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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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關於大痲瘋的律例（主前1490年）
¹ 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
² 「長大痲瘋得潔淨的日子，其例乃是這樣：要帶他去見祭司；
³ 祭司要出到營外察看。長大痲瘋的人若已痊癒，
⁴ 就要吩咐人為那求潔淨的人拿兩隻潔淨的活鳥和香柏木、朱紅色線，並牛膝草來。
⁵ 祭司要吩咐用瓦器盛活水，把一隻鳥宰在上面。
⁶ 至於那隻活鳥，祭司要把牠和香柏木、朱紅色線並牛膝草一同蘸於宰在活水上的鳥血中，
⁷ 用以在那長大痲瘋求潔淨的人身上灑七次，就定他為潔淨，把活鳥放在田野裏。
⁸ 求潔淨的人當洗衣服，剃去毛髮，用水洗澡，就潔淨了；然後可以進營，只是要在自己的帳棚外居住七天。
⁹ 第七天，再把頭上所有的頭髮與鬍鬚、眉毛，並全身的毛都剃去；又要洗衣服，用水洗身，就潔淨了。
在此，I. 這裏假設大痲瘋的災病並非不治之症。烏西雅的大痲瘋確實延續到他死的那日，基哈西的則遺留給他的後裔；但米利暗的只持續了七日：我們可以設想這病往往會隨時間推移而消退。雖然神長久與人相爭，卻不會永遠相爭。
II. 疾病的痊癒與疾病的判定一樣，都交由祭司來裁斷。他必須出到營外去見那長大痲瘋的人，查看他的大痲瘋是否已經痊癒（Le 14:3）。我們可以設想祭司靠近那長大痲瘋的人，並不會像別人那樣染上禮儀上的不潔。祭司們特別受命去照料這些可憐的大痲瘋患者，實在是出於對他們的憐憫，因為祭司的嘴唇當存記知識；身處患難中的人需要有人教導他們如何忍受苦難、又如何從中得益，需要在管教的杖之外配以神的話語，使他們悔改歸正；因此，若病人身邊有萬軍之耶和華的這些使者，有這些傳譯者向他們彰顯神的正直（伯33:23），那實在是好的。當長大痲瘋的人被隔絕在外、不能到祭司那裏去的時候，幸好祭司可以到他這裏來。你們中間有病了的呢，他就該請教會的長老——那些牧者來（雅5:14）。我們若將此應用於罪這屬靈的大痲瘋上，便意味着當我們疏遠那些行事不規矩的人，要叫他們羞愧時，不可把他們當作仇人，倒要勸戒他們如同弟兄（帖後3:15）。同樣，當神藉恩典使那些因醜聞而被逐出團契的人悔改時，就應當以溫柔、喜樂和真誠的愛心重新接納他們。因此保羅吩咐哥林多人論到那被逐出教會的人，當他給出悔改的憑據時，就當赦免他、安慰他，並向他們顯出堅定不移的愛心（林後2:7,8）。我們的主也將宣告性的釋放之權與捆綁之權都交託給了牧者：兩者都必須極其謹慎、深思熟虑地執行，不可偏待人，要懇切地向神祈求指引，並真誠顧念基督身體的建造，同時始終注意不可因過度寬容而縱容罪人，也不可因過度嚴厲而使悔改者灰心。智慧與誠實在此事上大有益處，能指引方向。
