Leviticus 21:16-24

16 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses saynge

17 speake vnto Aaron and saye: No man of thi seed in their generacions that hath any deformyte apon him, shall prese for to offer the bred of his God.

18 ffor none that hath any blemysh shall come nere: whether he be blynde lame snot nosed or that hath any monstrous mebre,

19 or broken foted or broken handed

20 or croke backed, or perleyed, or gogeleyed, or maunge or skaulde or hath his stones broken.

21 No man that is deformed of the seed of Aaron the preast shall come nye to offer the sacrifyces of the Lorde. Yf he haue a deformyte he shall not prese to offer the bred of his God.

22 Notwithstondynge he shall eate of the bred of his God: euen as well of the most holy as of the holy:

23 but shall not goo in vnto the vayle nor come nye the alter, because he is deformed that he polute not my sanctuary for I am the Lorde that sanctifye them.

24 And Moses tolde it vnto Aaron and to his sonnes and vnto all the childern of Israel.

Leviticus 21:16-24 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.