And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bore, and he shall put a covering on his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
his clothes
Genesis 37:29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
2 Samuel 13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.
Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
and his head
Leviticus 10:6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
Leviticus 21:10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
put
Ezekiel 24:17,22 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men…
Micah 3:7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
Unclean
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Psalm 51:3,5 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me…
Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
and let his hair hang loose
Letting one's hair hang loose was another sign of mourning or disgrace (Numbers 5:18). In the context of leprosy, it indicated a state of uncleanness and separation from God and the community. This physical appearance was a constant reminder of the individual's condition and the need for purification.
and he must cover his mouth
Covering the mouth was a practice associated with shame or humility (Ezekiel 24:17, Micah 3:7). In the case of a leprous person, it served as a protective measure to prevent the spread of disease and as a sign of their unclean status. This act also symbolized the barrier between the diseased person and the rest of the community.
and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
The proclamation of "Unclean, unclean!" was a public declaration of the individual's condition, serving as a warning to others to maintain distance (Lamentations 4:15). This cry was both a confession of their impurity and a plea for mercy. It highlights the social and spiritual isolation experienced by those with leprosy, pointing to the need for healing and restoration. This concept of uncleanness and separation is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus heals lepers, symbolizing His power to cleanse and restore (Luke 17:12-19).
“A diseased person must wear torn clothes…” (Leviticus 13:45)
• Visible brokenness: the ripped garments broadcast that something is wrong, much like Jacob’s torn robe in Genesis 37:34 or Joshua’s in Joshua 7:6.
• Mourning over defilement: the same outward sign of grief seen in 2 Samuel 13:19 reminds the sufferer—and everyone watching—that sin’s curse has touched body and soul.
• Separation for holiness: by command (Leviticus 10:6), priests were forbidden to tear their clothes; the leper’s opposite appearance underscores the gulf between holy and unclean.
“…and let his hair hang loose…” (Leviticus 13:45)
• Disheveled hair signified disorder and exclusion (Leviticus 21:10; Ezekiel 44:20).
• The untended look prevented any attempt to disguise the condition, protecting the camp’s purity (Numbers 5:2–3).
• It also dramatized exile from God’s order—an outward reminder that fellowship was broken until cleansing was granted (Leviticus 14:1–3).
“…and he must cover his mouth…” (Leviticus 13:45)
• The “upper lip” was veiled to curb possible contagion, echoing Ezekiel 24:17 where covering the mustache marked sorrow.
• It humbled the sufferer, much as Job “put his hand over his mouth” in Job 40:4 when confronted by God’s holiness.
• The gesture symbolized restricted speech and limited social interaction—sin and sickness silence our communion until healed (Psalm 51:15).
“…and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’” (Leviticus 13:45)
• Honest confession: the leper publicly acknowledged impurity, mirroring Isaiah 6:5 (“Woe to me… I am a man of unclean lips”) and following Numbers 19:11–16 where contact with defilement required warning others.
• Protecting the community: by staying “at a distance” (Luke 17:12–13), lepers alerted others before any approach, preserving corporate worship integrity (Leviticus 15:31).
• Foreshadowing the gospel: when Jesus touched and healed a leper in Mark 1:40-42, He reversed the cry—moving uncleanness out and wholeness in, fulfilling the law without abolishing it (Matthew 5:17).
Leviticus 13:45 gives four visible, audible marks—torn clothes, unkempt hair, a covered mouth, and the cry “Unclean!”—that literally separated the diseased from Israel’s worshiping life. Each act safeguarded the camp’s holiness, displayed sorrow over sin’s effects, and pointed ahead to the Savior who alone can say, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
(45) His clothes shall be rent.--As leprosy was regarded as a visitation from God for sin committed by the person thus afflicted, the patient is to rend his garments like one mourning for the dead. (See Leviticus 21:10.) During the second Temple the administrators of the law exempted leprous women from rending their clothes, which was evidently owing to a feeling of decorum.And his head bare.--Better, and his hair be dishevelled. This was another sign of mourning. (See Leviticus 10:6.) The legislators during the second Temple also exempted leprous women from letting their hair fall in the disorderly and wild manner over their heads and faces which was the custom for mourners to do.
And he shall put a covering upon his upper lip.--To veil the beard, which was the pride of the Oriental, was also a sign of mourning. (Comp. Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22; Micah 3:7.) This was generally done by throwing the skirt of the garment over the lower part of the chin. . . .
Verses 45, 46. - The cases for examination having been discussed, the law for the treatment of the man in whom leprosy has been proved to exist is pronounced. The leper in whom the plague is to be ex-eluded from the camp, lest others should contract defilement from him. He is for the same reason to cry, Unclean, unclean, lest any wayfarer should unwittingly come in contact with him; and his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, these being the signs of mourning for the dead. The bared or disheveled head (see chapter Leviticus 10:6) and the covered lip are incidentally mentioned as signs of mourning in Ezekiel 24:17, and the covered upper lip as a mark of shame in Micah 3:7. By the expression, He shall dwell alone, is meant he shall dwell apart from those who were clean. Of course, lepers would naturally associate with each other, and so we find that they actually did (Luke 17:12). As their presence was supposed to defile any place that they entered, they were punished in later times with forty stripes if they did not observe the restraints laid down for them. "They were, however, admitted to the synagogue, where a place was railed off for them, ten handbreadths high and four cubits wide, on condition of their entering the house of worship before the rest of the congregation and leaving it after them" (Edersheim, 'Temple Service'). The exclusion of the leper was not for the purpose of avoiding contagion, nor to serve as a penalty for having contracted so loathsome a disease, but primarily to prevent the spread of ceremonial uncleanness communicated by his touch, and typically and mystically to teach that the fate brought upon a man by unremoved sin is separation from the people of God here and hereafter.