Infectious skin diseases

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Scrobulous

Active member
Sep 17, 2018
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73
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#1
I am confused by this subject. In Lev 13:7-8 we are told that a rash that speads in the skin makes the person unclean. This is logical. But in Lev 13:12-13 it says that if a disease breaks out all over the body, from head to foot, the priest is to pronounce the person clean!
I don’t understand this!
 

Zmouth

Senior Member
Nov 21, 2012
3,391
134
63
#2
And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
Lev 13:12-13

It might be related to whether the person is contagious or not.

But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. Lev 13:14
 

Scrobulous

Active member
Sep 17, 2018
290
73
28
#3
And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
Lev 13:12-13

It might be related to whether the person is contagious or not.

But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. Lev 13:14
Yes, I think you are right. Since posting this I came to the same conclusion. Thanks for the confirmation.
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
9,081
1,748
113
#4
There were sin offerings for those infected by skin infections. One Jewish interpretation is that those who had it were guilty of speaking badly against another like Miriam. Not saying that is right, but what was the reason for the sin offering?
 

prove-all

Senior Member
May 16, 2014
5,977
400
83
63
#5
side note

Numbers 19, where the Israelites were instructed to prepare the “water of purification”
that was to be used to wash any person who had touched a dead body.

The recipe for the water of purification stands today as a wonderful example of God’s brilliance,
since the recipe is nothing less than a procedure to produce an antibacterial soap.

God gave the Israelites an award-winning recipe for an antibacterial soap.
http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=517
 
Sep 3, 2016
6,337
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#6
“7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he has been seen of the Priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the Priest again.

8 And if the Priest see that, behold, the scab spreads in the skin, then the Priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy. (If the Word is not the infallible guide, then terrible injustices will be done, people will be hurt, and souls could even be lost. It is incumbent upon Preachers and, in fact, all Believers, that the Word of God be the deciding factor in everything.)

9 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the Priest (leprosy was, for the most part, hereditary; after afflicting the parent, it was very apt to break out in the child; this is a perfect description of the terrible malady of sin; sin began in Adam, our first parent, and has passed on to the entirety of the human race):”

“10 And the Priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising:

11 It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the Priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean (in other words, there is no doubt that this individual has leprosy).

12 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him who has the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the Priest looks;

13 Then the Priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean who has the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. (A leper, white all over, was clean. He was a leper, but the disease was not active in him; it was, in a sense, dead. Thus, “sin” should be “dead” in the Christian [Rom., Chpt. 6].)” Lev. 13:7-13


JSM
 

Scrobulous

Active member
Sep 17, 2018
290
73
28
#7
side note

Numbers 19, where the Israelites were instructed to prepare the “water of purification”
that was to be used to wash any person who had touched a dead body.

The recipe for the water of purification stands today as a wonderful example of God’s brilliance,
since the recipe is nothing less than a procedure to produce an antibacterial soap.

God gave the Israelites an award-winning recipe for an antibacterial soap.
http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=517
Fascinating. Thanks for the post!
 

Zmouth

Senior Member
Nov 21, 2012
3,391
134
63
#8
(leprosy was, for the most part, hereditary; after afflicting the parent, it was very apt to break out in the child;
So what do you think was the cause of death of Lazarus, the brother of Mary?
 
Sep 3, 2016
6,337
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#9
So what do you think was the cause of death of Lazarus, the brother of Mary?
Isaiah 57:1-2 New Living Translation (NLT)

57 Good people pass away;
the godly often die before their time.
But no one seems to care or wonder why.
No one seems to understand
that God is protecting them from the evil to come.

2 For those who follow godly paths
will rest in peace when they die.
 

Zmouth

Senior Member
Nov 21, 2012
3,391
134
63
#10
Isaiah 57:1-2 New Living Translation (NLT)

57 Good people pass away;
the godly often die before their time.
But no one seems to care or wonder why.
No one seems to understand
that God is protecting them from the evil to come.


2 For those who follow godly paths
will rest in peace when they die.
Actually I was referring unto the how rather than the why....

"And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,..." Luke 16:20
 
Sep 3, 2016
6,337
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#11
Actually I was referring unto the how rather than the why....

"And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,..." Luke 16:20
The scripture says, "the dogs came and licked his sores." Proclaims the fact that he was sick. (Luke 16:21)
 

Sipsey

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2018
1,335
640
113
#12
I had a pastor once who was an epidemiologist and taught at a nearby university. He said Scripture was spot on when it spoke of disease.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#13
Just an idea but maybe leprosy which made all your skin white,
wasn’t actually leprosy!

See here for example the comparison between leprosy and psoriasis
which makes your skin silvery.

https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis/leprosy-vs-psoriasis#treatments

I’ve had a search through a handful of medical websites, they seem to suggest
leprosy can show itself anything between 8 - 20 years from first coming
into contact and there is a milder strain and a more severe strain.

It causes patches of inflamed red skin, bumps, lumps and over time the
patches look paler than rest of the skin. I can’t find any reference though to
it covering the entire body - possibly due to how long it takes? Maybe
people with genuine leprosy lived with it for years and years and died of
infection (if they cut themselves and couldn’t feel it), long before their
entire body turned white.

Whereas people whose skin did all get pale or white which developed
quicker, had some other skin condition.

I know there is the story of Miriam but assuming it takes between 10-30
years for leprosy to show itself and get really bad assuming you live that
long, you can see instantly that it was definately an act of God.

According to the medical websites, leprosy also causes internal damage
to organs and tissues.
Another reason maybe why it was unlikely peopl with leprosy lived long
enough to become totally covered.

Remember they didn’t have the medical science we have today, but God gave
them instructions about all sorts of skin diseases. They had to show themselves
to the priest, who acted like pseudo doctors.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
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#14
GOOD Post Miri,
and you are right, leprosy in 'scripture' is not really related to Hanson's Disease -
but the Hebrew word is Tzrat, it's more closely related to psoriasis...

as far as the Priest pronouncing the person 'clean', after it covered the whole body,
that was because it had indeed 'run it's course', and the person was in the healing stage...

in Judaism the Tzart is always connected with sins of the tongue, which goes back to Miriam...