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Leviticus Capitolo 14
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The former chapter directed the priests how to convict a leper of ceremonial uncleanness. No prescriptions are given for his cure; but, when God had cured him, the priests are in this chapter directed how to cleanse him. The remedy here is only adapted to the ceremonial part of his disease; but the authority Christ gave to his ministers was to cure the lepers, and so to cleanse them. We have here, I. The solemn declaration of the leper's being clean, with the significant ceremony attending it, Le 14:1-9. II. The sacrifices which he was to offer to God eight days after, Le 14:10-32. III. The management of a house in which appeared signs of a leprosy, Le 14:33-53. And the conclusion and summary of this whole matter, Le 14:54-57, etc.
1-57
The Law Concerning Leprosy (1490 BC)
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关于大麻风的律法（主前 1490 年）
¹ 耶和华对摩西说，
² "长大麻风得洁净的日子，其例乃是这样：要带他去见祭司；
³ 祭司要出到营外察看；看哪，若见那大麻风病人的灾病已经痊愈；
⁴ 就要吩咐人为那求洁净的，取两只洁净的活鸟，和香柏木、朱红色线、并牛膝草来；
⁵ 祭司要吩咐人在盛活水的瓦器上宰杀其中一只鸟；
⁶ 至于那只活鸟，祭司要把它和香柏木、朱红色线、牛膝草一同拿来，蘸在那于活水上宰杀之鸟的血中，
⁷ 用以在那求洁净之大麻风病人身上洒七次，定他为洁净，又把活鸟放到田野里。
⁸ 求洁净的人当洗衣服，剃去一切的毛发，用水洗澡，就洁净了；然后可以进营，只是要在自己帐棚外住七天。
⁹ 第七天，他要把头上、胡须上、眉毛上的毛发都剃去，又要剃去一切的毛发，并洗衣服，用水洗身，就洁净了。 \
在此，I. 假定大麻风的灾病并非不治之症。乌西雅的大麻风的确持续到他死的那日；基哈西的大麻风被传给他的后裔；但米利暗的只持续了七天：我们可以设想这病常随着时间而消退。虽然神长久相争，他却不永远相争。
II. 治愈的判断与疾病的判断一样，都交托给祭司。他必须出到营外到大麻风病人那里，查看他的大麻风是否痊愈（利 14:3）。我们可以设想祭司靠近大麻风病人并不像别人那样沾染礼仪上的不洁。怜悯这些可怜的大麻风病人的缘故，祭司特别受命伺候他们，因为祭司的嘴唇当存记知识；而身处苦难中的人需要受教如何忍受他们的苦难，并如何从中得益，需要话语与杖同工，使他们悔改；所以那病了的人若有万军之耶和华的使者——这些解释者——将神的美德指示他们（伯 33:23），便是好的。当大麻风病人被拒在外、不能到祭司那里去时，祭司可以到他那里来，这是好的。你们中间有病了的呢？他就该请教会的长老——就是传道人——来（雅 5:14）。我们若把这应用于罪这一属灵的大麻风上，便暗示当我们将那不守规矩的人隔开，使他们羞愧时，我们不可把他们当作仇人，却要劝戒他们如弟兄（帖后 3:15）。并且当神藉着他的恩使那些因丑行被拒于相交之外的人悔改时，应当以温柔、喜乐、真诚的爱心再接纳他们。所以保罗吩咐关于那被革除相交的哥林多人，当他显出悔改的证据时，他们就当赦免他、安慰他，并向他表明你们坚定不移的爱心（林后 2:7、8）。而我们的主也将宣告性的释放权和捆绑权一同交托给传道人：这两样都必须以极大的慎重和思考而行，不偏不倚，不徇情面，恳切地向神祈求指引，真诚地顾及基督身体的造就，并时常小心，使罪人不因过分的宽容而被鼓励，也不使悔改者因过分的严厉而灰心。智慧和诚实在此事上有助于指引。
