Leviticus 13:49, commentary and pictures

Leviticus 13:49 belongs to the laws regulating uncleanness and leprosy. It stands as part of the law of cleansing in Leviticus 12-15, in which visible uncleanness had to be removed before the sanctuary's cleansing by blood. The chapter is sanitary instruction concerning leprosy. That instruction covers contagious diseases, including those that can leave infectious germs in buildings.

A greenish or reddish mark in a garment or in skin, whether in the warp or in the woof or in anything of skin, is a plague of leprosy to be shown to the priest. The priest examines the suspected plague in cloth under the law for affected garments. Warp and woof are the lengthwise and crosswise threads of cloth respectively, and the woven cloth itself is the weft, with garments made from cloth. Those who held the differing definition taught that the lengthwise threads are the woof and the crosswise threads are the warp, while the woven cloth is the weft. Cloth becomes garments, and robes, apparel, garments, and fine linen are used in Scripture to represent character.

Leprosy is a horrible disease and a fitting type of sin. The rules are object lessons on the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Physical leprosy figures sin as the dreadful disease from which people need healing. Like leprosy, sin is a plague that is incurable by human means, infectious, destructive, and rooted within. It pollutes the source of life while bringing outward shame. It does not heal by itself and can contaminate others through the sinner's influence.

Cleansing from sin requires the help of Christ, whose blood cleanses those who repent and believe. The law therefore points to the need for conversion and the putting off of the old self. When the infection in a garment was so deep-seated that washing could not remove it, the garment was to be burned. The rule teaches rejection of worldly fashions and dress in a way that does not spread pride and vanity or misrepresent the Lord.