Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

LEPER, LEPROSY

One afflicted with a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, a bacterium similar to the tuberculosis bacillus. The disease is manifested by changes in the skin, mucous membranes, and peripheral nerves. In the skin there are often patches of depigmentation but rarely a total loss of pigment, so a pure white patch of skin is definitely not characteristic of leprosy. Loss of sensation to touch and temperature is frequently associated with the depigmented patches. Thickening of the skin and nodule formation cause the lionlike facial appearance commonly associated with leprosy. Peripheral nerve involvement may cause paralysis of a hand, leg, or face, or it may cause loss of sensation so complete that serious injury or ulceration to an extremity may occur without the afflicted person knowing it. The eyes, ears, and nose are also frequently involved. An effective, though prolonged, treatment has been developed, and sometimes spontaneous arrest may occur. The disease is spread through prolonged contact with an individual having leprosy. Children are more susceptible than adults, but in any case the transmissibility is low.

The early history of leprosy is shrouded in uncertainty. Possible references to leprosy have been cited in ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, and Indian writings, but authorities disagree over whether the records refer to modern leprosy. The ambiguity in these early records is significant because it limits the help they might give toward our understanding of the meaning of “leprosy” in the OT.

In the Old Testament

Leviticus 13 and 14 contain the most details about what is called “leprosy” in the Scriptures (in traditional versions such as the KJB and rsv). However, careful study of the descriptions of the disease given in these passages strongly suggests that what is now called leprosy is not the skin disease described in Leviticus. If a priest today used the criteria given in these verses, he would probably declare many leprosy patients unclean, but he would also pronounce unclean many individuals with a variety of other skin conditions. The disease we call leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) does not fit the description given in Leviticus. The white hairs referred to so frequently in these verses are not typical of leprosy and may be found in many skin diseases. A white patch of skin is not characteristic of leprosy, nor is the scalp ordinarily affected. A 7- to 14-day period is usually inadequate to observe changes in the disease. If modern leprosy is being described in these verses, it seems strange that the more obvious characteristics of the disease are not mentioned. The bacillus of leprosy has defied attempts by bacteriologists to cultivate it, so leprosy of garments or houses is most unlikely to occur. Therefore, biblical leprosy is not synonymous with modern leprosy. Consequently, modern versions do not use the word “leprosy” in Leviticus 13 and 14; rather, it is rendered as “contagious skin disease” in the NLT and “infectious skin disease” in the niv.

In the New Testament

In the NT there is no description of the disease referred to as leprosy, so again we cannot be certain whether it is the modern disease or not. Modern leprosy was known to the people of that day, but it is doubtful whether they were always able to accurately distinguish it from other skin conditions. The Greek word translated “leprosy” in the NT basically means “scaly.” The Greeks used it to designate psoriasis-like skin conditions, and they referred to leprosy by the word we translate as “elephantiasis,” a word not found in the NT. Confusion concerning the use of the word “leprosy” extends even to the Middle Ages, leaving historians uncertain at times concerning the historical spread of the disease. When we read in the NT that Christ cleansed lepers, we know only that he healed chronic skin conditions considered to be defiling.

The attitude of Jesus toward those afflicted with leprosy was in marked contrast to that of the rabbis of his day. One rabbi would not eat an egg purchased in a street where there was someone with leprosy. Another rabbi threw stones at lepers in order to keep them away. But Jesus touched a man with leprosy, thereby demonstrating his power to overcome uncleanness as represented by leprosy (Mt 8:3; Mk 1:41-42; Lk 5:12-13).