Leviticus 22:8-18

8 'He shall not eat 1an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it; I am the LORD.
9 'They shall therefore keep 2My charge, so that 3they will not bear sin because of it and die thereby because they profane it; I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
10 '4No layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a sojourner with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift.
11 '5But if a priest buys a slave as his property with his money, that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food.
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; 6but no * layman shall eat of it.
14 '7But 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 '8They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they offer to the LORD,
16 and so cause them 9to 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, '10Any 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 -

Leviticus 22:8-18 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 10

  • 1. Leviticus 7:24; Leviticus 11:39, 40; Leviticus 17:15
  • 2. Leviticus 18:30
  • 3. Exodus 28:43; Leviticus 22:16; Numbers 18:22
  • 4. Exodus 29:33; Leviticus 22:13; Numbers 3:10
  • 5. Genesis 17:13; Exodus 12:44
  • 6. Leviticus 22:10
  • 7. Leviticus 5:15, 16
  • 8. Numbers 18:32
  • 9. Leviticus 10:17; Leviticus 22:9
  • 10. Numbers 15:14

Footnotes 10

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.