Leviticus 21:18-23

18 No man with any physical defects may make the offering: no one who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;

19 no one with a crippled hand or foot;

20 no one who is a hunchback or a dwarf; no one with any eye or skin disease; and no eunuch.

21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any physical defects may present the food offering to me.

22 Such a man may eat the food offered to me, both the holy food offering and the very holy food offering,

23 but because he has a physical defect, he shall not come near the sacred curtain or approach the altar. He must not profane these holy things, because I am the Lord and I make them holy."

Leviticus 21:18-23 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.