III. 若发现大麻风已经痊愈，祭司必须以特别的仪式宣告此事。大麻风病人或他的朋友当预备两只为此目的而捉的鸟（任何洁净的野鸟都可以），以及香柏木、朱红色线和牛膝草；因为这一切都要在仪式中使用。1. 当预备血和水的调和物，用来洒在大麻风病人身上。两只鸟中的一只（犹太人说，若有大小之分，当用较大较好的那一只）当在盛泉水的瓦杯上宰杀，使鸟的血染红那水。这事（如同别的一些预表）在基督的死中得着应验，那时从他刺开的肋旁流出血和水来（约 19:34）。这样，基督进入灵魂以治愈洁净它，不是单用水，乃是用水又用血（约一 5:6）。2. 那只活鸟，连同一点朱红色的羊毛和一束牛膝草，当系在一根香柏木的棍子上，蘸在那水和血中，然后洒在那求洁净的人身上（利 14:6、7）。香柏木表明大麻风病人恢复了力量和康健，因为这是一种不易朽坏的木材。朱红色的羊毛表明他恢复了红润的气色，因为大麻风使他白如雪。牛膝草暗示除去了大麻风常有的难闻气味。香柏木是最尊贵的植物，牛膝草是最卑微的，在此一同用于这事奉（参见王上 4:33）；因为教会中地位最低的人也能在自己的位置上有用，正如最显赫的人那样（林前 12:21）。有人以为，被宰杀的鸟预表基督为我们的罪而死，活鸟预表基督为使我们称义而复活。把活鸟蘸在被宰杀之鸟的血中，暗示基督之死的功劳乃是使他的复活在我们称义上有效的因由。他把他的血带进圣所，在那里显为像是被杀过的羔羊。香柏木、朱红色线和牛膝草，都必须蘸在血中；因为话语和条例，并圣灵的一切运行，都是从基督的血得着洁净我们的功效。大麻风病人必须被洒七次，表明完全的洁净；大卫据此祷告说："求你彻底洗涤我"（诗 51:2）。乃缦被指示要洗七次（王下 5:10）。3. 然后要把活鸟放到田野里，表明大麻风病人既已得洁净，便不再受拘束和限制，可以随意自由往来。但这件事既由鸟朝天的飞翔来表明，便是给他的暗示——从此以后当求上面的事，不可把神所恢复给他的这条新生命仅仅耗费在追求属地之事上。这预表了神的儿女所得的那荣耀的自由，那些靠着恩典从邪恶良心中得洒净的人，便被提升到这自由之中。那些从前因忧愁恐惧而俯伏于尘土中的灵魂（诗 44:25），如今飞翔在天的开阔穹苍中，并凭信心和盼望、圣洁的爱和喜乐的翅膀，翱翔上升。4. 祭司便要据此宣告他为洁净。这事必须以庄重的仪式而行，为使大麻风病人自己对神在他痊愈上向他所施的怜悯更加感动，也使别人满意地与他交往。基督是我们的祭司，父已将一切审判都交托给他，尤其是大麻风的审判。凭他确定的判决，不悔改的罪人将被分派到与不洁之人同在的永远分中（伯 36:14），在圣城之外；而一切蒙他恩典治愈洁净的人，将被接到圣徒的营中——那营中不洁之物总不得进入。基督所定为洁净的，实在是洁净的，他们不必理会人怎样论他们。然而，基督虽然是律法的总结，使人称义，他在肉身的日子既生在律法以下——这律法当时仍未被废除——他便吩咐他所奇妙地治愈的大麻风病人去把身体给祭司察看，并照律法所吩咐的为他们的洁净献上礼物（太 8:4，路 17:14）。预表必须维持，直到它被它的本体所应验。5. 大麻风病人被宣告为洁净之后，他当洗他的身体和衣服，并剃去一切的毛发（利 14:8），仍要在营外住七天，第七天要再行一次（利 14:9）。祭司既宣告他从病中得洁净，他便当尽己所能地洁净自己，脱离这病的一切残留痕迹和别的一切玷污，并且他必须花时间来作这事。这样，那些因基督的血洒在良心中而得着罪得赦免之安慰的人，也必须以极大的慎重和谨慎，洁净自己，除去身体灵魂一切的污秽，并彻底清除从前的罪；因为凡向他有这指望的人，必关心要洁净自己。
¹⁰ "第八天，他要取两只没有残疾的公羊羔，和一只一岁没有残疾的母羊羔，又取调油的细面伊法十分之三为素祭，并油一罗革。
¹¹ 行洁净之礼的祭司，要将那求洁净的人和这些东西，一同奉到会幕门口耶和华面前；
¹² 祭司要取一只公羊羔，献为赎愆祭，和那一罗革油，一同作摇祭，在耶和华面前摇一摇；
¹³ 把公羊羔宰于圣所，就是宰赎罪祭牲和燔祭牲之地；因为赎罪祭是归祭司的，赎愆祭也是如此：这是至圣的；
¹⁴ 祭司要取些赎愆祭牲的血，抹在求洁净之人的右耳垂上，并右手的大拇指上，和右脚的大拇趾上；
¹⁵ 祭司要从那一罗革油中取些，倒在自己左手掌里；
¹⁶ 把右手的指头蘸在左手的油里，在耶和华面前用指头弹油七次；
¹⁷ 将手里所剩的油抹些在求洁净之人的右耳垂上，并右手的大拇指上，和右脚的大拇趾上，就是抹在赎愆祭牲的血上；
¹⁸ 祭司手里所剩的油，要抹在求洁净之人的头上；祭司要在耶和华面前为他赎罪。
¹⁹ 祭司要献赎罪祭，为那本不洁净求洁净的人赎罪；然后宰杀燔祭牲；
²⁰ 把燔祭牲和素祭献在坛上；祭司要为他赎罪，他就洁净了。 \
请注意，I. 为完全洁净大麻风病人，在第八天，在营外行了前述的仪式之后，看来是在他归回自己的住处之前，他要到会幕门口事奉，在那里和供物一同被献在耶和华面前（利 14:11）。当注意此处，1. 神的诸般怜悯使我们理当将自己献给他（罗 12:1）。2. 当神使我们因病、因距离或别的缘故被禁之后，又恢复我们得着条例的自由，我们便当抓住头一个机会，藉着殷勤使用所得恢复的自由，见证我们对神的尊敬和对圣所的敬爱。当基督医治了那无力之人，不久他便在殿里遇见他（约 5:14）。当希西家问：我上耶和华殿的兆头是什么？ 他的意思是："我康复的兆头是什么？" 暗示神若恢复他的健康，使他可以出门，耶和华的殿便是他头一个要去的地方。3. 我们将自己献在耶和华面前时，也当献上我们的供物，将我们自己并我们一切所有的和所能作的，都献给神。4. 我们和我们的供物都必须由那使我们洁净的祭司——就是我们的主耶稣——献在耶和华面前，否则我们和它们都不能蒙悦纳。
II. 得洁净的大麻风病人当带三只羊羔，加上素祭和一罗革油（约合半品脱）。如今，1. 这事上特有的仪式多半围绕赎愆祭，赎愆祭的羊羔是头一个献上的（利 14:12）。除了赎愆祭常例的礼仪之外，还要把些血抹在求洁净之大麻风病人的耳垂、拇指和脚趾上（利 14:14）——这正是膏立祭司时所行的同一礼仪（利 8:23、24）。这对他们是一种谦卑，使他们看见自己与一个大麻风病人一样需要这同样的洁净。犹太人说，大麻风病人站在帐幕门外，祭司站在门内，这样礼仪便透过门来执行，表明他如今与别的以色列人一样获准在耶和华院的圣所中事奉，并且和从前一样受欢迎；虽然他曾是麻风病人，虽然这名也许终生随着他（如我们读到一位大概蒙我们主耶稣洁净的人，后来仍称为*"长大麻风的西门"（太 26:6）），然而他如今与神与人的相交，和从前一样白白地获准。