John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 13:44

"he is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his plague is in his head." — Leviticus 13:44 (ASV)

He is a leprous man, he is unclean. In the first part of the verse, it says that the leprous man must be considered unclean; but, in the latter part, it commands the priest to pronounce judgment against this uncleanness, so that it would not spread to the congregation. On this basis, it says, “his plague is upon his head,” which is to say that he is sentenced to rightful public shame, for Moses takes it for granted that God holds up to public infamy whoever He strikes with leprosy, and from this reminds them that they justly and deservedly bear this punishment.

The two following verses describe how the sentence was executed: namely, that the man was to wear a tear in his garment as a mark of his disgrace, walk with his head bare, and with his mouth covered (for I understand this to be the meaning of covering his lip). Additionally, he was to be the proclaimer of his own pollution. Finally, he had to live outside the camp, as if banished from contact with other people.

Moses here⁹ refers to the situation of the people as long as they lived in the desert; for after they began to inhabit the land, lepers were driven out of the towns and villages to live by themselves.

I do not know if the opinion of some is sound, that they were commanded to cover the mouth or lip so that they would not injure others by the infection of their breath. My own view, rather, is that because they were civilly dead, they also bore the symbol of death by having their faces covered, as their separation deprived them of the ordinary life of men.

Where we translate “shall cry, Unclean, unclean,” some, taking the verb יקרא (yikra),¹⁰ indefinitely, construe it passively as “shall be called,”; and I admit that in many passages it has the same force as if it were in the plural.

But, because the repetition of the word “unclean” is emphatic, it is probable that the word is not to be taken simply as “to call” (vocare); therefore, I am more inclined to the opinion that, by the command of the Law, they warned everyone with their own mouths not to approach them, so that no one would incautiously pollute himself by touching them, although their uncleanness was perhaps also proclaimed publicly, so that all might urge each other to be careful. And Jeremiah seems to allude to this passage where, speaking¹¹ of the defilements of the city, he says that all men cried,

Unclean; fly you, fly you. (Lamentations 4:15)

⁹ Add. Fr., “en parlant de l’oster du camp;” in speaking of putting him out of the camp.;” in speaking of putting him out of the camp.

¹⁰ יקרא. He shall cry, or call out. Had it been passive it would have been . He shall cry, or call out. Had it been passive it would have been יקרא There is, therefore, no ambiguity as to the voice, except to such as deny the authority of the points, or read Hebrew without them. — There is, therefore, no ambiguity as to the voice, except to such as deny the authority of the points, or read Hebrew without them. — W

¹¹ Fr., “en parlant des pollutions de la ville de Jerusalem, il dit que tous pourront bien crier, ‘Souillez, retirez vous, retirez vous,’” in the speaking of the pollutions of the city of Jerusalem, he says, that all might well cry, “Ye polluted, depart ye, depart ye.” ,’” in the speaking of the pollutions of the city of Jerusalem, he says, that all might well cry, “Ye polluted, depart ye, depart ye.” A. V. “It is unclean, (or . “It is unclean, (or Margin, ye polluted,) depart, depart,” etc. ye polluted,) depart, depart,” etc.