the bacillus, lepromatous leprosy develops even more slowly, taking an average of eight years for the initial lesions to appear.

Leprosy can strike anyone; however, children seem to be more susceptible than adults. It is not clear how the leprosy germ is spread, but household and prolonged close contact is important. The germs probably enter the body through the nose and possibly through broken skin. The germs get in the air through nasal discharge of untreated lepromatous patients.

Biblical Description of “Leprosy”

According to the text in Leviticus 13, the characteristic features of leprosy were
• Bright white spots or patches on the skin the hair on which also was white
• The depression of the patches below the level of the surrounding skin
• The existence of "quick raw flesh"
• The spreading of the scab or scall.

The white spots, upon which so much diagnostic stress was laid, were in all likelihood those of Vitiligo, also know as leukoderma. This has been identified by biblical historians as a possible type equivalent of white leprosy. In many cultures there is a stigma attached to having Vitiligo. Those affected with the condition are sometimes thought to be evil or diseased and are sometimes shunned by others in the community. This is especially true for darker skinned patients as the contrast between pigmented and depigmented skin can be quite drastic. The disease is harmless, but most disfiguring in those of a dark complexion.

Contrasting Modern Leprosy With Biblical Leprosy

When you have this background medical information and you read the Biblical description, you will immediately notice the absence of all allusion to the hideous facial deformity, the loss of feeling, and the rotting of the members.

Given the obvious differences in these diseases’ descriptions, the priests where diagnosing a very different condition. The Levitical code prescribed that the several examinations of the person suspected should be made at intervals of seven days, thus enabling the priest to note the progress of the disease. See how this differs from the medical version of modern leprosy.

Leprosy is an exceedingly slow disease, particularly in the beginning, and a week would show absolutely no change in the vast majority of cases. Moreover, the "lepra Hebræorum" was a curable disease. When the leper was cured the priest made atonement before the Lord, and expiatory sacrifices in the form of a sin-offering and a trespass-offering were made also. Modern leprosy is, except in isolated instances, incurable.

Biblical Leprosy Ordinances

Leprosy in the Hebrew is Tsara'ath, which corresponds to a "smiting," or a "stroke," because the disease was regarded as a direct providential infliction. God's wrath if you will. The word Leprosy is from the Greek lepra, where the Greek physicians diagnosed the disease by its scaliness.

Tsara’ath included a variety of ailments and is most frequently seen in Leviticus, where it referred primarily to uncleanness or imperfections according to biblical standards. A person with any scaly skin blemish was tsara’ath. The symbolism extended to rot or blemish on leather, the walls of a house, and woven cloth. Realize that leprosy was a very generic term to cover a wide variety of conditions. Other Old Testament references to leprosy are associated with punishment or the consequences of sin.

Lepers were required to live outside the camp or city (Num. 5:1-4; 12:10-15, etc.). This disease was regarded as an awful punishment from the Lord (2 Kings 5:7; 2 Chr. 26:20). Wherever he was he was required to have his outer garment rent as a sign of deep grief, to go bareheaded, and to cover his beard with his mantle, as if in lamentation at his own virtual death. They had to warn passers-by to keep away from him, by calling out, “Unclean! Unclean!” In fact, they could not speak to any one, or receive or return a salutation, since in the East this involves an embrace.

White Leprosy or Lepra Mosaica

So how can the priest declare that the person in verse 13 was clean? According to the Smith Bible dictionary, the predominant and characteristic form of leprosy in the Old Testament is a white variety. This type called “Lepra mosaica” would cover either the entire body or a large potion of its surface. We have examples of this as in the cases of Moses, Miriam, Naaman and Gehazi.

Exodus 4:6 (New International Version)
6 Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow.

Numbers 12:10 (New International Version)
10 When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy;

2 Kings 5:27 (New International Version)
27 Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.
The Mosaic ritual diagnosis of the disease, (Leviticus 13:1; Leviticus 14:1) ...shows that this kind, when overspreading the whole surface, was to be regarded as "clean." (Leviticus 13:12,13,16,17) Clearly this type of leprosy was not the modern leprosy.

Leprosy As A Spiritual Condition

We need to realize that the rituals associated with the identifications of infectious skin leprosy were focused on quarantining the afflicted. It appears that the procedures were apparently more religious in nature than medical. Notice that the biblical priesthood was instructed in the control of only two diseases, leprosy in Leviticus 13 and gonorrhea in Leviticus 15.

Considering the limited documentation of any other disease in the Old Testament, the careful descriptions of diagnosis and quarantine of leprosy suggests its religious significance. Coupled with the biblical belief that leprosy of the skin was considered an intractable disease, the religious significance of a leper returning to good health would indicate the hand of God in the redemption of the sufferer.

The evidence that the disease in Leviticus 13:13 was not contagious is evident from the regulations regarding it (Lev. 13:12, 13, 36; 2 Kings 5:1). Leprosy was "the outward and visible sign of the innermost spiritual corruption; a meet emblem in its small beginnings, its gradual spread, its internal disfigurement, its dissolution little by little of the whole body, of that which corrupts, degrades, and defiles man's inner nature, and renders him unmeet to enter the presence of a pure and holy God" (Maclear's Handbook O.T). Our Lord cured lepers (Matt. 8:2, 3; Mark 1:40-42). This divine power so manifested illustrates his gracious dealings with men in curing the leprosy of the soul, the fatal taint of sin.

Leprosy In The New Testament

References to leprosy have a different emphasis in the New Testament. They stress God’s desire to heal. Jesus freely touched people with leprosy. While people with leprosy traditionally suffered banishment from family and neighbors, Jesus broke from the tradition. He treated lepers with compassion, touching and healing them.

Matthew 8:1-4 (New International Version)
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

The spiritual application compares leprosy with our sin condition. We, too, are lepers, and may read the law of the leper as applicable to ourselves. When a person sees themselves to be altogether lost and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, and in no part free from pollution; when they disclaims all righteousness of their own, and pleads guilty before the Lord, then they are clean through the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God.