Throughout Leviticus, Leprosy is associated with being unclean. In fact, it’s arguably the hallmark of impurity. If you have been diagnosed with leprosy, you are ostracized until you’re cured or you die—whichever comes first.
But what if there was such a thing as a leper, that still had “leprosy,” yet was clean? Is that even possible? According to Leviticus 13:9-17, it’s not only possible, but expected.
The phrasing in this section starts like most of the other parts. Moses talks through the nature of infections, how to limit the spread of disease, and then, eventually, how to allow him admission back into the camp of Israel.
One would think that the leper could only be re-admitted once the leprosy is clean, but Leviticus 13:13 allows for someone to be reinstated when the leprosy covers the entire body, not just in pieces.
How is this possible? Why is it that a body with leprosy appearing in a few spots is unclean, when a body that is fully covered with leprosy is clean?
There are a few schools of thought on this concept. The first is that leprosy covering the entire body is not necessarily leprosy at all, but some other kind of non-fatal, non-contagious skin disease. Vitiligo, or tzaraat, is one such candidate. Since it only discolors the skin and occurs because of genetics, its not a threat to the rest of the camp.
Along those same lines, many have suggested that the “eczema” of Leviticus 13:38-39 may actually be vitiligo, just by a different name. As someone who has struggled with eczema in the past (but not vitiligo), I can tell you that eczema matches several descriptions of leprosy in Leviticus 13. Whether it’s the same as a skin discoloration though, I can’t confirm nor deny.
It’s also possible that leprosy that has covered the full body and is now white (instead of growing and revealing raw flesh) has run its course and is no longer dangerous. Now, the process focuses on healing the one afflicted, rather than preventing the spread of disease.
It’s clear that this section is placed in here to show the difference between leprosy that separates someone from the camp against leprosy that doesn’t. It’s a purely physical resource. Any further significance I or anyone else gives it is purely opinion.
But what a wonderful picture of how something that looks bad on the outside may not reflect what’s actually happening on the inside. Someone may have a mark that looks like leprosy—thus making them unclean—but upon closer examination, is something else entirely.
Have you ever been guilty of making a mistake like that? We judge books by their covers all the time, but the only way to truly know what someone is like is to get closer to them. Examine them multiple times. Wait for a while. Inspect again.
Only then will we have the real picture of what’s actually happening in their life.
