MPV Commentary

The Unclean to Be Removed out of the Camp.

2 Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper. The exclusion of leprous persons from the camp was a sanitary measure taken according to prescribed rules (Leviticus 13:1-14:57). This practice has been followed ever since, and it remains one of the few instances in which attention is paid to preventing contagion in Eastern societies.

The exclusion of lepers from society still prevails today, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness. In some areas, the incidence of leprosy has decreased significantly, while in others, such as Egypt and Palestine, it continues to appear in a relatively mild form. Those afflicted often live in small, miserable huts and are forced to beg for alms or rely on charitable donations.

To identify them at a distance, lepers typically wear distinctive badges or marks that serve as a warning to avoid contact with them. In ancient times, people would also shout "Unclean, unclean" (Leviticus 13:45) and cover their mouth with their hand as they passed by. The exclusion of lepers from society was not only a matter of physical health but also a way to maintain the ceremonial purity of Israel's community.

The association of lepers with those who were ceremonially unclean in this passage highlights one important purpose behind their temporary exile: to remove all impurities that reflected poorly on the character and residence of God's people. This emphasis on external cleanliness was meant to teach them the importance of moral purity, or cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

The regulations governing cleanliness in the camp suggest a similar approach for maintaining purity within the church. While it may be challenging to implement in large communities, the suspension or excommunication of offenders from the privileges and communion of the church is an imperative duty necessary for the moral purity of God's people, just as the exclusion of lepers was essential for physical health and ceremonial purity in Israel.