Leviticus 22:1-11

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to Aaron and to his sons, and let them take heed concerning the holy things of the children of Israel, so they shall not profane my holy name in any of the things which they consecrate to me: I the Lord.

3 Say to them, Every man throughout your generations, whoever of all your seed shall approach to the holy things, whatsoever the children of Israel shall consecrate to the Lord, while his uncleanness is upon him, that soul shall be cut off from me: I the Lord your God.

4 And the man of the seed of Aaron the priest, if he should have leprosy or issue of the reins, shall not eat of the holy things, until he be cleansed; and he that touches any uncleanness of a dead body, or the man whose seed of copulation shall have gone out from him,

5 or whosoever shall touch any unclean reptile, which will defile him, or a man, whereby he shall defile him according to all his uncleanness:

6 whatsoever soul shall touch them shall be unclean until evening; he shall not eat of the holy things, unless he bathe his body in water,

7 and the sun go down, and then he shall be clean; and then shall he eat of all the holy things, for they are his bread.

8 He shall not eat that which dies of itself, or is taken of beasts, so that he should be polluted by them: I the Lord.

9 And they shall keep my ordinances, that they do not bear iniquity because of them, and die because of them, if they shall profane them: I the Lord God that sanctifies them.

10 And no stranger shall eat the holy things: one that sojourns with a priest, or a hireling, shall not eat the holy things.

11 But if a priest should have a soul purchased for money, he shall eat of his bread; and they that are born in his house, they also shall eat of his bread.

Leviticus 22:1-11 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.