Leviticus 22:7

7 When the sun is down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because such are his food.

Leviticus 22:7 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 22:7

And when the sun is down he shall be clean
Having washed himself in water, otherwise not, though the sun may be set: and shall afterwards eat of the holy things;
the families of the priests lived upon: because it [is] his food:
his common food, his ordinary diet, that by which he subsists, having nothing else to live upon; this being the ordination of God, that he which ministered about holy things should live on them; and these being his only substance, in compassion to him they were detained from him no longer than the evening; and this was done, to make him careful how he defiled himself, since thereby he was debarred of his ordinary meals.

Leviticus 22:7 In-Context

5 and whoever touches a creeping thing by which he may be made unclean or a man from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his uncleanness may be--
6 the person who touches any such shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water.
7 When the sun is down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because such are his food.
8 That which dies of itself or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, defiling himself by it: I am the LORD.'
9 They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the LORD who sanctify them.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.