If the sore was but skindeep, it was to be hoped it was not the leprosy, v. The problem of description and identification, scottish journal of theology30. From the descriptions in these chapters, it appears that leprosy included several different infectious skin diseases. In western europe, it reached its peak during the middle ages, at a time when the disease was viewed as rendering the person unclean. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and i have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar. When israel had been slaves in egypt, keeping their unique identity hadnt been an issue they were slaves. Of course, it is also possible that the leprosy of the time was the same as. Book of leviticus overview insight for living ministries. Leviticus is the book about the rites of jewish liturgy in the worship of god the. Last sunday we interrupted our series in leviticus to meditate on the christmas theme. Please read leviticus 14 completely before beginning. The book of leviticus is not fit to be in the bible.
In the book of leviticus, leviticus states but if the bright spot is white on the. The leper was considered a kind of nazarite from the hebrew bible. The name leviticus is taken from the septuagint, identifying the section of the pentateuch which we call leviticus. For centuries the disease of leprosy and the book of leviticus have been linked together. Various types of skin diseases were called leprosy, but the most severe form caused longlasting sores, scabs, and rashes. Leprosy, also known as hansens disease hd, is a longterm infection by the bacteria mycobacterium leprae or mycobacterium lepromatosis. It contains laws about worship in general and rules and customs on ceremonies in consecrations and sacrificial offerings. Masters of families should be aware, and afraid of the first appearance of sin in their families, and put it. Leviticus 14 esv laws about leprosy the lord spoke to. The fact of the following rules for distinguishing the plague of leprosy being incorporated with the hebrew code of laws, proves the existence. Leviticus is a book about the rites of jewish liturgy.
Leviticus is the third of the five books known as the law or the pentateuch. This sort of leprosy usually destroyed the persons body. It is god that is the direct speaker in almost every page. In leviticus we read of the leprous that they are commanded to show themselves to the priests, and if they have leprosy then the priests reckon them unclean, not that the priests make them leprous and unclean, but that they have knowledge of what is leprous and what is not, and discern who is clean, who uncleanwhen he the priest has heard the various natures of the sins, he knows who is to be bound and who is to be loosed. In contradistinction to this extremely biased opinion, others with equal scholarship find it to be a very important book. While the bible has consistently been used to cite the historical antiquity of leprosy. Leviticus 14 esv laws about leprosy the lord spoke. The two chapters in leviticus devoted to leprosy say little about the social. In ancient israel leprosy was a powerful object lesson of the debilitating influence of sin in a persons life. Leviticus 14 leprosy as a picture of sin this study comes from week 17 of the reading plan, leviticus 817. Craig truglia 0 comments a lot of people take it upon it themselves to read the bible cover to cover only to fall flat on their faces at one of the following speed bumps.
Leviticus commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Lets look at the book of leviticus, especially chapters 16, which concerns laws about leprosy, mold, and bodily discharge. The story of king uzziah, naaman the syrian, jesus cleanses the lepers and the outcasts of society. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease. If sin does not abate, god will tear it out of the garment verse 56. The social condition of lepers in the gospels jstor. Certainly the lord reveals wonderful things through his superior word. I the composite character of the two chaptersleviticus and 14comprising the laws and regulations for the diagnosis and treatment of various skin diseases, and of. You know, in leviticus 14 were going to find out what the priests were to do when a man was cleansed from leprosy.
If the leprosy breaks out farther on the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of him who has the infection from his head even to his feet, as far as the priest can see, then the priest shall look, and behold, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce clean him who has the infection. But our discussion will show, this describes the portion and successive ones only at the most basic, pshat, or simple level. Leviticus new revised standard version nrsv leprosy, varieties and symptoms. When afterwards, i looked up leviticus on leprosy, i. Leviticus, leprosy, and confessiona biblical allegory date. The description of skin disease given in the thirteenth chapter of that book has long been thought to be that of the disease known to medicine as leprosy or hansens disease as modern leprologists prefer to call it in order to avoid the stigma which still attaches to the name leprosy. As an introduction to all the upcoming portions of leviticus, lets look at six crucial lessons i believe. Jul 17, 2003 on one of our visits, i was thinking about a passage i had recently read in leviticus. Leviticus nrsv leprosy, varieties and symptoms the. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, read more.
Now he shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. The book of leviticus opens with god calling moses from the tabernacle. What meaning does this have for us in our current covid19. Whats the principle in the eyes of god behind leviticus.
