And if the plague be greenish or reddish the garment, or in the skin,.... Either of these two colours were signs of leprosy in garments; but it is not agreed whether stronger or weaker colours are designed; the radicals of both these words being doubled, according to some, and particularly Aben Ezra, lessen the sense of them; and so our translators understand it; but, according to Ben Gersom, the signification is increased thereby, and the meaning is, if it be exceeding green or exceeding red; and this is evidently the sense of the Misnah (p); garments are defiled by green in greens, and by red in reds, that is, by the greenest and reddest; the green, the commentators say (q), is like that of the wings of peacocks and leaves of palm trees, and the red like crimson or scarlet; and now these garments or skins, in which the green or red spots appeared, must be white, and not coloured or dyed: the canon runs thus (r); skins and garments dyed are not defiled with plagues (of leprosy); a garment whose warp is dyed, and its woof white, or its woof dyed, and its warp white, all goes according to the sight; that is, according to what colour to the eye most prevails, whether white or dyed:

either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything of the skin; the same held good of these as of a garment, or anything else made of them:

it is a plague of leprosy; it has the signs of one, and gives great suspicion that it is one:

and shall be shewed unto the priest; by the person in whose possession it is, that it may be examined and judged of whether it is a leprosy or no.

(p) Misn. Negaim, c. 11. sect. 4. (q) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Edaiot, c. 7. sect. 8. (r) Misn. ut supra, (c.11.) sect. 3, 4.

And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of {o} skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:

(o) Whether it be garment, vessel, or instrument.

thing: Heb. vessel, or, instrument

13:47-59 The garment suspected to be tainted with leprosy was not to be burned immediately. If, upon search, it was found that there was a leprous spot, it must be burned, or at least that part of it. If it proved to be free, it must be washed, and then might be used. This also sets forth the great evil there is in sin. It not only defiles the sinner's conscience, but it brings a stain upon all he has and all that he does. And those who make their clothes servants to their pride and lust, may see them thereby tainted with leprosy. But the robes of righteousness never fret, nor are moth-eaten.