Leviticus 14 - Introduction
_THE SACRIFICES AND CEREMONIES USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF THE LEPER: THE SIGNS OF LEPROSY IN A HOUSE: THE PURIFICATION OF THAT HOUSE._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SACRIFICES AND CEREMONIES USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF THE LEPER: THE SIGNS OF LEPROSY IN A HOUSE: THE PURIFICATION OF THAT HOUSE._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE PRIEST— The priests, being instructed in the diagnostics of the leprosy, are now informed, what ceremonies and sacrifices were to be used for the purification of the leper, when it appeared that his leprosy was healed. The reader will observe, what we have before remarke... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO BIRDS ALIVE AND CLEAN— The Vulgate renders this, _two sparrows;_ and so it is rendered in the margin of our English Bibles: but the original is general, and expresses two small birds of any kind; as, indeed, the designation of _clean_ evidently shews, since, if sparrows had been meant, it would... [ Continue Reading ]
IN AN EARTHEN VESSEL, OVER RUNNING WATER— _Living water,_ in the original, i.e. fountain or river water, which was esteemed most pure; and it would be better so to translate it, because the bird was not to be killed _over running water,_ properly speaking, but over the bason filled with this fountai... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL WASH HIS CLOTHES, &C.— All these ceremonies were no less productive, than they were demonstrative, of entire purification: and, as the disorder was so contagious, a seven days exclusion was reasonably enjoined to prevent all infection, and to shew that the disease was perfectly cured; after wh... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE LOG OF OIL— A _log_ was the smallest measure among the Hebrews, and contained, according to Dr. Cumberland, somewhat more than half a pint of our measure. The first offering to be made by the leper on his return to the place of God's worship was a _trespass-offering,_ Leviticus 14:12 a proper ac... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIEST SHALL PUT IT UPON THE TIP OF THE RIGHT EAR— See the note on Exodus 29:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIEST SHALL OFFER THE BURNT-OFFERING— From the whole of the preceding account we learn what was the gift which our Saviour enjoined the leper, according to custom, to _offer_ as a _testimony to the priest,_ Matthew 8:4. For these gifts and various ceremonies were not only designed as testimonie... [ Continue Reading ]
IF HE BE POOR, AND CANNOT GET, &C.— The humanity of the Mosaic law is always discernible; provision is constantly made for the poor. Pelicanus observes well upon this place, that though there was an exchange made of two lambs for two turtle-doves, or two pigeons, in consideration of a man's poverty,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN YE BE COME INTO THE LAND OF CANAAN, &C.— After having spoken of the leprosy of _persons_ and of _garments,_ the sacred writer proceeds to that of _houses,_ concerning which we have already said something in the first note on the last chapter, especially with respect to the opinion derived from... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL BREAK DOWN THE HOUSE, &C.— Bishop Patrick observes, that all this may be considered as a figurative representation of God's proceedings toward the Jews, when they rebelled against him; for, 1st, some of them were removed, (Leviticus 14:40.) then the whole nation by degrees was very much imp... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE AN ATONEMENT FOR THE HOUSE— This expression has been before applied to inanimate things: for instance, to the _altar,_ Exodus 29:36 and therefore can imply no more in this place than the making fit for use the thing atoned for. So in the 18th verse, applied to the leper, it signifies, the rende... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE LAW, &C.— These verses contain a recapitulation of this and the former chapter, which, however they may be despised by some, yet discover to us the goodness of God towards the Israelites, whom he had adopted for his peculiar people; and therefore he took care to give them precepts about... [ Continue Reading ]