献祭牲的血既用祭司的指头抹在身体末端以包括全身，他所带来的一些油——先摇后弹在耶和华面前——也照样抹在抹过血的同样部位。帕特里克主教说："这血似乎是赦免的记号，油是医治的记号。"因为神先赦免我们的罪孽*，然后医治我们的疾病（诗 103:3）。参见赛 38:17。基督的血在哪里为称义而应用，圣灵的油便在哪里为成圣而应用；因为这两样是不可分开的，且都是我们蒙神悦纳所必不可少的。我们从前的大麻风若因悔改而痊愈，也不可成为这些荣耀特权的任何障碍。得洁净的大麻风病人与受膏的祭司一样受欢迎来到血和油面前。你们中间也有人从前是这样，但如今你们已经洗净了。 给大麻风病人洒水时，水中必须有血（利 14:5），给他膏油时，油下必须有血，为要表明圣灵一切的恩典和安慰、一切洁净和加尊的影响，都归于基督的死：唯有靠他的血我们才得以成圣。2. 除此之外，还要献赎罪祭和燔祭，各一只羊羔（利 14:19、20）。藉着这两样的每一样，经上说祭司要为他赎罪。 (1.) 他的道德罪咎将被除去；那使他患大麻风的罪必蒙赦免，他在受苦期间所犯的一切罪也都蒙赦免。注意，当神同时赐给我们某种罪的赦免之确据时，任何外在患难的解除便对我们双倍地令人安慰。我们若靠着他免去神的忿怒，便有理由喜乐（罗 5:11）。(2.) 他礼仪上的污染将被除去——这污染曾使他不得有分于圣物。这也被称为为他赎罪，因为我们恢复作神儿女的特权——这是此事所预表的——完全归于那伟大的挽回祭。为他赎罪之后，他便洁净了——对自己满意，在邻舍中也有好名声；他既得回自己的名誉，又得回自己的安慰；这两样真实的悔改者都有权得着——就是安乐和尊荣，都是因他们在赎罪中有分。燔祭除了为之赎罪之外，还是为感谢承认神对他的怜悯：神的直接之手既在病中又在医治中愈是明显，他愈有理由这样将荣耀归给他，并且正如我们的救主所说（可 1:44），当照摩西所吩咐的为他的洁净献上礼物，对众人作证据。
²¹ "他若贫穷，力量不够预备那么多；就要取一只公羊羔作赎愆祭，摇一摇，为他赎罪；并取调油的细面伊法十分之一为素祭，和油一罗革；
²² 又照他的力量所能取的，取两只斑鸠或两只雏鸽；一只作赎罪祭，一只作燔祭。
²³ 第八天，他为得洁净，当把这些带到祭司面前，就是会幕门口，耶和华面前。
²⁴ 祭司要取那只作赎愆祭的公羊羔和那一罗革油，在耶和华面前作为摇祭摇一摇；
²⁵ 宰了那作赎愆祭的公羊羔；祭司要取些赎愆祭牲的血，抹在求洁净之人的右耳垂上，并右手的大拇指上，和右脚的大拇趾上；
²⁶ 祭司要把些油倒在自己左手掌里；
²⁷ 祭司要用右手的指头，把左手里的油在耶和华面前弹七次；
²⁸ 又把手里所剩的油抹些在求洁净之人的右耳垂上，并右手的大拇指上，和右脚的大拇趾上，就是抹赎愆祭牲血之处；
²⁹ 祭司手里所剩的油，要抹在求洁净之人的头上，在耶和华面前为他赎罪。
³⁰ 又要照他的力量所能取的，献一只斑鸠或一只雏鸽，
³¹ 就是他力量所能取的，一只作赎罪祭，一只作燔祭，并素祭；祭司要在耶和华面前为那求洁净的人赎罪。
³² 这是那有大麻风灾病、力量不够预备洁净之物的人的律法。 \
我们在此看到律法为贫穷的大麻风病人的洁净所作的恩惠预备。他们若无力献三只羊羔和十分之三伊法的细面，便当献一只羊羔、十分之一伊法的细面，并用两只斑鸠或两只雏鸽代替另外两只羊羔（利 14:21、22）。在此请看，1. 那有关之人的贫穷不能成为他不献任何供物的借口。不可有人因自己贫穷便以为神不要求他事奉，因为他已经顾念了他们，只要求那最穷的人也有力量献上的。"我儿，当将你的心给我"，有了这个，"嘴唇的果子"便可代替"牛圈里的牛犊"蒙悦纳。2. 神只照着贫穷者的能力而期望他们；他的诫命不是难守的，他也不叫我们用供物事奉。穷人到神的坛前和富人一样受欢迎；只要先有甘心乐意的心和诚实，两只鸽子——当它们是人所能献的极限时——和两只羊羔在神眼中同样蒙悦纳；因为他是照人所有的，不是照人所无的来要求。 但当注意，虽然穷人可献较微薄的祭，为他们所行的礼仪却与为富人所行的一样；因为他们的灵魂一样宝贵，基督和他的福音对二者都一样。所以我们不可存着按外貌待人的心，信奉我们荣耀的主耶稣基督（雅 2:1）。
³³ 耶和华对摩西、亚伦说，
³⁴ "你们到了我所赐给你们为业的迦南地，我若使大麻风的灾病临到你们所得为业之地的房屋；
³⁵ 房主就要去告诉祭司说：'我看房屋中似乎有灾病。'
³⁶ 祭司还没有进去察看灾病以先，就要吩咐人把房子腾空，免得房子里所有的都成了不洁净；然后祭司要进去察看那房子；
³⁷ 他要察看那灾病，看哪，若灾病在房子的墙上有发绿或发红的凹纹，现象比墙低；
³⁸ 祭司就要从房子里出来，到房门外，把房子隔离七天；
³⁹ 第七天祭司要再来察看：看哪，若灾病在房子的墙上发散了；
⁴⁰ 祭司就要吩咐人把有灾病的石头挖出来，扔在城外不洁净之处；
⁴¹ 又要叫人把房子内里四围刮平，刮下来的灰泥要倒在城外不洁净之处；
⁴² 又要用别的石头代替那挖出来的石头，又要用别的灰泥墁房子。
⁴³ 他挖出石头、刮过房子、墁过之后，灾病若在房子里又发现、又发作了；
⁴⁴ 祭司就要进去察看：看哪，若灾病在房子里发散了，这就是房子里蚕食的大麻风：这是不洁净的。
⁴⁵ 他就要拆毁房子，把石头、木头和房子的一切灰泥，都搬到城外不洁净之处。
⁴⁶ 在房子隔离的日子，进去的人必不洁净到晚上。
⁴⁷ 在房子里躺卧的，必要洗衣服；在房子里吃饭的，必要洗衣服。
⁴⁸ 房子墁过之后，祭司若进去察看，看哪，灾病没有在房子里发散；祭司就要定房子为洁净，因为灾病已经痊愈了。
⁴⁹ 要为洁净房子取两只鸟，和香柏木、朱红色线、并牛膝草来；
⁵⁰ 在盛活水的瓦器上宰杀其中一只鸟；
⁵¹ 又取香柏木、牛膝草、朱红色线，并那只活鸟，都蘸在被杀之鸟的血中和活水中，弹房子七次；
