Leviticus 22:4

4 “If any of Aaron’s descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen,

Leviticus 22:4 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 22:4

What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a leper
A young, or an old man, as the Targum of Jonathan, and indeed man or woman; for the wives and daughters of the priests, if in this, and other circumstances following, might not eat of the holy things until cleansed, who otherwise might, see ( Leviticus 13:2 ) ( Numbers 18:13 ) ; or hath a running issue;
a gonorrhoea, whether man or woman, ( Leviticus 15:2 Leviticus 15:25 ) ; he shall not eat of the holy things until he be clean;
he might eat of the tithes, but not of the wave breast, or heave shoulder: and whoso toucheth any [that is] unclean [by] the dead;
not only that touched the dead, which made unclean, but that touched any person or thing that was made unclean by it: or a man whose seed goeth from him;
involuntarily when asleep, in a dream, and through a lustful imagination; see ( Leviticus 15:16 ) .

Leviticus 22:4 In-Context

2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on my holy name. I am the LORD .
3 Give them the following instructions. “In all future generations, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean when he approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Israel consecrate to the LORD, he must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD .
4 “If any of Aaron’s descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen,
5 or by touching a small animal that is unclean, or by touching someone who is ceremonially unclean for any reason.
6 The man who is defiled in any of these ways will remain unclean until evening. He may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has bathed himself in water.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Traditionally rendered leprosy; see note on 13:2a .
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.