III. 若查明大痲瘋已經痊癒，祭司就必須以特別的儀式宣告此事。那長大痲瘋的人或他的朋友要預備兩隻為此目的而捕來的鳥（任何潔淨的野鳥均可），以及香柏木、朱紅色線和牛膝草，因為這些都要在儀式中使用。1. 要預備血和水的混合物，用以灑在那長大痲瘋的人身上。其中一隻鳥（猶太人說，若兩隻有差別，就要取較大較好的那隻）要在一杯盛着泉水的瓦器上宰殺，使鳥血染紅那水。這一預表（與其他一些預表一樣）在基督的死中得了應驗——當兵丁用槍扎他肋旁的時候，有血和水流出來（約19:34）。這樣，基督進入人的靈魂施行醫治與潔淨，不單用水，乃是用血和水（約壹5:6）。2. 那隻活鳥，連同一小撮朱紅色羊毛和一束牛膝草，要繫在香柏木的枝條上，蘸在血水中，灑在那求潔淨的人身上（Le 14:6,7）。香柏木象徵那長大痲瘋的人恢復力量與健康，因為這是一種不易腐朽的木材。朱紅色羊毛象徵他重新恢復紅潤的氣色，因為大痲瘋使他白如雪。牛膝草則暗示除去了大痲瘋常伴隨的難聞氣味。香柏木是最崇高的植物，牛膝草是最低微的，兩者在此一同使用（參王上4:33）；這表明教會中地位最卑微的人也能在自己的位置上發揮用處，正如最傑出的人一樣（林前12:22）。有人認為那被宰殺的鳥預表基督為我們的罪受死，活鳥則預表基督為叫我們稱義而復活。將活鳥蘸在被宰之鳥的血中，暗示基督受死的功勞正是使他復活能在我們稱義上發生效力的原因。他帶着自己的血進入聖所，在那裏顯為被殺的羔羊。香柏木、朱紅色羊毛和牛膝草，都必須蘸在血中；因為神的話語、各種典章以及聖靈的一切作為，其潔淨我們的功效都來自基督的寶血。那長大痲瘋的人要被灑七次，象徵完全的潔淨；大衛也以此為喻禱告說：求你徹底洗滌我（詩51:2）。乃縵也曾被吩咐洗七次（王下5:10）。3. 隨後要把那隻活鳥放在田野裏放飛，表明那長大痲瘋的人既已潔淨，就不再受拘禁和限制，可以自由地往他所要去的地方。但這既是藉着一隻鳥飛向天空來表明的，便是向他暗示：從今以後他當尋求上面的事，不要將神所賜還的新生命僅僅耗費在追逐世俗之事上。這預表了神的兒女所得享的那榮耀自由——凡是藉着恩典從邪惡良心中得蒙灑淨的人，都被提升到這自由之中。那些從前因愁苦恐懼而屈身在地（詩44:25）的人，如今飛翔在諸天的穹蒼之中，憑信心與盼望、聖潔的愛與喜樂的翅膀向上翱翔。4. 祭司隨即要宣告他為潔淨。這件事必須莊重而行，好叫那長大痲瘋的人自己更深地體會神在他康復上所施的慈愛，也叫別人放心與他交往。基督就是我們的祭司，父已將一切審判都交在他手中，尤其是大痲瘋的審判。憑他確定的判語，不悔改的罪人將被定到他們與不潔之人同有的永遠份中（伯36:14），在聖城之外；而一切蒙他恩典醫治潔淨的人，將被接入聖徒的營中——凡不潔淨的總不得進入那裏。基督所宣告為潔淨的人，才是真正潔淨的，他們無需理會人怎樣論斷他們。然而，基督雖然是律法的總結，使人稱義，但他在肉身的日子裏生在律法之下（當時律法尚未廢除），他吩咐那些被他奇妙醫好的長大痲瘋的人去把身體給祭司察看，並照律法所規定的獻上潔淨的祭物（太8:4；路17:14）。預表必須維持，直到被其所預表的實體所應驗。5. 那長大痲瘋的人被宣告為潔淨之後，必須洗身、洗衣、剃去全身的毛（Le 14:8），仍要在營外等候七天，第七天再照樣行一次（Le 14:9）。祭司既已宣告他從這疾病中得潔淨，他就當盡力除去這病的一切殘餘痕跡及一切其他污穢，並且需要時間來完成這事。照樣，那些因基督的寶血灑在良心上而得着罪得赦免之安慰的人，也必須極其謹慎地從肉體和心靈各樣的污穢中潔淨自己，徹底除去舊日的罪；因為凡向他有這指望的人，就必關心要潔淨自己。
¹⁰ 「第八天，他要取兩隻沒有殘疾的公羊羔和一隻沒有殘疾、一歲的母羊羔，又要把調油的細麵伊法十分之三為素祭獻上，和油一羅革一同取來。
