Leviticus 22:1-11

1 ADONAI said to Moshe,

2 "Tell Aharon and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the people of Isra'el which they set apart as holy for me, so that they will not profane my holy name; I am ADONAI.

3 Tell them, 'Any descendant of yours through all your generations who approaches the holy things that the people of Isra'el consecrate to ADONAI and is unclean will be cut off from before me; I am ADONAI.

4 "'Any descendant of Aharon with tzara'at or a discharge is not to eat the holy things until he is clean. Anyone who has touched a person made unclean by a dead body, or who has had a seminal emission,

5 or who has touched a reptile or insect that can make him unclean, or a man who is unclean for any reason and who can transmit to him his uncleanness -

6 the person who touches any of these will be unclean until evening and is not to eat the holy things unless he bathes his body in water.

7 After sunset he will be clean; and afterwards, he may eat the holy things; because they are his food.

8 But he is not to eat anything that dies naturally or is torn to death by wild animals and thereby make himself unclean; I am ADONAI.

9 The cohanim must observe this charge of mine; otherwise, if they profane it, they will bear the consequences of their sin for doing so and die in it; I am ADONAI, who makes them holy.

10 "'No one who is not a cohen may eat anything holy, nor may a tenant or employee of a cohen eat anything holy.

11 But if a cohen acquires a slave, either through purchase or through his being born in his household, he may share his food.

Leviticus 22:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

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.