⁵² 要用鸟血、活水、活鸟、香柏木、牛膝草、朱红色线，洁净房子；
⁵³ 但要把活鸟放到城外田野里，为房子赎罪，房子就洁净了。 \
这是关于房屋中大麻风的律法。他们如今在旷野，住的是帐棚，没有房屋，所以这律法只是作为前述大麻风律法的一个附录，因为它不关系他们目前的光景，只关系他们将来的定居。房屋中的大麻风，和衣服上的大麻风一样无法解释；但我们若看不见可指出的天然原因，便可将其归于自然界之神的权能——他在此说：我使大麻风临到房屋（利 14:34），正如他的咒诅被说为进入房屋，并将其木石都消灭（亚 5:4）。如今，1. 这里假定，甚至迦南——应许之地——他们的房屋也可能感染大麻风。虽是圣地，这并不能使他们在居民中有许多如此不圣洁之时，免遭这灾。照样，在有形的教会中有一席之地和一名分，并不能保护恶人免受神的审判。2. 同样理所当然的是，房主一看见房屋有丝毫可疑大麻风的迹象，便要让祭司知道：我看房屋中似乎有灾病（利 14:35）。罪——在它掌权的地方——无论在屋中或在心中，都是瘟疫。家主当警觉、当惧怕家中显出明显大罪的初步迹象，并把那罪孽，无论是什么，远远地从他们的帐棚中除掉（伯 22:23）。他们当用敬虔的嫉妒关心受他们照管的人，免得他们被引入罪中；只要房屋中似乎有灾病，便当及早求教，免得传染扩散，许多人因此被玷污、被毁灭。3. 祭司若在查验中发现大麻风已进入房屋，他便当设法医治，就是把房屋被感染的部分拆去（利 14:40、41）。这如同切除已坏死的肢体，以保全身体的其余部分。败坏当趁早清除，免得扩散；因为一点面酵能使全团都发起来。若是你的右手叫你跌倒，就把它砍下来。 4. 若房子仍不洁净，整座房子便要拆毁，一切材料都要搬到粪堆那里（利 14:44、45）。房主宁可无屋可住，胜过住在受感染的屋里。注意，大麻风之罪若在医治的方法下顽固不化，至终必成为家庭和教会的毁灭。巴比伦若不肯得医治，便必被丢弃撇弃，并且（按照关于大麻风房屋的律法）人必不从其中取一块房角石，也不取一块立根基的石头（耶 51:9、26）。我们必死身体中残存的罪和败坏，就像这房屋中的大麻风；我们尽管尽力刮平墁抹，却永不能完全摆脱它，直到这帐棚的地上房屋被拆毁；当我们死了的时候，我们就脱离了罪，不到那时总不脱离（罗 6:7）。5. 若挖去受感染的石头治好了房屋，大麻风不再进一步发散，那么房屋便当得洁净；不仅要通风使之卫生，更要从礼仪上的污染中得洁净，使它适合作以色列人的居所。洁净的仪式与洁净大麻风病人的仪式大体相同（利 14:49 等）。这暗示房屋是因人的缘故而被击打（如帕特里克主教所言），而他当看自己为因神的怜悯而得保全。以色列人的房屋被称为已奉献的（申 20:5），因为他们是圣洁的国民，所以他们当保守房屋脱离一切礼仪上的污染，使其适于事奉那分别为圣归他们的神。我们也当同样留心改革我们家庭中一切失当之处，使我们和我们的家都可以事奉耶和华；参见创 35:2。有人以为房屋中的大麻风预表犹太教会的偶像崇拜——那崇拜奇怪地紧紧依附于她；因为虽然一些改革的君王除去了受感染的石头，但它仍然一再发作，直到巴比伦之俘时神拆毁了那房屋，把它搬到一个不洁之地；而这是对他们的偶像和偶像崇拜倾向的有效医治。
⁵⁴ 这是关于各样大麻风灾病和头疥的律法，
⁵⁵ 并衣服和房屋的大麻风，
⁵⁶ 以及疖子、癣、火斑的律法，
⁵⁷ 用以指明何时为不洁净，何时为洁净：这是大麻风的律法。 \
这是关于大麻风之律法的结语。申命记中并没有重述这律法，只留下一个概括的备忘（申 24:8）：在大麻风的灾病上要谨慎。 我们可以在这律法中看到，1. 神对他百姓以色列的恩惠眷顾，因为这律法只属于他们，不属外邦人。当叙利亚的乃缦的大麻风得医治时，他并没有被吩咐去见祭司，虽然他是在约旦河中医治的，正如那些被我们救主医治的犹太人一样。这样，那在教会中受托管纪律之钥匙的人，只审判里面的人；至于外面的人，神审判他们（林前 5:12、13）。2. 我们当对自己所尽的敬虔本分——保守我们的心灵脱离一切罪的性情和倾向的辖制，这些既是病也是玷污——好叫我们适于事奉神。我们也当避开一切坏同伴，并尽可能地避开受其感染的危险。"主说：不洁之物，你们不可摸，我就收纳你们"（林后 6:17）。
Originale inglese
The Law Concerning Leprosy (1490 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
² This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
³ And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
⁴ Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
⁵ And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
⁶ As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
⁷ And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
⁸ And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
⁹ But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