¹¹ 行潔淨之禮的祭司要將那求潔淨的人和這些東西安置在會幕門口、耶和華面前。
¹² 祭司要取一隻公羊羔獻為贖愆祭，和那一羅革油一同作搖祭，在耶和華面前搖一搖；
¹³ 把公羊羔宰於聖所，就是宰贖罪祭牲和燔祭牲之地。贖愆祭牲歸祭司，與贖罪祭一樣，是至聖的。
¹⁴ 祭司要取些贖愆祭牲的血，抹在求潔淨人的右耳垂上和右手的大拇指上，並右腳的大拇指上。
¹⁵ 祭司要從那一羅革油中取些，倒在自己的左手掌裏，
¹⁶ 把右手的一個指頭蘸在左手的油裏，在耶和華面前用指頭彈七次。
¹⁷ 將手裏所剩的油抹在那求潔淨人的右耳垂上和右手的大拇指上，並右腳的大拇指上，就是抹在贖愆祭牲的血上。
¹⁸ 祭司手裏所剩的油要抹在那求潔淨人的頭上，在耶和華面前為他贖罪。
¹⁹ 祭司要獻贖罪祭，為那本不潔淨、求潔淨的人贖罪；然後要宰燔祭牲，
²⁰ 把燔祭和素祭獻在壇上為他贖罪，他就潔淨了。
注意，I. 為完成那長大痲瘋的人的潔淨，在第八天——就是在營外行了上述儀式之後，似乎是在他回到自己住所之前——他要到會幕門口去，在那裏連同供物一起被獻在耶和華面前（Le 14:11）。請注意：1. 神的恩慈使我們有義務將自己獻給他（羅12:1）。2. 當神在我們因疾病、遠行或其他緣故被限制之後，又恢復了我們享用恩典之自由，我們就當把握最早的機會，藉着勤勉地運用這恢復的自由，來見證我們對神的敬重和對他聖所的愛慕。基督醫好那病了三十八年的人之後，不久就在殿裏遇見他（約5:14）。希西家問說：*我上耶和華殿去有甚麼兆頭呢？*他的意思是：「我康復的兆頭是甚麼？」這表明他若蒙神恢復健康、能夠外出，耶和華的殿將是他首先要去的地方。3. 當我們將自己獻在耶和華面前時，也必須獻上我們的供物，將我們自己連同我們一切所有的、所能做的一同獻給神。4. 我們和我們的供物都必須藉着那使我們潔淨的祭司——就是我們的主耶穌——獻在耶和華面前，否則我們和我們的供物都不能蒙悅納。
II. 那得了潔淨的人要帶三隻羊羔，加上素祭和一羅革油（約半品脫）。如今：1. 此事例中獨特的儀式大部分圍繞着贖愆祭，其羊羔首先獻上（Le 14:12）。除了贖愆祭獻祭時通常的禮儀之外，還要將一些血抹在求潔淨之人的耳朵、大拇指和腳的大拇指上（Le 14:14）——這與膏立祭司時所行的儀式完全相同（Le 8:23,24）。他們看見自己所需的潔淨竟與長大痲瘋的人一樣，實在令他們謙卑。猶太人說，那長大痲瘋的人站在會幕門外，祭司站在門內，儀式就這樣隔着門進行，表明他如今與其他以色列人一樣被接納，可以再度在耶和華殿的院宇中侍立，並一如既往地受歡迎；雖然他曾患大痲瘋，雖然這名號可能一生跟隨着他（正如我們讀到一個大概曾被我們的主耶穌醫好的人，後來仍被稱為長大痲瘋的西門，太26:6），他卻像從前一樣自由地被接納，得以與神與人相交。在祭物的血用祭司的指頭抹在身體的末端（為要包括全身）之後，他帶來的油（先在耶和華面前搖一搖，然後彈七次）也要照樣抹在有血的相同位置上。「這血」（博學的帕特里克主教說）「似乎是赦免的記號，油則是醫治的記號」，因為神先赦免我們的罪孽，然後醫治我們的疾病（詩103:3）。參賽38:17。基督寶血在哪裏為稱義而施加，聖靈的膏油就在哪裏為成聖而施加；因為這二者不可分割，都是我們蒙神悅納所必需的。我們從前的大痲瘋若已藉悔改得醫治，也絲毫不妨礙我們享受這些榮耀的特權。