6963.“看哪，手长了大麻疯，像雪一样”表对真理的亵渎。这从“手”和“大麻疯”的含义清楚可知：“手”是指能力（6947节），也指真理，因为属灵的能力在于真理（6948，6960节）；“大麻疯”是指亵渎，尤指对真理的亵渎，如下文所述。圣言的历史部分有大量关于大麻疯的阐述，关于它在皮肤上的各种表现，并根据这些表现确定它的性质，关于麻疯病人是关起来，离开营地，还是予以释放；以及关于衣服、器皿和房屋本身中的麻疯。经上大量论述麻疯不是因为麻疯是一种疾病，而是因为它表示对真理的亵渎，因而是由于它的灵义；因为犹太人和以色列人比其他人民更能亵渎真理。
事实上，这些人若早就知道圣言的内在事物，知道他们当中的教会仪式所代表的真理本身，并相信这些真理，然而又照着他们的倾向生活，也就是活在对自我世界的爱中，活在彼此的仇恨、报复，以及对外邦人的残忍之中，就必亵渎他们曾一度相信的真理。因为相信真理，却又过着违背真理的生活，就是亵渎它们。正因如此，他们尽可能地被阻止认识内在真理（参看3398，3489节）；以致他们甚至不知道他们死后会活着；也不相信弥赛亚会来永远拯救灵魂，只以为祂会高举这个民族在全世界所有民族之上。这个民族原先是这个样，今天还是这个样，所以仍被阻止有信，尽管他们就生活在基督教中间。正因如此，经上如此广泛地描述了麻疯病的性质。
“大麻疯”表示对真理的亵渎，这一点从摩西在利未记（13章）中所记载的关于大麻疯的条例明显看出来。这段描述在内义上包含了亵渎真理的整个性质，如：这种亵渎若是新近的，是何性质的，若是长期的，是何性质，若在人里面是何性质，若在外面是何性质，若能治愈是何性质，若不能治愈又是何性质，以及能用哪些手段，还有其它大量细节。若不通过圣言的内义，没有人能知道其中的任何一个细节。
不过，由于“大麻疯”描述的是亵渎，所以详细解释对它的这段描述是不可以的。此外，一提到亵渎，天堂就感到恐惧。我仅引用这段经文：
如果大麻疯在皮上到处发作，大麻疯长满了患灾病人的皮，据祭司眼光的察看，从头到脚无处不有；祭司就要察看，看哪，全身的肉若长满了大麻疯，就要定那患灾病的为洁净；全身都变为白，他就洁净了。但在他身上出现新肉的那一日，他就不洁净了。（利未记13:12-14）
除非从内义知道此中情形如何，也就是为何从头到脚长满大麻疯的人为洁净，否则这段经文必显得很荒谬。“从头到脚长满大麻疯的人”表示知道内在真理，却不承认或相信它们的人。亵渎仅从外在，不会从内在存在于他身上；这种亵渎因被除去，所以他是洁净的。但是，如果他知道信之真理，也相信它们，然而却过着违背它们的生活，那么亵渎就从内在存在于他身上，这也是那些曾一度相信它们，后来又否认它们之人的情形。这解释了为何经上说：“在他身上出现新肉的那一日，他就不洁净了”；“新肉”表示承认和信仰。也可参看前面（6959节）所引用的段落。
Potts(1905-1910) 6963
6963. And behold his hand was leprous, as snow. That this signifies the profanation of truth, is evident from the signification of "hand," as being power (n. 6947), and as being truth, because spiritual power consists in truth (n. 6948, 6960); and from the signification of "leprosy," as being profanation, specifically, the profanation of truth (of which below). In the historic Word much is said about leprosy, and about its various appearances in the skin, and about the judgment thence to be formed of its quality - whether the leper was to be shut in, or to go out of the camp, or to be set at liberty; and also about leprosy in garments, in vessels, and in the very houses. Leprosy is so much treated of, not on account of leprosy as a disease, but because it signified the profanation of truth, thus for the sake of the spiritual sense; and because the Jews and the Israelites were capable of profaning truth more than other people. [2] For if they had known the internal things of the Word, and the truths themselves which were represented by the rites of the church among them, and had faith in them, and yet had lived according to their inclination, namely in the love of self and the love of the world, in hatred and revenge among themselves, and in cruelty toward the Gentiles, they must needs have profaned the truths in which they once had faith; for to believe in truths and to live contrary to them, is to profane them. And therefore they were withheld as far as possible from the knowledges of internal truth (see n. 3398, 3489); insomuch that they did not even know that they would live after death; neither did they believe that the Messiah would come to save souls eternally, but to exalt that nation above all others in the universe. And because that nation was such, and also is such at this day, therefore they are still withheld from faith, even though they live in the midst of Christendom. Hence then it is that the nature of leprosy was so particularly described. [3] That "leprosy" signifies the profanation of truth, is plain from the statutes concerning leprosy that are recorded by Moses in Leviticus 13. In this description there is contained in the internal sense the whole nature of the profanation of truth - as what the nature of this profanation is if recent, what if old, what if inward in man, what if also outward, what if curable, what if incurable, what are the means of cure, and other particulars, which cannot be at all known to anyone, except by means of the internal sense of the Word. [4] But as it is profanations which are described by "leprosy," it is not allowable to explain in detail what is contained in the description of it. Moreover, heaven is horrified at the bare mention of what is profane. I may quote this passage only:
If the leprosy effloresce fully in the skin, and the leprosy cover the whole skin of him that hath the plague, from his head even to his heel, under every look of the priest's eyes; and the priest see, and behold the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, then he shall pronounce the plague clean; it is all turned white, he is clean. But in the day that there shall appear in him living flesh, he shall be unclean (Lev. 13:12-14);
