Vayikra 21:8

8 Thou shalt set him apart as kodesh therefore; for he offereth the lechem of Eloheicha; he shall be makriv kadosh (holy offering) unto thee: for I, Hashem, the One setting you apart as kodesh, am kadosh.

Vayikra 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.

Vayikra 21:8 In-Context

6 They shall be kedoshim unto Eloheihem, and not commit Chillul ha-shem against the Shem of Eloheihem; for the offerings of Hashem made by eish and the lechem of Eloheihem they do offer; therefore they shall be kodesh.

7 They shall not take an isha that is a zonah, or chalalah (desecrated woman) neither shall they take an isha gerusha (divorced woman) from her ish; for he is kadosh unto Elohav.

8 Thou shalt set him apart as kodesh therefore; for he offereth the lechem of Eloheicha; he shall be makriv kadosh (holy offering) unto thee: for I, Hashem, the One setting you apart as kodesh, am kadosh.

9 And the bat of any kohen, if she profane herself by playing the zonah, she profaneth her av; she shall be burned with eish.

10 And he that is the Kohen HaGadol among his brethren, upon whose head the Shemen Hamishchah (Anointing Oil) was poured, and that is ordained to put on the garments, shall not in mourning uncover his head, nor rend his garments;