得了潔淨的大痲瘋患者與受膏的祭司一樣，可以白白地來到血與油面前。你們中間也有人從前是這樣，但如今你們已經洗淨了。當長大痲瘋的人被灑的時候，水中必須有血（Le 14:5）；當他被膏抹的時候，油下必須有血——這表明聖靈一切使人潔淨、使人得尊榮的作為和影響，都歸功於基督的死：唯獨藉着他的血，我們才得以成聖。2. 除此之外還要獻贖罪祭和燔祭，各一隻羊羔（Le 14:19,20）。藉着每一樣祭物，經上都說祭司要為他贖罪。(1.) 他的道德罪咎要被除去；那招致大痲瘋的罪要蒙赦免，他在患病期間所犯的一切罪也都要蒙赦免。注意，當神同時賜給我們某種確據表明我們的罪已蒙赦免時，任何外在患難的解除對我們便成了雙倍的安慰。我們若接受這贖罪之恩，就當歡喜（羅5:11）。(2.) 他的禮儀上的污穢要被除去——這污穢一直攔阻他分享聖物。這也被稱為為他贖罪，因為我們得恢復神兒女的特權（此處所預表的），純粹歸功於那偉大的挽回祭。當為他贖了罪，他就潔淨了——既使他自己得着滿足，也在鄰舍中間恢復了名聲；他將重獲信譽與安慰，而這兩者都是真心悔改之人因着在贖罪之恩上的份所當得的——既得安息，又得尊榮。燔祭除了贖罪之外，更是對神向他施恩的感恩承認：神的手在疾病和醫治中越直接，他就越有理由這樣將榮耀歸給神，這樣照我們救主所說的（可1:44），照摩西所吩咐的獻上禮物，對眾人作證據。
²¹ 「他若貧窮不能預備夠數，就要取一隻羊羔作贖愆祭，可以搖一搖，為他贖罪；也要把調油的細麵伊法十分之一為素祭，和油一羅革一同取來；
²² 又照他的力量取兩隻斑鳩或兩隻雛鴿，一隻作贖罪祭，一隻作燔祭。
²³ 第八天，要為潔淨把這些物件奉給祭司，獻在耶和華面前、會幕門口。
²⁴ 祭司要把贖愆祭的羊羔和那一羅革油一同作搖祭，在耶和華面前搖一搖；
²⁵ 要宰了贖愆祭的羊羔，祭司要取些贖愆祭牲的血，抹在那求潔淨人的右耳垂上和右手的大拇指上，並右腳的大拇指上。
²⁶ 祭司要把些油倒在自己的左手掌裏，
²⁷ 把右手的一個指頭蘸在左手的油裏，在耶和華面前用指頭彈七次。
²⁸ 祭司要把手裏的油抹在那求潔淨人的右耳垂上和右手的大拇指上，並右腳的大拇指上，就是抹贖愆祭之血的地方。
²⁹ 祭司手裏所剩的油要抹在那求潔淨人的頭上，在耶和華面前為他贖罪。
³⁰ 那人又要照他的力量取一隻斑鳩或一隻雛鴿獻上，
³¹ 就是他所能辦的，一隻為贖罪祭，一隻為燔祭，與素祭一同獻上。祭司要在耶和華面前為那求潔淨的人贖罪。
³² 這是那有大痲瘋災病的人、不能預備全潔淨之物所當守的律例。」
我們在這裏看到律法為貧窮的大痲瘋患者的潔淨所立的恩典條例。他們若無力預備三隻羊羔和十分之三伊法細麵，就可以帶一隻羊羔和十分之一伊法細麵，並用兩隻斑鳩或兩隻雛鴿代替另外兩隻羊羔（Le 14:21,22）。由此可見：1. 當事人的貧窮不能成為他不獻任何供物的藉口。不要有人因為貧窮就以為神不要求他們事奉，因為神已經顧念了他們，所要求的不過是最窮的人也有能力獻上的。「我兒，要將你的心歸我」，如此，嘴唇的祭便可以代替牛圈裏的牛犢蒙悅納。2. 神只照着窮人的能力要求他們；他的誡命不是難守的，他也不叫我們用供物來事奉。窮人與富人一樣可以來到神的祭壇前；若是先有樂意的心和誠實的靈，兩隻鴿子——作為一個人所能盡的最大力量——在神眼中與兩隻羊羔同樣蒙悅納；因為他所要求的是照人所有的，並不是照人所無的。但值得注意的是，雖然窮人獻的祭較為卑微，為他們所行的儀式卻與富人完全相同；因為他們的靈魂同樣寶貴，基督和他的福音對二者也是一樣的。因此，我們不可帶着偏待人的心信奉我們主耶穌基督（雅2:1）。
