Leviticus 22:12-22

12 'If a priest's daughter is married to a layman, she shall not eat of the offering of the gifts.
13 'But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's food; 1but no * layman shall eat of it.
14 '2But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest.
15 '3They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they offer to the LORD,
16 and so cause them 4to bear punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.' "

Flawless Animals for Sacrifice

17 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, '5Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel who presents his offering, whether it is any of their votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they present to the LORD for a burnt offering -
19 6for you to be accepted -it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats.
20 '7Whatever * has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you.
21 'When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD 8to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no * defect in it.
22 'Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the LORD.

Leviticus 22:12-22 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.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Leviticus 22:10
  • 2. Leviticus 5:15, 16
  • 3. Numbers 18:32
  • 4. Leviticus 10:17; Leviticus 22:9
  • 5. Numbers 15:14
  • 6. Leviticus 21:18-21; Deuteronomy 15:21
  • 7. Deuteronomy 15:21; Deuteronomy 17:1; Malachi 1:8, 14; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19
  • 8. Numbers 15:3, 8

Footnotes 7

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