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Leviticus 21:22

in Leviticus 21

He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy:

KJV

He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

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This verse in Leviticus 21

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

He shall eat the bread of his God. He permits them indeed to eat of the sacrifices, because no uncleanness on account of their natural defects could prevent them from partaking of the sacred meals; they are only forbidden to appear in God's presence as mediators to propitiate Him.

This site's exposition

No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect

on Leviticus 21:21-24

The priest with a defect keeps his portion and loses his function. The phrase "food of his God" bars him in verse 21 and feeds him in verse 22.

This site's exposition

the most holy food of his God

Two grades of priestly food stand in this verse. The most holy was eaten by Aaron and his sons in a holy place, and the holy food fed the priest's household under 22:11-13. John Calvin read the verse as leaving the blemished man his share in the sacred meals.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

): He shall eat of the sacrifices with the other priests, even the most holy things, such as the show-bread and the sin-offerings, as well as the holy things, such as the tithes and first-fruits, and the priests' share of the peace-offerings.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

He shall eat the bread of his God,....

The words behind it

7 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • לֶ֣חֶם[the] food of

    lechemH3899 →298 times

  • אֱלֹהָ֔יוGod his

    ʾelohavH430 →2601 times

  • מִקָּדְשֵׁ֖יfrom [the] holy things of

    mikadesheiH6944 →469 times

  • הַקֳּדָשִׁ֑יםthe holy things

    hakodashimH6944 →469 times

  • וּמִן־and from

    umin-H4480 →1188 times

  • הַקֳּדָשִׁ֖יםthe holy things

    hakodashimH6944 →469 times

  • יֹאכֵֽל׃he will eat

    yokhelH398 →810 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Leviticus 2:3The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.5 worksLeviticus 10:12And Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that remains from the offerings made by fire to the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the altar, because it is most holy.5 worksLeviticus 7:1“Now this is the law of the guilt offering, which is most holy:3 worksLeviticus 22:10–13No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired hand eat it.3 works1 Corinthians 9:13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?3 worksLeviticus 6:16–17Aaron and his sons are to eat the remainder. It must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 18:19All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.”3 worksLeviticus 24:8–9Every Sabbath day the bread is to be set out before the LORD on behalf of the Israelites as a permanent covenant.3 worksLeviticus 2:10But the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.3 worksNumbers 18:9–10A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.3 worksLeviticus 22:7When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the sacred offerings, for they are his food.3 worksLeviticus 24:9It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD—his portion forever.”3 worksLeviticus 6:29Any male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy.2 worksNumbers 18:10You are to eat it as a most holy offering, and every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy.2 worksLeviticus 14:13Then he is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.2 worksLeviticus 22:4If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen,2 worksLeviticus 6:25“Tell Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, the sin offering shall be slaughtered before the LORD; it is most holy.2 worksEzekiel 42:13Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Corinthians 9:13

    Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 2:28

      And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Numbers 18:8–20

      Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons…

    • Leviticus 6:26

      The priest who offers it shall eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.

    • Numbers 5:9–10

      Every sacred contribution the Israelites bring to the priest shall belong to him.

    • 1 Corinthians 10:18

      Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?

  • Through

    Leviticus 2:3

    The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.

    it leads to

    • Leviticus 10:12–13

      And Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that remains from the offerings made by fire to the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the…

    • Numbers 18:9

      A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt…

    • Leviticus 6:16–17

      Aaron and his sons are to eat the remainder. It must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.

Where this verse is studied

About Leviticus

The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
Leviticus: the study guide →Read Leviticus 21 →

This page draws on John Calvin, Commentaries; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; 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.

Read on in Leviticus 21 →