³³ 耶和華曉諭摩西、亞倫說：
³⁴ 「你們到了我賜給你們為業的迦南地，我若使你們產業之地的房屋中有大痲瘋的災病，
³⁵ 房主就要去告訴祭司說：『據我看來，房屋中似乎有災病。』
³⁶ 祭司還沒有進去察看災病以前，就要吩咐人把房子騰空，免得房子裏所有的都成了不潔淨；隨後祭司要進去察看房子。
³⁷ 他要察看那災病。災病若在房子牆上有發綠或發紅的凹斑紋，現象比牆面深，
³⁸ 祭司就要出到房門外，把房子關鎖七天。
³⁹ 第七天，祭司要回去察看。災病若在房子的牆上發散了，
⁴⁰ 祭司就要吩咐人把有災病的石頭挖出來，扔在城外不潔淨之處。
⁴¹ 又要叫人刮房子的內四周，所刮掉的灰泥要倒在城外不潔淨之處。
⁴² 又要用別的石頭代替那挖出來的石頭，用別的灰泥墁房子。
⁴³ 他挖出石頭、刮了房子、墁了以後，災病若在房子裏又發作了，
⁴⁴ 祭司就要進去察看。災病若在房子中發散了，這就是房內蠶食性的大痲瘋，是不潔淨的。
⁴⁵ 他就要拆毀房子，把石頭、木頭和所有的灰泥都搬出城外，放到不潔淨之處。
⁴⁶ 在房子關鎖的期間，進去的人必不潔淨到晚上。
⁴⁷ 在房子裏躺臥的必洗衣，在房子裏吃飯的也必洗衣。
⁴⁸ 房子墁了以後，祭司若進去察看，見災病在房中沒有發散，就要定房子為潔淨，因為災病已經消除了。
⁴⁹ 要為潔淨房子取兩隻鳥和香柏木、朱紅色線並牛膝草，
⁵⁰ 用瓦器盛活水，把一隻鳥宰在上面，
⁵¹ 把香柏木、牛膝草、朱紅色線和那隻活鳥，都蘸在被宰之鳥的血中和活水中，向房子灑七次。
⁵² 要用鳥血、活水、活鳥、香柏木、牛膝草和朱紅色線潔淨房子，
⁵³ 但要把活鳥放到城外田野裏放飛。他這樣為房子贖罪，房子就潔淨了。」
這就是關於房屋中大痲瘋的律例。那時他們在曠野，住在帳棚裏，沒有房屋，因此這律例只是作為先前關於大痲瘋律法的附錄，因為它涉及的不是他們目前的狀況，而是他們將來的定居。房屋中的大痲瘋與衣服上的大痲瘋一樣難以解釋；但即使我們看不出有甚麼自然成因可作解釋，我們也可以將之歸於自然之神的作為，他在這裏說：我使房屋中有大痲瘋（Le 14:34），正如他的咒詛據說會進入房屋，將房屋連木頭帶石頭都毀滅（亞5:4）。如今：1. 這裏假設，即便在迦南——應許之地——他們的房屋也可能感染大痲瘋。雖然那是聖地，卻不能保護他們免受這災病，因為其中的居民許多並不聖潔。照樣，在有形教會中佔有一席之地、有一個名號，也不能使惡人免受神的審判。2. 這裏也理所當然地認為，房屋的主人一看到有甚麼理由懷疑自己屋中有大痲瘋，就當立刻讓祭司知道：據我看來，房屋中似乎有災病（Le 14:35）。罪若在一個家中掌權，那就是那家中的災病，正如它在人心中的光景一樣。一家之主當警覺並懼怕家中出現明顯大罪的最初跡象，將那罪——無論是甚麼——遠遠從自己的帳棚中除掉（伯22:23）。他們當以敬虔的謹慎之心看顧手下的人，免得他們被引誘犯罪；若只是似乎有災病在家中，就當及早尋求忠告，免得傳染擴散，使許多人因而被玷污、被毀壞。3. 祭司若查明大痲瘋已經進入房屋，就要設法補救，將房屋中受感染的部分拆出來（Le 14:40,41）。這如同切除壞疽的肢體以保全身體的其餘部分。敗壞之物應及時清除，免得蔓延；因為一點麵酵能使全團都發起來。若是你的右手叫你犯罪，就砍下來。