Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 8:2

"And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." — Matthew 8:2 (ASV)

A leper — A full discussion of leprosy—regarding its nature, symptoms, and causes—would be both long and difficult. The word "leprosy," which is Greek in origin, has likely been used with a varying scope of meaning, sometimes including conditions like elephantiasis or even cancer. Even in its narrower meaning, as used by Hippocrates, leprosy was subdivided into three kinds—the mealy, the white, and the black—according to the appearance of the diseased flesh.

Focusing on the biblical form of the disease, we note two key aspects:

1. Its probable origin is in the squalor and wretchedness of slavery in Egypt. It was the botch, or plague, of Egypt (Deuteronomy 28:27). In Egyptian legends of the Exodus, the Israelites were said to have been expelled because they were lepers.
2. Its main features were the appearance of a bright spot on the flesh that was whiter than the rest, which would spread, become inflamed, and crack. A watery discharge would ooze from the cracks, and the skin would become hard, scaly, and as white as snow (Exodus 4:6; 2 Kings 5:27).

A person so affected was considered unclean; their touch brought defilement (Leviticus 13:3, 11, 15). A leper was looked upon as being stricken with a divine plague, and cases like those of Miriam and Gehazi reinforced this belief. He had to live apart from others, wear on his forehead the outward sign of his separation, and cry out the words of warning, Unclean, unclean (Leviticus 13:45).

The underlying reason for this separation seems to have been one of abhorrence rather than precaution. The disease was loathsome, but there is no evidence that it was contagious or even believed to be. By a strange contrast, at the stage where the disease reached its height and the whole body was covered with sores and scabs, the person was declared ceremonially clean (Leviticus 13:13). In this state, therefore, the leper could return to his family and take his place among the worshippers in the synagogue. In the case before us, the man would appear to have been in the intermediate stage. Luke, however, describes him as being full of leprosy.

Worshipped him — This means, as in St. Mark, "falling on his knees," or as in St. Luke, "falling on his face"—the highest form of Eastern homage. This act of homage emphasized at least one of the higher meanings of the word "Lord."

If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean — These words imply that the man had either seen or heard of our Lord’s works of healing, or that Jesus's words had impressed upon him the belief that the Teacher must also have power extending to actions. There does not appear to have been any previous case of leprosy being miraculously cleansed.

The man's words reveal a unique mingling of faith and doubt. He believes in Jesus's power but does not yet believe in His will. Could such power stoop to someone as foul as he was? If he shared the common belief that leprosy was the punishment for sin, he might have been asking himself, "Will He pity and relieve one so sinful?"