Leviticus 22:10-16

Unauthorized eating

10 No layperson is allowed to eat the holy offerings. No foreign guest or hired laborer of a priest can eat it.

11 But if a priest purchases a servant, that person can eat it, and servants born into the priest's household can also eat his food.

12 If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she is not allowed to eat the holy offerings.

13 But if a priest's daughter is a widow or divorced and has no children and so returns to her father's household as when she was young, she can eat her father's food. But, again, no layperson is allowed to eat it.

14 If someone eats a holy offering unintentionally, they must provide the priest with an equal item, plus one-fifth.

15 The Israelites must not make the holy offerings impure that they offer up to the LORD

16 or make themselves liable to punishment requiring compensation by eating their own holy offerings. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.

Leviticus 22:10-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 22

In this chapter several laws are delivered out, forbidding the priests to eat of holy things, when in any uncleanness, or at any time what dies of itself, or is torn of beasts, Le 22:1-9; also showing who belonging to the priests might or might not eat of the holy things, Le 22:10-16; and others requiring that whatever offerings were brought by the children, of Israel, they should be perfect and without blemish, Le 22:17-25; and also declaring what age a creature should be of when sacrificed, and the time when thank offerings were to be eaten, Le 22:26-30; concluding with an exhortation to observe the commands of God, and sanctify him, and not profane his name, Le 22:31-33.