Leviticus 21:8
in Leviticus 21You 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee; for I Jehovah, who sanctify you, am holy.
KJV
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy.
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This verse in Leviticus 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The people of Israel are now addressed. They are commanded to regard the priests, who perform for them the service of the altar, as holy in respect of their office.
This site's exposition
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads
on Leviticus 21:5-9
The mourning customs forbidden here were forbidden to all Israel at 19:27-28. So the priest carries a rule his neighbors carry too.
This site's exposition
You are to regard him as holy
The address turns here from the priests to the people. Albert Barnes reads it as a charge on Israel to treat the men who serve the altar as holy. The ground is the LORD's own holiness, and He names Himself as the one who sets the people apart.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), Thou shalt sanctify him, and he shall be holy unto thee. "Not only thou, O Moses, by taking care that these laws be observed, but thou, O Israel, by all endeavours possible to keep up the reputation of the priesthood, which the priests themselves must do nothing to expose or forfeit.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane--Private individuals might form several connections, which were forbidden as inexpedient or improper in priests.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְקִדַּשְׁתּ֔וֹ | vekidashto | and you will set apart as holy him | H6942 → | 171 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֶ֥חֶם | lechem | [the] food of | H3899 → | 298 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מַקְרִ֑יב | makriv | [is] presenting | H7126 → | 280 times |
| קָדֹשׁ֙ | kadosh | holy | H6918 → | 116 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָּ֔ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קָד֔וֹשׁ | kadoosh | [am] holy | H6918 → | 116 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ | mekadishkhem | [who] sets apart as holy you | H6942 → | 171 times |
וְקִדַּשְׁתּ֔וֹand you will set apart as holy him
vekidashtoH6942 →171 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לֶ֥חֶם[the] food of
lechemH3899 →298 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מַקְרִ֑יב[is] presenting
makrivH7126 →280 times
קָדֹשׁ֙holy
kadoshH6918 →116 times
יִֽהְיֶה־he will be
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לָּ֔ךְto <the> you
lakh
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
קָד֔וֹשׁ[am] holy
kadooshH6918 →116 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃[who] sets apart as holy you
mekadishkhemH6942 →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 19:2“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
it leads to
- Leviticus 11:44–45
For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.
- Leviticus 20:7
Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.
- 1 Peter 1:15–16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–16
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- Leviticus 11:44–45
Through
John 17:19For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.
it leads to
- Titus 2:14
He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
- Hebrews 2:11
For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
- John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
- Titus 2:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.