Leviticus with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The boundaries between the people of israel and the people of egypt had been clearly drawn. Eons ago, i was in a church down the road which i was attending. The answer to why is found in the jewish understanding of how days operate. The book in hebrew is named after the first word wayiqra, and he called as the lord called the israelites to be a holy nation.
The law includes the books of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy. You remember that when the leper was cleansed he had to go through a much more rigorous ceremony which included several offerings. Written by the prophet moses in the wilderness of sinai, apparently in 1512 b. Bereans sunday school class placerita baptist church section outline i. Leprosy is one of the most widely distributed diseases in our time. Aug 06, 2017 what is a passage about leprosy doing in the old testament. Leprosy stigma has been associated with the disease for most of its history and has been universal. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. The socalled leprosy laws an analysis of leviticus, chapters and 14. Ppt leviticus powerpoint presentation free to download.
Indeed, the nelson study bible notes on the word leprous in leviticus. The leprosy in a house is unaccountable to us, as well as the leprosy in a garment. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed. The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them.
Leprosy demonstrates how fear of disease spreadsand lives. Sin can strike either in the warp or in the woof leviticus. In the present section we are seeing that god has provided standards and guidelines by which we may avoid the pitfalls, the traps, and the snares of life with all the consequent. But, if it was deeper than the skin, the man must be pronounced unclean, v.
Note that if you read the entire passage you will see that this is a cleansing ceremony after someone previously diagnosed with leprosy had been pronounced free of the disease. Behind the various offerings lies a deep conviction that god is the lord of all creation. Drawing of leper with bell in the margins of a text of a fourteenth century manuscript. The book of leviticus was the first book studied by a jewish child. Patients had to carry bells to signal their presence but also to attract. As we saw in numbers 11, the leprosy of sin struck the mixed multitude. The book of leviticus is the book of fellowship or communion. A knowledge of the book of leviticus would accomplish that. The lord jesus testifies to the fact that moses was the author of leviticus in matthew 8. It may actually surprise you what is being pictured here. Verse 34 is the colophon to the book of leviticus, stating that these laws were given by yhwh as commands to moses at mount sinai. I the composite character of the two chapters leviticus and 14comprising the laws and regulations for the diagnosis and treatment of various skin diseases, and of. It rightly points to god who has the authority to proclaim the regulations and rules for acceptable worship.
Laws regulating disease and bodily discharges leviticus 15. There is no book, in the whole compass of that inspired volume which the holy ghost has given us, that con tains more of the very words of god than leviticus. After a while, once the infection of the disease had abated, the victim was allowed back into the camp. Hulse, the nature of biblical leprosy and the use of alternative medical terms in modern translations of the bible, palestine exploration quarterly107 1975. In the case of leprosy where white formations covered the whole body but there were not any open sores it was a sign that it was not leprosy but another non contagious disease. In exodus god saved his people and formed an alliance with them. Highlights from the book of leviticus watchtower online. How does the book of leviticus create ritual around the quarantine and healing of someone afflicted with tzaraat commonly translated as leprosy. Laws regulating disease and bodily discharges leviticus. Mar 19, 2020 the story of leprosyand about other, newer maladieshelps explain how fears spread and endure, especially within judeochristian cultures. Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases of biblical times.
Although a rule may have no practical meaning, wthnrespect to the medicinal inspections a practical rule was surely warpped in the symbol. Leviticus 14 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. But now we return to it to look into the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of this great book. We may have passed on to them an attitude which has its source in the book of leviticus. It is a part of the pentateuch, the first five books of the bible. Leviticus 1216 classical leprosy was a dreaded and horrible disease that required exile from society and isolation v. While talking with him about his job, i suddenly remembered this particular passage from leviticus and the symbolism of it flooded over me in a moment. This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of a persons extremities from repeated injuries or infection due to unnoticed. Leviticus, leprosy, and confessiona biblical allegory. When afterwards, i looked up leviticus on leprosy, i was struck by the amount of space given to.