4. 若災病仍留在房中，整座房屋就必須拆毀，所有材料都要搬到垃圾堆去（Le 14:44,45）。房屋的主人寧可無家可歸，也比住在受感染的房屋中好。注意，罪的痲瘋若在管教的方法下仍然頑固不改，最終必成為家庭和教會的毀滅。巴比倫若不肯得醫治，就必被離棄、被廢棄，而且（按照關於長大痲瘋房屋的律例），他們必不從她那裏取石頭作房角石，也不取石頭作根基（耶51:9,26）。我們這必朽壞的身體中殘餘的罪和敗壞，就像房屋中的大痲瘋一樣；無論我們怎樣費力刮除和粉刷，總不能完全清除，直到這帳棚般的身體被拆毀拆除；我們死了就脫離了罪，不到那時不能（羅6:7）。5. 若挖出受感染的石頭使房屋得了醫治，大痲瘋沒有進一步擴散，那麼房屋就必須被潔淨；不僅要通風使之衛生，還要除去禮儀上的污穢，使它適合作以色列人的居所。潔淨房屋的儀式與潔淨長大痲瘋之人的儀式大體相同（Le 14:49等）。這表明房屋是因人的緣故而被擊打（如帕特里克主教所言），他當視自己為蒙了神聖憐憫而得以保全。以色列人的房屋被稱為奉獻的（申20:5），因為他們是聖潔的國民；因此他們當使自己的房屋免於一切禮儀上的污穢，使之適合事奉那他們所獻身歸屬的神。我們也當照樣謹慎矯正家中一切不當之處，使我們和我們的家都能事奉耶和華；參創35:2。有人認為房屋中的大痲瘋是猶太教會偶像崇拜的預表——偶像崇拜奇異地依附着他們；因為，雖然一些改革派的君王除去了受感染的石頭，但災病仍不斷重新發作，直到神藉巴比倫之擄拆毀了這房屋，將它搬到不潔之地；這一舉措證明有效地醫治了他們對偶像和偶像崇拜的傾向。
⁵⁴ 「這是為各類大痲瘋的災病和疥癬所定的律例，
⁵⁵ 以及衣服上的大痲瘋和房屋中的大痲瘋，
⁵⁶ 以及腫瘤、癬和火斑所定的律例，
⁵⁷ 指明何為不潔淨、何為潔淨。這是大痲瘋的律例。」
這是關於大痲瘋律法的總結。在申命記中沒有重述這律法，只給了一個概括的提醒（申24:8）：要謹慎對待大痲瘋的災病。我們可以從這律法中看到：1. 神對他的百姓以色列所施的恩典眷顧，因為這律法只屬於他們，不屬於外邦人。當亞蘭人乃縵的大痲瘋被醫好時，他並沒有被吩咐去給祭司察看，雖然他是在約但河中得了醫治，而被我們救主醫好的猶太人卻要這樣行。照樣，那些在有形教會中受託執行紀律之權的人，只審判裏面的人；但外面的人有神審判他（林前5:12,13）。2. 我們當在宗教上謹慎自守，使自己的心靈不受一切有罪的情感和傾向所轄制——這些既是他們的疾病，也是他們的污穢——好使我們適合事奉神。我們也當避開一切壞的同伴，並盡可能避免陷入被其感染的危險之中。主說：不可挨近不潔之物，我就收納你們（林後6:17）。
英文原文
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.
前一章是指示祭司如何判定長大痲瘋的人在禮儀上為不潔。對於醫治痲瘋病，聖經沒有給予任何處方；但當神醫好了他以後，本章便指示祭司當如何潔淨他。此處的條例只適用於他疾病中禮儀的層面；但基督賜給門徒的權柄，乃是醫治長大痲瘋的人，因而也就潔淨了他們。本章內容如下：一、莊嚴地宣佈長大痲瘋者已得潔淨，以及伴隨此事的意義深遠的禮儀，Le 14:1-9。二、他八日後當向神獻上的祭物，Le 14:10-32。三、論房屋中出現大痲瘋跡象時的處置，Le 14:33-53。以及這整件事的結論和總結，Le 14:54-57等。