Leviticus 22:9
in Leviticus 22The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it, and die therein, if they profane it: I am Jehovah who sanctifieth them.
KJV
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them.
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This verse in Leviticus 22
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge
on Leviticus 22:4-9
A priest with a skin disease or a discharge "may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean", so the bar ends with the condition. The remedy is water and sunset, and verse 7 gives the reason for his quick return, "for they are his food". Verse 8 lays on him the rule 17:15 lays on every Israelite, and verse 9 ends "I am the LORD who sanctifies them".
This site's exposition
The priests must keep My charge
The charge the LORD lays on the priests here is the care of the sacred offerings. The verse warns of death for profaning it, where verse 3 spoke of being cut off. Both penalties rest on the priest's own guilt.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance,....
Eating the holy things signified an interest in the atonement; but, if they ate of them in their uncleanness, they were so far from lessening their guilt that they increased it: They shall bear sin. (2.) Sin is a burden which, if infinite mercy prevent not, will certainly sink those that bear it: They shall die therefore.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
No stranger (non- kohein ) may eat holy things. One indentured to a kohein and one hired [by a kohein ] may not eat sacred-offerings.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁמְר֣וּ | veshameru | and they will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֗י | mishmarti | duty my | H4931 → | 78 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׂא֤וּ | yisu | they will bear | H5375 → | 656 times |
| עָלָיו֙ | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֵ֔טְא | chet' | sin | H2399 → | 33 times |
| וּמֵ֥תוּ | umetu | and they will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| ב֖וֹ | vo | by <the> it | ||
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יְחַלְּלֻ֑הוּ | yechaleluhu | they will profane it | H2490 → | 143 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | [am] Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃ | mekadesham | [who] sets apart as holy them | H6942 → | 171 times |
וְשָׁמְר֣וּand they will keep
veshameruH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֗יduty my
mishmartiH4931 →78 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׂא֤וּthey will bear
yisuH5375 →656 times
עָלָיו֙on it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
חֵ֔טְאsin
chet'H2399 →33 times
וּמֵ֥תוּand they will die
umetuH4191 →839 times
ב֖וֹby <the> it
vo
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יְחַלְּלֻ֑הוּthey will profane it
yechaleluhuH2490 →143 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָ֖ה[am] Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃[who] sets apart as holy them
mekadeshamH6942 →171 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 16:2And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he…
it leads to
- Exodus 30:10
Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar…
- 1 Kings 8:10–12
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD
- Hebrews 10:19–20
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
- Hebrews 9:25
Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
- Hebrews 9:7–8
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
- Exodus 30:10
Through
Exodus 28:43Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This…
it leads to
- Exodus 27:21
In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to…
- Exodus 20:26
And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’
- Exodus 27:21
Through
Numbers 18:32Once you have presented the best part of it, you will not incur guilt because of it. But you must not defile the sacred offerings of the Israelites, or else you will die.’”
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:8
Whoever eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people.
- Leviticus 19:8
About Leviticus
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.