Leviticus 22

1 God spoke to Moses,
2 "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to me with reverence so they won't desecrate my holy name. I am God.
3 "Tell them, From now on, if any of your descendants approaches in a state of ritual uncleanness the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to God, he will be cut off from my presence. I am God.
4 "Each and every one of Aaron's descendants who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge may not eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Also, if he touches anything defiled by a corpse, or has an emission of semen,
5 or is contaminated by touching a crawling creature, or touches a person who is contaminated for whatever reason
6 - a person who touches any such thing will be ritually unclean until evening and may not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed well with water.
7 After the sun goes down he is clean and may go ahead and eat the holy offerings; they are his food.
8 But he must not contaminate himself by eating anything found dead or torn by wild animals. I am God.
9 "The priests must observe my instructions lest they become guilty and die by treating the offerings with irreverence. I am God who makes them holy.
10 "No layperson may eat anything set apart as holy. Nor may a priest's guest or his hired hand eat anything holy.
11 But if a priest buys a slave, the slave may eat of it; also the slaves born in his house may eat his food.
12 If a priest's daughter marries a layperson, she may no longer eat from the holy contributions.
13 But if the priest's daughter is widowed or divorced and without children and returns to her father's household as before, she may eat of her father's food. But no layperson may eat of it.
14 "If anyone eats from a holy offering accidentally, he must give back the holy offering to the priest and add twenty percent to it.
15 "The priests must not treat with irreverence the holy offerings of the Israelites that they contribute to God
16 lest they desecrate themselves and make themselves guilty when they eat the holy offerings. I am God who makes them holy."
17 God spoke to Moses,
18 "Tell Aaron and his sons and all the People of Israel, Each and every one of you, whether native born or foreigner, who presents a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering,
19 must make sure that it is a male without defect from cattle, sheep, or goats for it to be acceptable.
20 Don't try slipping in some creature that has a defect - it won't be accepted.
21 Whenever anyone brings an offering from cattle or sheep as a Peace-Offering to God to fulfill a vow or as a Freewill-Offering, it has to be perfect, without defect, to be acceptable.
22 Don't try giving God an animal that is blind, crippled, mutilated, an animal with running sores, a rash, or mange. Don't place any of these on the Altar as a gift to God.
23 You may, though, offer an ox or sheep that is deformed or stunted as a Freewill-Offering, but it is not acceptable in fulfilling a vow.
24 Don't offer to God an animal with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut-off testicles. Don't do this in your own land
25 but don't accept them from foreigners and present them as food for your God either. Because of deformities and defects they will not be acceptable."
26 God spoke to Moses:
27 "When a calf or lamb or goat is born, it is to stay with its mother for seven days. After the eighth day, it is acceptable as an offering, a gift to God.
28 Don't slaughter both a cow or ewe and its young on the same day.
29 When you sacrifice a Thanksgiving-Offering to God, do it right so it will be acceptable.
30 Eat it on the same day; don't leave any leftovers until morning. I am God.
31 "Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God.
32 "Don't desecrate my holy name. I insist on being treated with holy reverence among the People of Israel. I am God who makes you holy
33 and brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am God."

Leviticus 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

Laws concerning the priests and sacrifices.

- In this chapter we have divers laws concerning the priests and sacrifices, all for preserving the honour of the sanctuary. Let us recollect with gratitude that our great High Priest cannot be hindered by any thing from the discharge of his office. Let us also remember, that the Lord requires us to reverence his name, his truths, his ordinances, and commandments. Let us beware of hypocrisy, and examine ourselves concerning our sinful defilements, seeking to be purified from them in the blood of Christ, and by his sanctifying Spirit. Whoever attempts to expiate his own sin, or draws near in the pride of self-righteousness, puts as great an affront on Christ, as he who comes to the Lord's table from the gratification of sinful lusts. Nor can the minister who loves the souls of the people, suffer them to continue in this dangerous delusion. He must call upon them, not only to repent of their sins, and forsake them; but to put their whole trust in the atonement of Christ, by faith in his name, for pardon and acceptance with God; thus only will the Lord make them holy, as his own people.

Chapter Summary

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.

Leviticus 22 Commentaries

Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.