Leviticus 21:12-22

12 He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD .

13 “The high priest may marry only a virgin.

14 He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan,

15 so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the LORD who makes him holy.”

16 Then the LORD said to Moses,

17 “Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God.

18 No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed,

19 or has a broken foot or arm,

20 or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles.

21 No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the LORD . Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God.

22 However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings.

Leviticus 21:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

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.