Here, I. It is supposed that the plague of the leprosy was not an incurable disease. Uzziah's indeed continued to the day of his death, and Gehazi's was entailed upon his seed; but Miriam's lasted only seven days: we may suppose that it often wore off in process of time. Though God contend long, he will not contend for ever.
II. The judgment of the cure, as well as that of the disease, was referred to the priest. He must go out of the camp to the leper, to see whether his leprosy was healed, Le 14:3. And we may suppose the priest did not contract any ceremonial uncleanness by coming near the leper, as another person would. It was in mercy to the poor lepers that the priests particularly had orders to attend them, for the priests' lips should keep knowledge; and those in affliction have need to be instructed both how to bear their afflictions and how to reap benefit by them, have need of the word, in concurrence with the rod, to bring them to repentance; therefore it is well for those that are sick if they have these messengers of the Lord of hosts with them, these interpreters, to show unto them God's uprightness, Job 33:23. When the leper was shut out, and could not go to the priests, it was well that the priests might come to him. Is any sick? Let him send for the elders, the ministers, Jam 5:14. If we apply it to the spiritual leprosy of sin, it intimates that when we withdraw from those who walk disorderly, that they may be ashamed, we must not count them as enemies, but admonish them as brethren, 2Th 3:15. And also that when God by his grace has brought those to repentance who were shut out of communion for scandal, they ought with tenderness, and joy, and sincere affection, to be received in again. Thus Paul orders concerning the excommunicated Corinthian that when he had given evidences of his repentance they should forgive him, and comfort him, and confirm their love towards him, 2Co 2:7,8. And ministers are entrusted by our Master with the declarative power of loosing as well as binding: both must be done with great caution and deliberation, impartially and without respect of persons, with earnest prayer to God for directions, and a sincere regard to the edification of the body of Christ, due care being always taken that sinners may not be encouraged by an excess of lenity, nor penitents discouraged by an excess of severity. Wisdom and sincerity are profitable to direct in this case.
