Leviticus 21

1 And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none make himself unclean for a dead person among his peoples,

2 except for his immediate relation, who is near unto him -- for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother;

3 and for his sister, a virgin, that is near unto him, who hath had no husband, for her may he make himself unclean.

4 He shall not make himself unclean [who is] a chief among his peoples, to profane himself.

5 They shall not make any baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they present Jehovah's offerings by fire, the bread of their God; therefore shall they be holy.

7 They shall not take as wife a whore, or a dishonoured woman; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband; for he is holy unto his God.

8 And thou shalt hallow him; for the bread of thy God doth he present: he shall be holy unto thee; for I, Jehovah, who hallow you am holy.

9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burned with fire.

10 And the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his garments.

11 Neither shall he come near any person dead, nor make himself unclean for his father and for his mother;

12 neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am Jehovah.

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a dishonoured one, a harlot, these shall he not take; but he shall take as wife a virgin from among his peoples.

15 And he shall not profane his seed among his peoples; for I am Jehovah who do hallow him.

16 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Any of thy seed throughout their generations that hath any defect, shall not approach to present the bread of his God;

18 for whatever man hath a defect, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or one limb longer than the other,

19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,

20 or hump-backed, or withered, or that hath a spot in his eye, or hath the itch, or scabs, or his testicles broken.

21 No man of the seed of Aaron the priest that hath defect shall come near to present Jehovah's offerings by fire: he hath a defect; he shall not come near to present the bread of his God.

22 The bread of his God, of the most holy and of the holy, shall he eat;

23 only he shall not come in unto the veil, nor shall he draw near unto the altar; for he hath a defect: that he profane not my sanctuaries; for I am Jehovah who do hallow them.

24 And Moses told it to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

Leviticus 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Laws concerning the priests.

- As these priests were types of Christ, so all ministers must be followers of him, that their example may teach others to imitate the Saviour. Without blemish, and separate from sinners, He executed his priestly office on earth. What manner of persons then should his ministers be! But all are, if Christians, spiritual priests; the minister especially is called to set a good example, that the people may follow it. Our bodily infirmities, blessed be God, cannot now shut us out from his service, from these privileges, or from his heavenly glory. Many a healthful, beautiful soul is lodged in a feeble, deformed body. And those who may not be suited for the work of the ministry, may serve God with comfort in other duties in his church.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'a soul.'
• [b]. Lit. 'his own flesh.'
• [c]. Or 'dishonour.'
• [d]. As ch. 4.12.
• [e]. Lit. 'the priest who is greater than his brethren.'
• [f]. Ex. 28.41.
• [g]. Lit. 'separation' or 'consecration,' as throughout Num. 6: 'diadem,' Ex. 29.6; Lev. 8.9.
• [h]. Or 'a dwarf.'
• [i]. Or 'my holy things.'

Chapter Summary

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.