unless it is known from the internal sense how the case herein is, namely, that he is clean who is all leprous from his head even unto his heel, it must appear like a paradox; but by "one leprous from his head to his heel" is meant one who knows internal truths, but does not acknowledge or believe them. Such a one is not inwardly in profanation, but outwardly, which profanation is removed, and therefore he is clean. But if he knows the truths of faith, and believes them, and yet lives contrary to them, he is in profanation inwardly, as is the case also with one who has once believed, and afterward denies. Therefore it is said, "in the day that there shall appear in him living flesh, he shall be unclean;" by "living flesh" is meant acknowledgment and faith (see what has been adduced above, n. 6959).
Elliott(1983-1999) 6963
6963. 'And behold, his hand was leprous, like snow' means the profanation of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, as above in 6947, and as truth since spiritual power consists in truth, 6948, 6960; and from the meaning of 'leprosy' as profanation, in particular the profanation of truth, dealt with below. In the historical part of the Word a great deal is said about leprosy - about the various manifestations of it in the skin, about determining the nature of it from those manifestations, and about whether a leper should be shut away, leave the community, or be set at liberty; and about leprosy in garments, vessels, and actual houses. So much is said about leprosy not on account of leprosy as a disease but because it was a sign of the profanation of truth, thus on account of its spiritual meaning and because the Jews and Israelites more than any others were capable of rendering truth profane.
[2] For if those people had known the inner contents of the Word and the actual truths which the religious observances of the Church among them represented, and if they had believed those truths and yet led the lives they were predisposed to lead - namely lives ruled by self-love and love of the world, involving acts of hatred and vengeance on one another, and involving cruelty to gentiles - they could not have avoided profaning the truths they had once believed. For believing truths and leading a life that goes against them is profaning them. It was for this reason too that they were withheld as far as was possible from any recognition of internal truth, 3398, 3489, withheld from it so completely that they did not even know that they would be alive after death. Nor did they believe that the Messiah was coming to save their souls for evermore, only that He would exalt that nation above all throughout the world. And because that nation was like this, and is also like it today, they are still withheld from faith, even though they live amid Christianity. This then is the reason why the nature of leprosy has been described so extensively.
[3] The meaning of 'leprosy' as the profanation of truth is evident from the regulations regarding leprosy in Moses, Lev. 13:1-end. That description contains in the internal sense the whole nature of the profanation of truth - what profanation is like if recent, what it is like if long-established, what it is like if it exists inwardly in a person, what it is like if it also exists outwardly, what it is like if it can be cured, what it is like if it cannot, what means can be used, and a number of other details. No one can ever come to know about any of this without the help of the internal sense of the Word. But since profane things are what 'leprosy' describes, a detailed explanation of the contents of that description must not be given; heaven has a feeling of horror at the very mention of what is profane.
[4] So let just the following be quoted from those regulations,
If leprosy has broken out severely in the skin and the leprosy has covered the entire skin of [him who has] the plague, from his head to his heels, wherever the priest looks,a and the priest sees that, behold, the leprosy has covered the person's entire flesh, then he shall pronounce [him] clean [who has] the plague. It has all turned white; he is clean. But on the day living flesh appears on him he shall be unclean. Lev 17:12-14.
Unless one knew from the internal sense how it could be that one who is leprous all over from his head to his heels was clean it would seem to be an absurdity. But one who is leprous from head to heels means a person who has a knowledge of internal truths but does not acknowledge them, that is, has no belief in them. Profanation does not exist with him inwardly, only outwardly, and is being removed. Therefore he is clean. But if he knows the truths of faith and believes them, and yet leads a life that goes against them, profanation does exist with him inwardly, as it also does with someone who has had a belief in them but subsequently denies them. This explains why it says, 'on the day living flesh appears in him he shall be unclean'; 'living flesh' is used to mean acknowledgement and faith. See also the paragraphs referred to above in 6959.