III. If it was found that the leprosy was healed, the priest must declare it with a particular solemnity. The leper or his friends were to get ready two birds caught for this purpose (any sort of wild birds that were clean), and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop; for all these were to be used in the ceremony. 1. A preparation was to be made of blood and water, with which the leper must be sprinkled. One of the birds (and the Jews say, if there was any difference, it must be the larger and better of the two) was to be killed over an earthen cup of spring water, so that the blood of the bird might discolour the water. This (as some other types) had its accomplishment in the death of Christ, when out of his pierced side there came water and blood, Joh 19:34. Thus Christ comes into the soul for its cure and cleansing, not by water only, but by water and blood, 1Jo 5:6. 2. The living bird, with a little scarlet wool, and a bunch of hyssop, must be fastened to a cedar stick, dipped in the water and blood, which must be so sprinkled upon him that was to be cleansed, Le 14:6,7. The cedar-wood signified the restoring of the leper to his strength and soundness, for that is a sort of wood not apt to putrefy. The scarlet wool signified his recovering a florid colour again, for the leprosy made him white as snow. And the hyssop intimated the removing of the disagreeable scent which commonly attended the leprosy. The cedar the stateliest plant, and hyssop the meanest, are here used together in this service (see 1Ki 4:33); for those of the lowest rank in the church may be of use in their place, as well as those that are most eminent, 1Co 12:2. Some make the slain bird to typify Christ dying for our sins, and the living bird Christ rising again for our justification. The dipping of the living bird in the blood of the slain bird intimated that the merit of Christ's death was that which made his resurrection effectual for our justification. He took his blood with him into the holy place, and there appeared a lamb as it had been slain. The cedar, scarlet wool, and hyssop, must all be dipped in the blood; for the word and ordinances, and all the operations of the Spirit, receive their efficacy for our cleansing from the blood of Christ. The leper must be sprinkled seven times, to signify a complete purification, in allusion to which David prays, Wash me thoroughly, Ps 51:2. Naaman was directed to wash seven times, 2Ki 5:10. 3. The living bird was then to be let loose in the open field, to signify that the leper, being cleansed, was now no longer under restraint and confinement, but might take his liberty to go where he pleased. But this being signified by the flight of a bird towards heaven was an intimation to him henceforward to seek the things that are above, and not to spend this new life to which God had restored him merely in the pursuit of earthly things. This typified that glorious liberty of the children of God to which those are advanced who through grace are sprinkled from an evil conscience. Those whose souls before bowed down to the dust (Ps 44:25), in grief and fear, now fly in the open firmament of heaven, and soar upwards upon the wings of faith and hope, and holy love and joy. 4. The priest must, upon this, pronounce him clean. It was requisite that this should be done with solemnity, that the leper might himself be the more affected with the mercy of God to him in his recovery, and that others might be satisfied to converse with him. Christ is our priest, to whom the Father has committed all judgment, and particularly the judgment of the leprosy. By his definitive sentence impenitent sinners will have their everlasting portion assigned them with the unclean (Job 36:14), out of the holy city; and all that by his grace are cured and cleansed shall be received into the camp of the saints, into which no unclean thing shall enter. Those are clean indeed whom Christ pronounces so, and they need not regard what men say of them. But, though Christ was the end of this law for righteousness, yet being in the days of his flesh made under the law, which as yet stood unrepealed, he ordered those lepers whom he had cured miraculously to go and show themselves to the priest, and offer for their cleansing according to the law, Mt 8:4, Lu 17:14. The type must be kept up till it was answered by its antitype. 5. When the leper was pronounced clean, he must wash his body and his clothes, and shave off all his hair (Le 14:8), must still tarry seven days out of the camp, and on the seventh day must do it again, Le 14:9. The priest having pronounced him clean from the disease, he must make himself as clean as ever he could from all the remains of it, and from all other defilements, and he must take time to do this. Thus those who have the comfort of the remission of their sins, by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon their consciences, must with the utmost care and caution cleanse themselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and thoroughly purge themselves from their old sins; for every one that hath this hope in him will be concerned to purify himself.
¹⁰ And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
¹¹ And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
¹² And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
¹³ And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
¹⁴ And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
¹⁵ And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
¹⁶ And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD:
¹⁷ And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:
¹⁸ And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD.
¹⁹ And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
²⁰ And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
Observe, I. To complete the purification of the leper, on the eighth day, after the former solemnity performed without the camp, and, as it should seem, before he returned to his own habitation, he was to attend at the door of the tabernacle, and was there to be presented to the Lord, with his offering, Le 14:11. Observe here, 1. That the mercies of God oblige us to present ourselves to him, Ro 12:1. 2. When God has restored us to the liberty of ordinances again, after restraint by sickness, distance, or otherwise, we should take the first opportunity of testifying our respect to God, and our affection to his sanctuary, by a diligent improvement of the liberty we are restored to. When Christ had healed the impotent man, he soon after found him in the temple, Joh 5:14. When Hezekiah asks, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? he means, "What is the sign that I shall recover?" intimating that if God restored him his health, so that he should be able to go abroad, the house of the Lord should be the first place he would go to. 3. When we present ourselves before the Lord we must present our offerings, devoting to God with ourselves all we have and can do. 4. Both we and our offerings must be presented before the Lord by the priest that made us clean, even our Lord Jesus, else neither we nor they can be accepted.