He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. But within these highly detailed directives we discover the holinessthe. As leprosy was regarded as a visitation from god for sin committed by the person thus afflicted, the patient is to rend his garments like one mourning for the dead. The priest must pronounce him unclean because of the infection on his head. Leviticus 14 english standard version esv laws about leprosy the lord spoke to moses and aaron, saying, 2 when a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous a disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, 3 and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. The infirmities that consist with grace do not sink deep into the soul, but the mind still serves the law of god, and the inward man delights in it, rom. Vayikra, leviticus, is my favorite book in the torah. The story of king uzziah, naaman the syrian, jesus. Worse is numbers 7, which repeats the same details of the offerings made by each of the twelve tribes twelve times. Why would god send people to a priest instead of doctor to determine if one had leprosy.
The gnau people give leprosy in its pidgin form a new meaning and range of reference. For more information about leprosy, see leper and leprosy in the bible dictionary pp. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some. Why did the time period of being unclean end in the evening. Leprosy, otherwise known as hansens disease, is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called mycobacterium leprae. Leviticus 14 english standard version esv laws about leprosy. Bible writers used leprosy to represent a series of skin diseases, and there are. Trumpets, atonement and tabernacles occur in the seventh month. The book s name in hebrew is wayyiqva and means and he called, a phrase taken from the first verse of chapter 1. This is a real tautology feast in the rhetorical sense. In the critical analysis of the pentateuch it is held that leviticus belongs to the priestly stratum, designated by the symbol p.
Anyone suspected of having this disease had to go to a priest for examination leviticus. Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare. In the book of leviticus, leviticus states but if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate him who has the infection for seven days. The number seven is mentioned in the passage on leprosy leviticus 14 exactly 14 times. On numerous occasions in the book of leviticus, a person who had become unclean would only be unclean until evening. There i read that leprosy made one unclean for a limited period of timenot indefinitely. The book opens and closes at the same geographical spot, mount sinai, where god gave the law. The greek covers a wide range of diseases that produced scales. Tuberculoid leprosy, seen in those with high resistance, presents as thickening of skin nerves and. A guy who also attended there was a mildew specialist. The book of numbers in the bible defines leprosy as a condition in which the flesh. Its first portion, also called vayikra, appears to deal mainly with the priestly cult and laws of sacrifice. The living bird released in the field leviticus 14. Only the priest and his household could eat of the offerings.
Tzaraat the disease or diseases have no relationship to leprosy as it was known in the middle ages or today ie, to mycobacterial leprosy or hansens disease. Chapter 14 returns obsessively to the problem of distinguishing leprosy from less serious skin afflictions. In leviticus the principles of approaching god are shown. In genesis 1, gods week of creation is presented with each day having and evening and then a morning. Dudley called it the most important book in the bible. The hebrew word for the book is wayiqraa, which, according to strongs a primitive root definition comes from qara, and which has the sense of calling a person by name. And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, then the priest shall consider. During the second temple the administrators of the law exempted leprous women from rending their clothes, which was evidently owing to a feeling of decorum. In the book of leviticus, the children of israel were marking time at mount sinai. For more information about leprosy, see leper and leprosy in the bible dictionary. A 14th century manuscript depicting a leper with his warning bell. The leprosy laws are the longest chapters in the book of leviticus. God had given the israelites very specific instructions on how to deal with leprosy and other skin infections leviticus. Leprosy stigma is a type of social stigma, a strong negative feeling towards a person with.
So there may have been an immediate concern about a very infectious disease at the time god inspired moses to write leviticus. This chronic nervous system disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes, according to the world health organization 15. The book of leviticus is the third of five books of the law of moses, also known as the torah or pentateuch. The word in the hebrew bible that we translate as leprosy is tsaraath tsahrahaht. This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of a persons extremities. Leviticus could not possibly be modern leprosy hansens disease as it is known now. On one of our visits, i was thinking about a passage i had recently read in leviticus. The story of leprosy and about other, newer maladieshelps explain how fears spread and endure, especially within judeochristian cultures. Leviticus expert jacob milgrom notes that one of the main points in this story is the importance of ritual purity, which sets up the books next few chapters. Describe the ritual for the cleansing of a healed leper 14. You know, theres no passage in leviticus 14 to tell a priest how to cleanse a man from leprosy, and that priest was never himself to touch a man who was infected, lest he be not only contaminated but declared ceremonially unclean. But for the purpose of this survey, lets just touch on a few key points, rather than getting into all the technical ordinances for leprosy during the time of ancient israel. In hebrew, nadab and abihu take coals from an outside placethat is, not from the holy altar but from a notholyfied area such as their uncles beat up george foreman grill. Leviticus and leprosy douglas jacoby douglas jacoby.
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