Leviticus 21:1-8

Rules for Priests

1 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,

2 except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,

3 or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean.

4 He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage,^[a] and so defile himself.

5 “ ‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.

6 They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the LORD, the food of their God, they are to be holy.

7 “ ‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God.

8 Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy—I who make you holy.

Leviticus 21:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 21

This chapter respects the priests, the sons of Aaron, and forbids their mourning for the dead, unless in some cases, Le 21:1-6; or their marriage with an whore or a divorced woman, Le 21:7,8; and the daughters of any of them to commit fornication, which is made punishable with death, Le 21:9; and it contains particular laws for the high priest to observe, who was not to mourn for any, even for his parents, Le 21:10,11; nor to go out of the sanctuary, Le 21:12; nor to marry any woman but a virgin, Le 21:13-15; and it also directs, that none of the priests having any blemish in them should be employed in divine service, though they might eat of the holy things, Le 21:16-24.

Cross References

• 1. S Exodus 28:1; S Leviticus 1:5
• 2. S Leviticus 5:3; S Leviticus 13:3
• 3. ver 11; Numbers 5:2; Numbers 6:6; Numbers 19:11; Numbers 31:19; Ezekiel 44:25
• 4. ver 11
• 5. Numbers 6:6
• 6. S Leviticus 13:40; Jeremiah 7:29; Jeremiah 16:6
• 7. Ezekiel 5:1; Ezekiel 44:20
• 8. S Leviticus 19:28; Deuteronomy 14:1
• 9. ver 8; Ezra 8:28
• 10. Leviticus 18:21
• 11. S Leviticus 3:11
• 12. ver 17,22; Leviticus 22:25
• 13. S Exodus 19:22; S Leviticus 10:3
• 14. ver 13,14
• 15. Ezekiel 44:22
• 16. ver 6
• 17. Leviticus 3:11
• 18. S Exodus 31:13

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "unclean as a leader among his people"