Leviticus 21:8

8 and offereth the loaves of setting forth; therefore be he holy, for I am the holy Lord that halloweth you. (and offereth the loaves of proposition; and so regard him as holy, for I am holy, the Lord who maketh you holy.)

Leviticus 21:8 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 21:8

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore
In thought and word, as Aben Ezra, by thinking and speaking well of him; should esteem and reckon him a holy person, being in a sacred office, and honour him as such; and do all that can be done to preserve him from unholiness and impurity, and particularly from marrying with improper and unsuitable persons, such as would bring a scandal on him and his sacred office: this seems to be spoken to Moses, and so to the civil magistrate in succession, who were not to suffer such marriages to take place in the priesthood; and were not only to persuade from it, but to exercise their authority, and oblige them to put away such wives, and if they refused, to use severity; so Jarchi,

``"thou shalt sanctify him", whether he will or not; if he will not put her away, beat him and chastise him until he does put "her away",''

see ( Ezra 2:62 ) ; for he offereth the bread of the Lord;
meaning not the shewbread he set in order before the Lord every week, but the various gift and sacrifices which were offered to God by him, and were acceptable to him as his food; and therefore he ought to be holy that drew nigh to God, and was employed in such service, see ( Leviticus 21:6 ) ; he shall be holy unto thee;
in thy account and estimation, and for thy service to offer holy sacrifices, and therefore should be careful of his holiness to preserve it: for I the Lord, which sanctify you, [am] holy;
in his nature, works, and ways, and who had separated them from all other people to be a holy people to him, and therefore they that ministered in holy things for them should be holy likewise.

Leviticus 21:8 In-Context

6 they shall be holy to their God, and they shall not defoul his name; for they offer incense of the Lord, and the loaves of their God, and therefore they shall be holy. (they shall be holy to their God, and they shall not defile his name; for they offer incense to the Lord, and the loaves to their God, and so they shall be holy.)

7 A priest shall not wed (for) a wife a corrupt woman, and a foul whore, neither he shall wed her that is forsaken of the husband, for he is hallowed to his God, (A priest shall not wed for a wife any corrupt woman, or a foul whore, nor shall he wed she who is forsaken by her husband, for he is holy to his God,)

8 and offereth the loaves of setting forth; therefore be he holy, for I am the holy Lord that halloweth you. (and offereth the loaves of proposition; and so regard him as holy, for I am holy, the Lord who maketh you holy.)

9 If the daughter of a priest is taken in defouling of virginity, and defouleth the name of her father, she shall be burnt in fire. (If a priest's daughter is caught in defiling her own virginity, and so defileth her father's name, she shall be burned in the fire.)

10 The bishop, that is the most priest among his brethren, upon whose head the oil of anointing is poured, and whose hands be (made) sacred in priesthood, and he is clothed in holy clothes, shall not discover his head, he shall not tear his clothes, (The High Priest, who is the highest priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil was poured, who is consecrated in priesthood, and who is clothed in holy clothes, shall not uncover his head, and he shall not tear his clothes,)