Leviticus 13:56, commentary and pictures

Leviticus 13:56 belongs to the laws of uncleanness, leprosy, and cleansing given to ancient Israel. It directs that after washing, the priest is to cut or remove the part that remains somewhat dark out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof. The warp means the lengthwise threads of cloth and the woof means the crosswise threads, which together form cloth from which garments are made. An affected object was to be made visibly clean before its real cleansing with blood.

Leprosy in this law is a fitting type and picture of sin. Like leprosy, sin is a pervasive, infectious, incurable disease that corrupts from within and reaches outward, a moral disease that does not heal by itself and spreads its pollution to others as leprosy contaminates what it touches. The laws are mighty object-lessons given to emphasize everywhere the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Sin includes every wrong act as well as the motives, purposes, and desires of the heart. Only Christ, the great Physician, can cleanse this disease.

The verse must be read by remembering that all the sacrifices were types of Jesus Christ and all the slain beasts pointed forward to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, and seeing Him in these dry details gives them new life and makes them a blessing. These cleansing laws remain examples of cleansing truths for God's people to follow rather than abandon, as part of preparing clean vessels for God's Spirit. The infected garment teaches Christians to reject worldly fashions and clothing expressing pride and vanity, because such dress can misrepresent the Lord and spread those attitudes to others.