Leviticus 22:5-15

5 and that toucheth a creeping beast, and whatever unclean thing, whose touching is foul, (or who toucheth a creeping beast, or whatever unclean thing, whose touching is foul,)
6 he shall be unclean till to eventide, and he shall not eat these things that be hallowed to me; but when he hath washed his flesh in water,
7 and the sun hath gone down, then he shall be cleansed, and shall eat hallowed things, for it is his meat. (and the sun hath gone down, then he shall be clean, and he can eat the dedicated things, or the sacred offerings, for this is his food.)
8 He shall not eat a thing dead by itself, and taken of a beast, neither he shall be defouled in those things; I am the Lord. (He shall not eat anything that dieth naturally, or that is killed by a beast, so that he be not defiled with those things; I am the Lord.)
9 They shall keep my behests, that they be not subject to sin, and die in the saintuary, when they have defouled it; I am the Lord that hallow(eth) you. (They shall obey my commands, so that they be not subject to sin, and then die in the sanctuary, when they have defiled it; I am the Lord who maketh you holy.)
10 Each alien shall not eat of things hallowed; the hind that is a stranger, and the hired man of the priest, shall not eat of those things. (No one not of the priestly family shall eat any of the dedicated things; yea, even a visitor to the priest, or his hired man, shall not eat those things.)
11 Soothly these servants, that the priest hath bought, and he that is a born servant of his house, shall eat of those things. (But those slaves, whom the priest hath bought, or he who is a slave born in his house, can eat those things.)
12 If the priest's daughter is wedded to any man of the people, she shall not eat of these things that be hallowed, and of the first fruits (or of the first fruits);
13 soothly if she is a widow, either forsaken, and turneth again without free children to her father's house, she shall be sustained by the meats of her father, as a damsel was wont (to be); each alien hath not power to eat of those things. (but if she is a widow, or forsaken, and returneth to her father's house without any children, she shall be sustained by her father's food, as any young woman is wont to be; but no foreigner, or stranger, can eat those things.)
14 He that eateth by ignorance of hallowed things, shall add to (it) the fifth part with that that he ate, and he shall give it to the priest in the saintuary, (He who eateth any of the dedicated things in ignorance, shall add the fifth part to what he ate, and he shall give it to the priest in the sanctuary,)
15 and they shall not defoul the hallowed things of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the Lord,

Leviticus 22:5-15 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.