Latin(1748-1756) 6963
6963. `Et ecce manus ejus leprosa sicut nix': quod significet profanationem veri, constat ex significatione `manus' quod sit potentia, ut supra n. 6947, et quod sit verum, quia potentia spiritualis consistit in vero, n. 6948, 6960; et ex significatione `leprae' quod sit profanatio, in specie profanatio veri, de qua sequitur. In Verbo historico multum agitur de lepra, de ejus varia apparentia in cute, de qualitate ejus inde judicanda, de leproso quod vel includendus, vel exiturus e communione, vel liberandus; deque lepra in vestibus, in vasis, inque ipsis domibus; quod tantum de lepra agatur, non est propter lepram ut morbum, sed quia significabat profanationem veri, ita propter sensum spiritualem, et quia Judaei et Israelitae prae aliis profanare 2 verum potuerunt; si enim novissent interna Verbi, (c)et ipsa vera quae repraesentabant ritualia Ecclesiae apud illos, et fidem illis {1}habuissent, et tamen vixissent secundum genium suum, nempe in amore sui et mundi, in odiis (c)et vindictis inter se, inque crudelitate contra gentes, non potuissent non profanare vera quibus semel fidem habuerant; nam credere veris et vivere contra illa est {2}profanare illa; quapropter etiam a cognitionibus veri interni detinebantur quantum possibile erat, n. 3398, 3489, usque adeo ut ne quidem sciverint quod victuri post mortem; nec crediderint quod Messias venturus ut salvaret animas in aeternum, sed ut gentem illam eveheret super omnes in universo; et quia gens illa talis {3}fuit, et quoque hodie talis est, ideo adhuc detinentur a fide, etiam si in medio Christianismo vivunt; inde nunc est quod lepra quoad quale suum tantum descripta sit. 3 Quod `lepra' significet profanationem veri, patet ab illis quae de `lepra' statuta sunt apud Mosen, Lev. xiii 1 ad fin.; in descriptione illa continetur in sensu interno omne quale profanationis veri, ut qualis profanatio illa si recens sit, qualis si vetus, qualis si interius in homine, qualis si etiam exterius, qualis si {4}sanari possit, qualis si non possit, quae media, et plura; quae omnia nusquam alicui nota fieri possunt quam per sensum internum Verbi; sed quia profana sunt quae describuntur per `lepram,' non licet singulariter explicare illa quae in descriptione ejus {5}sunt; caelum {6}etiam horret {7}ad solam nominationem profani; tantum licet hoc inde adducere, quod 4 Si efflorescendo effloruerit lepra in cute, et contexerit lepra universam cutem (d)plagae a capite ejus usque ad calcem ejus, sub omni conspectu oculorum sacerdotis; et viderit sacerdos quod ecce (t)lepra contexerit universam carnem ejus, tunc mundam pronuntiabit plagam; tota conversa est in albam, mundus est. Quo vero die apparuerit in eo caro viva, immundus erit, Lev. xiii 12-14;{8} nisi {9} ex sensu interno {10}sciretur quomodo hoc se haberet, {11} quod ille mundus {12} qui totus leprosus a capite (x)ad calcem, appareret hoc sicut (x)paradoxon; sed per leprosum a capite ad calcem intelligitur qui novit interna vera, sed non agnoscit illa seu credit illis, is non interius in profanatione est, sed exterius, quae removetur; idcirco is mundus est; {13}si autem scit vera fidei et {14}credit illis, et tamen vivit contra illa, is in profanatione est interius, et quoque qui {15} crediderat, et postea negat; quare dicitur `quo die apparuerit in eo caro viva, immundus erit'; per `carnem vivam' intelligitur agnitio et fides {16}; (m)videantur quae supra n. 6959 allata sunt.(n) @1 habuerint$ @2 prophanatio$ @3 est hodie, ut si credat interna quae significabant et (m)repraesentabant ritus Ecclesiae apud illos institutae, non possent non prophanare illa, nam in amore terrestri sunt, hoc est, in sordida avaritia et in amore sui, ita in contemtu aliorum et in fastu, ita in vita prorsus contra illa, haec causa est quod gens illa etiam hodie detineantur ab agnitione Domini et a fide in Ipsum, et quod teneantur in negatione veritatum internorum Verbi(n)$ @4 emendari$ @5 Before in descriptione$ @6 enim$ @7 ut nominetur prophanum$ @8 i non$ @9 i quam$ @10 scitur$ @11 i nam$ @12 i esset$ @13 at si agnoscit but at si scit may be intended.$ @14 crediderit altered to credidit but credit probably intended.$ @15 i semel$ @16 i veri$