II. Three lambs the cleansed leper was to bring, with a meat-offering, and a log of oil, which was about half a pint. Now, 1. Most of the ceremony peculiar to this case was about the trespass-offering, the lamb for which was offered first, Le 14:12. And, besides the usual rites with which the trespass-offering was offered, some of the blood was to be put upon the ear, and thumb, and great toe, of the leper that was to be cleansed (Le 14:14), the very same ceremony that was used in the consecration of the priests, Le 8:23,24. It was a mortification to them to see the same purification necessary for them that was for a leper. The Jews say that the leper stood without the gate of the tabernacle and the priest within, and thus the ceremony was performed through the gate, signifying that now he was admitted with other Israelites to attend in the courts of the Lord's house again, and was as welcome as ever; though he had been a leper, and though perhaps the name might stick by him as long as he lived (as we read of one who probably was cleansed by our Lord Jesus, who yet afterwards is called Simon the leper, Mt 26:6), yet he was as freely admitted as ever to communion with God and man. After the blood of the offering had been put with the priest's finger upon the extremities of the body, to include the whole, some of the oil that he brought, which was first waved and then sprinkled before the Lord, was in like manner put in the same places upon the blood. "The blood" (says the learned bishop Patrick) "seems to have been a token of forgiveness, the oil of healing," for God first forgiveth our iniquities and then healeth our diseases, Ps 103:3. See Isa 38:17. Wherever the blood of Christ is applied for justification the oil of the Spirit is applied for sanctification; for these two are inseparable and both necessary to our acceptance with God. Nor shall our former leprosy, if it be healed by repentance, be any bar to these glorious privileges. Cleansed lepers are as welcome to the blood and the oil as consecrated priests. Such were some of you, but you are washed. When the leper was sprinkled the water must have blood in it (Le 14:5), when he was anointed the oil must have blood under it, to signify that all the graces and comforts of the Spirit, all his purifying dignifying influences, are owing to the death of Christ: it is by his blood alone that we are sanctified. 2. Besides this there must be a sin-offering and a burnt-offering, a lamb for each, Le 14:19,20. By each of these offerings, it is said, the priests shall make atonement for him. (1.) His moral guilt shall be removed; the sin for which the leprosy was sent shall be pardoned, and all the sins he had been guilty of in his afflicted state. Note, The removal of any outward trouble is then doubly comfortable to us when at the same time God gives us some assurance of the forgiveness of our sins. If we receive the atonement, we have reason to rejoice, Ro 5:11. (2.) His ceremonial pollution shall be removed, which had kept him from the participation of the holy things. And this is called making an atonement for him, because our restoration to the privileges of God's children, typified hereby, is owing purely to the great propitiation. When the atonement is made for him he shall be clean, both to his own satisfaction and to his reputation among his neighbours; he shall retrieve both his credit and his comfort, and both these true penitents become entitled to, both ease and honour, by their interest in the atonement. The burnt-offering, besides the atonement that was made by it, was a thankful acknowledgment of God's mercy to him: and the more immediate the hand of God was both in the sickness and in the cure the more reason he had thus to give glory to him, and thus, as our Saviour speaks (Mk 1:44), to offer for his cleansing all those things which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.
²¹ And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
²² And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
²³ And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.
²⁴ And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
²⁵ And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
²⁶ And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
²⁷ And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
²⁸ And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:
²⁹ And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.
³⁰ And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
³¹ Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.
³² This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.
We have here the gracious provision which the law made for the cleansing of poor lepers. If they were not able to bring three lambs, and three tenth-deals of flour, they must bring one lamb, and one tenth-deal of flour, and, instead of the other two lambs, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, Le 14:21,22. Here see, 1. That the poverty of the person concerned would not excuse him if he brought no offering at all. Let none think that because they are poor God requires no service from them, since he has considered them, and demands that which it is in the power of the poorest to give. "My son, give me thy heart, and with that the calves of thy lips shall be accepted instead of the calves of the stall." 2. That God expected from those who were poor only according to their ability; his commandments are not grievous, nor does he make us to serve with an offering. The poor are as welcome to God's altar as the rich; and, if there be first a willing mind and an honest heart, two pigeons, when they are the utmost a man is able to get, are as acceptable to God as two lambs; for he requires according to what a man has and not according to what he has not. But it is observable that though a meaner sacrifice was accepted from the poor, yet the very same ceremony was used for them as was for the rich; for their souls are as precious and Christ and his gospel are the same to both. Let not us therefore have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons, Jam 2:1.
³³ And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
³⁴ When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;
³⁵ And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:
³⁶ Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:
³⁷ And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;
³⁸ Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:
³⁹ And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;
⁴⁰ Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
⁴¹ And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:
⁴² And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house.
⁴³ And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plastered;
⁴⁴ Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
⁴⁵ And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.
