John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 14
John Calvin Commentary
Leviticus 14
John Calvin Commentary
Leviticus 14
"This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought unto the priest:" — Leviticus 14:2 (ASV)
This shall be the law of the leper. Moses now discusses the manner in which those cured of leprosy were to be cleansed and restored. Until now, he had shown whom the priest was to admit into the holy congregation and consider clean. He now prescribes the rite of expiation, by which the people might learn how greatly God detests the uncleanness that He commands to be purified by a solemn propitiation. This was also so that the one who is healed might acknowledge that he is rescued from death by God’s special blessing, and might in the future be more diligent in seeking to be pure.
For there were two parts in the sacrifice demanded here: purification and thanksgiving. But we must always keep in view the objective I stated in the last chapter: that the Israelites were instructed by this ceremony to serve God in chastity and purity, and to keep far away from those defilements by which religion would be profaned.
Since, then, leprosy was a kind of pollution, God was unwilling for those cured of it to be received into the holy congregation,13 except after offering a sacrifice, as if the priest reconciled them after excommunication.
Let us now discuss the points worthy of consideration. The duty of cleansing is assigned to the priest; yet he is forbidden to cleanse anyone except those who were already pure and clean. In this, on the one hand, God claims for Himself the honor of the cure, so that men should not assume it. On the other hand, He also establishes the discipline that He desires to prevail in His Church.
To clarify this, forgiving sins belongs only to God. What, then, remains for humans, except to be witnesses and heralds of the grace He confers? Therefore, God’s minister can absolve no one whom God has not already absolved. In summary, absolution is not in human power or will; the minister only plays a subordinate role, to endorse God’s judgment or, rather, to proclaim God’s sentence.
Hence that remarkable expression from Isaiah: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, O Israel, and none but me.14 (Isaiah 43:25). In this sense, too, God everywhere promises through the prophets that the people will be clean when He has cleansed them.
Meanwhile, however, this does not prevent those called to the office of teaching from purging the people’s uncleanness in a particular way. For since faith alone purifies the heart, insofar as it receives the testimony God offers through human speech, the minister who testifies that we are reconciled to God is justly considered to take away our pollution.
This expiation is still in effect, though the ceremony has long been out of use. But since the spiritual healing we receive by faith proceeds from God’s mere grace, human ministry does not in any way detract from His glory.
Let us remember, then, that these two things are perfectly consistent: God is the sole author of our purity, and yet the method He uses for our justification must not, for that reason, be neglected. This properly relates to discipline: whoever has once been cast out of the holy congregation by public authority must not be received again except upon professing penitence and a new life.
We must also observe that this jurisdiction was given to the priests not only because they represented Christ, but also in respect to the ministry we share with them.
13 “Rentrassent au rang de ses enfans;” should be restored to the rank of His children. — ;” should be restored to the rank of His children. — Fr..
14 The words in italics seem to be added paraphrastically by C..
"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," — Leviticus 14:3 (ASV)
And the priest shall go forth. This is the examination, which was more fully discussed in the last chapter, without which it was not lawful to receive the one who had previously been rejected. The priest’s command, mentioned immediately afterward, I refer to the Levites, one of whom probably accompanied the priest to prepare the sacrifice, so that the priests might only discharge the principal duty.
The essence of the rite concerning the two birds is this: the cleansing from leprosy was a kind of resurrection. Two birds were placed before their eyes; the liberty of one was purchased by the blood of the other, because the first was not released until it had first been dipped in the blood and the water. In this way, the means for sprinkling was prepared for the man’s purification.
The sevenfold repetition was intended to impress more deeply on their memories a continual meditation on God’s grace, for we know that by this number perfection is often expressed in Scripture.
For the same purpose, the one who had been cured shaved his hair and washed in water. Yet he did not return home on the first day, but on the eighth. Meanwhile, on the seventh day, he shaved his beard, his eyebrows, and all the hair of his head; he washed himself and his garments, and then proceeded to the sacrifice.
It is so difficult to accustom people to a serious acknowledgment of these two points: to hold their vice in detestation, and to rightly value the grace of God by which they are delivered.
"And on the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb a year old without blemish, and three tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil." — Leviticus 14:10 (ASV)
And on the eighth. Just as infants on the eighth day, after they were cleansed from the uncleanness they had brought from the womb, were grafted into the Church and made members of it, so now the eighth day is prescribed for the restoration of those who, in the cure they have received, are, as it were, born again. For they are accounted dead whom leprosy had banished from the holy congregation. A sacrifice is therefore appointed which may renew the circumcision that had been in some measure effaced.
Now, the meaning of all the things mentioned here is not clear to me, and I would not have my readers be too curious concerning them. Some aspects can probably be accounted for: the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot were sprinkled with the blood of the offering because the leper was restored to the ordinary habits and customs of life, thus regaining freedom of movement, action, and conversation with others. For in the ear, there is a mutual connection between speaking and hearing.
The head is anointed or cleansed with oil, so that nothing impure might remain in his whole body.15
God spares the poor and lowly and does not compel them to offer the two lambs, lest they should be burdened beyond their means. From this it appears that sacrifices are not estimated according to their intrinsic value, but according to the pious feeling that disposes each one to offer liberally in proportion to what he has been given.
15 Addition in French, “mais d’esplucher tout par le menu, je ne l’oserois entrependre, et ne voundrois;” but I dare not, and would not undertake to explain the whole in detail.;” but I dare not, and would not undertake to explain the whole in detail.
"When ye are 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;" — Leviticus 14:34 (ASV)
When you come into the land. Another type of leprosy is discussed here, about which we may reasonably rejoice that it is now unknown to us.
But, just as God had honored those people with extraordinary privileges, so it was fitting that their ingratitude would be punished by more severe penalties, if they defiled the gifts in which they excelled. Therefore, it is not surprising that punishments were inflicted on them, which fill us with surprise and horror to hear about.
It was a sad sight to see leprosy invading the human body; but it was ominous to see it affecting their houses as well, driving out the owners and their families. For if they knowingly and voluntarily remained there, the contagion spread to them and all their furniture.
But, since God marked with public disgrace those whose houses were struck with leprosy, He commanded them to confess their guilt, not only when the affliction had advanced significantly, but even when any suspicion of it began to exist. It also appears from the Law that some were only lightly disciplined: for if, after the priest’s inspection, the plague did not increase on the scraped walls within seven days, the owner returned to his house.
God punished others more severely, and it was necessary for the building to be utterly destroyed because the pollution was incurable. But, although these were signs of God’s wrath, yet, not expiating the uncleanness, He trained His people in the pursuit of purity. For it was just as if He drove away from His sanctuary those who came from an unclean house.
The meaning, then, was that they should each diligently strive to keep their houses pure, chaste, and free from every stain. But if, through God’s mercy, the plague ceased, a sacrifice of thanksgiving was to be offered, just as for human beings who had been healed.
The next chapter, in which general defilements and their purifications are not discussed, but only one kind of defilement is briefly mentioned, which refers to fleshly lust, might perhaps be suitably introduced under the Seventh Commandment. However, it will soon become clear from the context that it must be included under this topic.
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