Leviticuschapter 21

A.A priest and the deadvv. 1-9

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people, 2 except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, 3 or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband. 4 He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself. 5 Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies. 6 They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy. 7 A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. 8 You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart. 9 If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.

B.The high priest held to a stricter linevv. 10-15

10 The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments. 11 He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother. 12 He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD. 13 The woman he marries must be a virgin. 14 He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”

C.A blemish keeps a son from the altarvv. 16-24

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; 19 no man who has a broken foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food, 23 but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’” 24 Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

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Chapter summary

Holiness of priests.

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Holiness of priests. Priests are not to be defiled for the dead except for the closest kin; not to mar their heads or beards; not to marry a harlot or a profane or divorced woman. The high priest, with higher consecration, must marry a virgin of his own people and not go in to any dead, not even father or mother. Physical blemishes (blind, lame, disfigured, crippled) disqualify from priestly service at the altar, though the priest still eats of the holy bread. The chapter insists that mediators represent the perfection of the holy God they serve. Hebrews 7:26 applies the chapter's logic to the great High Priest.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Leviticus overview

A. 1–9 A priest and the dead
B. 10–15 The high priest held to a stricter line
C. 16–24 A blemish keeps a son from the altar

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Leviticus 217 verses
- Leviticus 21:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,
- Leviticus 21:6They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.
- Leviticus 21:7A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
- Leviticus 21:8You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.
- Leviticus 21:12He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD.
- Leviticus 21:13The woman he marries must be a virgin.
- Read Leviticus 21: 1 more there →
Leviticus 194 verses
- Leviticus 19:2“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
- Leviticus 19:27You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
- Leviticus 19:28You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
- Leviticus 19:29You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity.
- Read Leviticus 19 →
Ezekiel 443 verses
- Ezekiel 44:20They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
- Ezekiel 44:22And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest.
- Ezekiel 44:25A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so,
- Read Ezekiel 44 →
Leviticus 103 verses
- Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.
- Leviticus 10:6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.
- Leviticus 10:7You shall not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses instructed.
- Read Leviticus 10 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Leviticus 182 verses
- Leviticus 18:6None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
- Leviticus 18:21You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- Read Leviticus 18 →
Numbers 191 verse
- Numbers 19:14This is the law when a person dies in a tent: Everyone who enters the tent and everyone already in the tent will be unclean for seven days,
- Read Numbers 19 →
1 Thessalonians 41 verse
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.
- Read 1 Thessalonians 4 →
Ezekiel 241 verse
- Ezekiel 24:16“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.
- Read Ezekiel 24 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.