⁴⁶ Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.
⁴⁷ And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.
⁴⁸ And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plastered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
⁴⁹ And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
⁵⁰ And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:
⁵¹ And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:
⁵² And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
⁵³ But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.
This is the law concerning the leprosy in a house. Now that they were in the wilderness they dwelt in tents, and had no houses, and therefore the law is made only an appendix to the former laws concerning the leprosy, because it related, not to their present state, but to their future settlement. The leprosy in a house is as unaccountable as the leprosy in a garment; but, if we see not what natural causes of it can be assigned, we may resolve it into the power of the God of nature, who here says, I put the leprosy in a house (Le 14:34), as his curse is said to enter into a house, and consume it with the timber and stones thereof, Zec 5:4. Now, 1. It is supposed that even in Canaan itself, the land of promise, their houses might be infected with a leprosy. Though it was a holy land, this would not secure them from this plague, while the inhabitants were many of them so unholy. Thus a place and a name in the visible church will not secure wicked people from God's judgments. 2. It is likewise taken for granted that the owner of the house will make the priest acquainted with it, as soon as he sees the least cause to suspect the leprosy in his house: It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house, Le 14:35. Sin, where that reigns in a house, is a plague there, as it is in a heart. And masters of families should be aware and afraid of the first appearance of gross sin in their families, and put away the iniquity, whatever it is, far from their tabernacles, Job 22:23. They should be jealous with a godly jealousy concerning those under their charge, lest they be drawn into sin, and take early advice, if it but seem that there is a plague in the house, lest the contagion spread, and many be by it defiled and destroyed. 3. If the priest, upon search, found that the leprosy had got into the house, he must try to cure it, by taking gout that part of the building that was infected, Le 14:40,41. This was like cutting off a gangrened limb, for the preservation of the rest of the body. Corruption should be purged out in time, before it spread; for a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off. 4. If yet it remained in the house, the whole house must be pulled down, and all the materials carried to the dunghill, Le 14:44,45. The owner had better be without a dwelling than live in one that was infected. Note, The leprosy of sin, if it be obstinate under the methods of cure, will at last be the ruin of families and churches. If Babylon will not be healed, she shall be forsaken and abandoned, and (according to the law respecting the leprous house), they shall not take of her a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations, Jer 51:9,26. The remainders of sin and corruption in our mortal bodies are like this leprosy in the house; after all our pains in scraping and plastering, we shall never be quite clear of it, till the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved and taken down; when we are dead we shall be free from sin, and not till then, Ro 6:7. 5. If the taking out the infected stones cured the house, and the leprosy did not spread any further, then the house must be cleansed; not only aired, that it might be healthful, but purified from the ceremonial pollution, that it might be fit to be the habitation of an Israelite. The ceremony of its cleansing was much the same with that of cleansing a leprous person, Le 14:49, etc. This intimated that the house was smitten for the man's sake (as bishop Patrick expresses it), and he was to look upon himself as preserved by divine mercy. The houses of Israelites are said to be dedicated (De 20:5), for they were a holy nation, and therefore they ought to keep their houses pure from all ceremonial pollutions, that they might be fit for the service of that God to whom they were devoted. And the same care should we take to reform whatever is amiss in our families, that we and our houses may serve the Lord; see Ge 35:2. Some have thought the leprosy in the house was typical of the idolatry of the Jewish church, which did strangely cleave to it; for, though some of the reforming kings took away the infected stones, yet still it broke out again, till by the captivity of Babylon God took down the house, and carried it to an unclean land; and this proved an effectual cure of their inclination to idols and idolatrous worships.
⁵⁴ This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,
⁵⁵ And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
⁵⁶ And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
⁵⁷ To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
This is the conclusion of this law concerning the leprosy. There is no repetition of it in Deuteronomy, only a general memorandum given (De 24:8), Take heed in the plague of leprosy. We may see in this law, 1. The gracious care God took of his people Israel, for to them only this law pertained, and not to the Gentiles. When Naaman the Syrian was cured of his leprosy he was not bidden to show himself to the priest, though he was cured in Jordan, as the Jews that were cured by our Saviour were. Thus those who are entrusted with the key of discipline in the church judge those only that are within; but those that are without God judgeth, 1Co 5:12,13. 2. The religious care we ought to take of ourselves, to keep our minds from the dominion of all sinful affections and dispositions, which are both their disease and their defilement, that we may be fit for the service of God. We ought also to avoid all bad company, and, as much as may be, to avoid coming within the danger of being infected by it. Touch not the unclean thing, saith the Lord, and I will receive you, 2Co 6:17.
上一章指示祭司当如何定那患麻风者为礼仪上的不洁。其中并未开列医治之方；但到了神医治他之后，本章便指示祭司当如何使他得洁净。此处所设之法，只针对其疾病的礼仪层面；然而基督赐给门徒的权柄，乃是医治麻风病人，并如此使他们得洁净。本章内容如下：I. 庄严宣告麻风患者已得洁净，以及随之而有的寓意深远的仪式（利14:1-9）。II. 他在第八日当向神献上的祭物（利14:10-32）。III. 如何处置屋中显出麻风迹象的房屋（利14:33-53）。以及此事总归的结语与摘要（利14:54-57等）。