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WORD Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Ph.D., Director, Talbot Theological Seminary LE PR O S Y
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I n an article in the United Nations World for Jan., 1951, a writer seeks to prove (1) that leprosy has never been contagious except by repeated contact in childhood; (2) that it is not a disease of the unclean; and (3) that the English translations of Leviticus 13 and 14 do not faithfully render the Hebrew. The claim is that leprosy is nowhere described in the Bible, and where the word “ lep rosy” does occur, it can refer to scabies, herpes, impetigo, erysipelas, eczema, vitiligo, ichthyosis, syphilis, measles, scarlet fever, or psoriasis. Such a sweeping condemnation of the English version deserves close scru tiny. The Hebrew words employed are tsara ‘ath and nega‘ while the Greek word is lepra. Difficulty arises from the fact that diseases are presented in the Bible not in technical terms, but from the practical point of view. An other source of confusion is that the Greek word was used by early phy sicians for the skin disease, now called psoriasis, characterized by rough, scaly patches. This disease is not contagious, not dangerous to life, generally not painful, and except for rare cases where it affects the face, not openly disfiguring, and not in jurious to the community. The great medical authority, Sir William Osier, felt the word “ leprosy” was a generic term for all forms of skin disease. In order to limit the scope of our discussion we may say there is gen eral agreement that the leprosy in a garment refers to mildew; that in houses, either to mold, dry rot, or any fungus growth. It must be said that reputable phy sicians admit the Bible does speak of true leprosy. Such references are found in Exodus 4:6; Numbers 12:10, 12; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Kings 7:3; 2 Kings 15:5; also the record of the ten lepers of Luke 17:12, the one in Matthew 8:2 whom Christ touched, and Simon the leper in Matthew 26: 6. These are selected instances as seen in the command in Matthew 10:8 to cleanse the lepers. Those who claim that true leprosy is not in view at all, point to the absence of any men tion of insensibility of the skin, or to the mutilation of the body which ac company leprosy. The answers to
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this position are, first, the disease is seen in Leviticus in its earliest stages before it has fully developed. Second ly, the aim was to separate the leper from the congregation as soon as pos sible, so certain signs were to be watched which are present in other forms of skin disease. Thirdly, the insensibility and mutilation are char acteristic of but one type of the dis ease. As to contagion, medical sci ence is not always agreed even in modem times on this feature bf the malady. There are definite arguments for maintaining the1disease as the lep rosy of modem times. The words used in Hebrew for leprosy indicate a stroke in a special sense. It would be quite strange, if it referred only to fhe harmless psoriasis. It would not fit such a case as Miriam’s in Numbers 12:12. This is a description of leprosy where there is mutilation as in the later stages of the disease. Leprosy is emphasized by more mi nute regulations in the Mosaic law than any other disease. If true lep rosy is meant, the situation is reason able; but if it refers to some other malady, it is difficult to explain. All references to the disease in the Bible imply it was considered incurable except by divine power. Note the: words in 2 Kings 5:3 and 5:7. Our Lord pointed out His cleansing of the lepers as a sign of His Messianic power. (Matthew 11:5.) The ritual for .the ceremonial cleansing of the leper in case of cure does not deny the gravity of the disease. There is no evidence that such healing was of common occurrence, and there is room allowed for the working of God to effect a cure. Moreover, the Mo saic law on leprosy, compared with regulations among other nations, is decidedly lenient. In Hindu law the leper must put himself out of exist ence .by burial while yet alive. Of what practical value is such a discussion for us today? Though there is no reference in the Bible to leprosy as a picture of sin, there seems to be an allusion to the cere monial cleasing of the leper in Psalms. 51:7. Chrysostom was one of the earliest to compare leprosy with the defilement of sin. The features which make leprosy a fit symbol of
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sin are: (1) its extreme loathesome- ness; (2) its insignificant beginning; (3) its progressive working; (4) its extent over the whole body; (5) its accompanying insensibility; (6) its hereditary character; (7) its gener ally incurable nature; and (8) its separating effect from the fellowship of the camp and the services of God. Jerome, perhaps following a rabbinic tradition on this point, rendered “ smitten” in Isaiah 53:4 with lepro- sum. Christ took the leprosy of sin for us when He was made sin for us all (2 Cor. 5:21). All praise be to Him! e n d .
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