"But if¹ the scabª spread much²° abroadª° in the skin,ª after² that¹ he hath been seenª° of¹ the priestª for his cleansing,ª he shall be seenª° of¹ the priestª again:ª ... And [if] the priestª seeª° that, behold,¹ the scabª spreadethª° in the skin,ª then the priestª shall pronounce him unclean:ª° it¹ [is] a leprosy.ª" {Lev 13:7-8} + "And if¹ it spread much²° abroadª° in the skin,ª then the priestª shall pronounce him unclean:ª°¹ it¹ [is] a plague.ª" {Lev 13:22} + "And the priestª shall look²° upon¹ him the seventhª day:ª [and] if¹ it be spread much²° abroadª° in the skin,ª then the priestª shall pronounce him unclean:ª°¹ it¹ [is] the plagueª of leprosy.ª" {Lev 13:27} + "Then the priestª shall look²° on¹ him: and, behold,¹ if the scallª be spreadª° in the skin,ª the priestª shall not¹ seekª° for yellowª hair;ª he¹ [is] unclean.ª" {Lev 13:36} + "And he shall look²° on¹¹ the plagueª on the seventhª day:ª if¹ the plagueª be spreadª° in the garment,ª either¹ in the warp,ª or¹ in the woof,ª or¹ in a skin,ª [or] in any¹ workª that¹ is madeª° of skin;ª the plagueª [is] a frettingª° leprosy;ª it¹ [is] unclean.ª" {Lev 13:51}; The consideration of the circumstances will exhibit the importance and the propriety of the Mosaic ordinance on the subject of the house leprosy.
1. Moses ordained that the owner of a house, when any suspicious spots appeared on the walls, should be bound to give notice of it, in order that the house might be inspected; and that person, as in the case of the human leprosy, was to be the priest, whose duty it was. Now this would serve to check the mischief at its very origin, and make every one attentive to observe it.
2. On notice being given, the priest was to inspect the house, but the occupant had liberty to remove everything previously out of it; and that this might be done, the priest was empowered to order it ex officio; for whatever was found within a house declared unclean, became unclean along with it.
3. If, on the first inspection, the complaint did not appear wholly without foundation, but suspicious spots or dimples were actually to be seen, the house was to be shut up for seven days and then to be inspected anew. If, in this interval, the evil did not spread, it was considered as have been a circumstance merely accidental, and the house was not polluted; but if it had spread, it was not considered a harmless accident, but the real house leprosy; and the stones affected with it were to be broken out of the wall, and carried to an unclean place without the city, and the walls of the whole house here scraped and plastered anew.
4. If, after this, the leprosy broke out afresh, the whole house was to be pulled down, and the materials carried without the city. Moses therefore, never suffered a leprous house to stand.
5. If, on the other hand, the house being inspected a second time, was found clean, it was solemnly so declared, and offering made on the occasion; in order that every one might know for certain that it was not infected, and the public be freed from all fears on that score. By this law many evils were actually prevented - it would check the mischief in its very origin, and make every one attentive to observe it. The people would also guard against those impurities whence it arose, and thus the health be preserved and not suffer in an infected house. These Mosaic statues were intended to prevent infection by the sacred obligations of religion. Ceremonial laws many keep more conscientiously and sacredly than moral precepts.