1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
2 But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother.
3 And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
4 But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
8 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.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
11 Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.
16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
19 Or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,
20 Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
24 And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
1 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Speak H559 unto the priests H3548 the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 and say H559 unto them, There shall none be defiled H2930 for the dead H5315 among his people: H5971
2 But for his kin, H7607 that is near H7138 unto him, that is, for his mother, H517 and for his father, H1 and for his son, H1121 and for his daughter, H1323 and for his brother, H251
3 And for his sister H269 a virgin, H1330 that is nigh H7138 unto him, which hath had no husband; H376 for her may he be defiled. H2930
4 But he shall not defile H2930 himself, being a chief man H1167 among his people, H5971 to profane H2490 himself.
5 They shall not make H7139 baldness H7144 upon their head, H7218 neither shall they shave off H1548 the corner H6285 of their beard, H2206 nor make H8295 any cuttings H8296 in their flesh. H1320
6 They shall be holy H6944 unto their God, H430 and not profane H2490 the name H8034 of their God: H430 for the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire, H801 and the bread H3899 of their God, H430 they do offer: H7126 therefore they shall be holy. H6918
7 They shall not take H3947 a wife H802 that is a whore, H2181 or profane; H2491 neither shall they take H3947 a woman H802 put away H1644 from her husband: H376 for he is holy H6918 unto his God. H430
8 Thou shalt sanctify H6942 him therefore; for he offereth H7126 the bread H3899 of thy God: H430 he shall be holy H6918 unto thee: for I the LORD, H3068 which sanctify H6942 you, am holy. H6918
9 And the daughter H1323 of any H376 priest, H3548 if she profane H2490 herself by playing the whore, H2181 she profaneth H2490 her father: H1 she shall be burnt H8313 with fire. H784
10 And he that is the high H1419 priest H3548 among his brethren, H251 upon whose head H7218 the anointing H4888 oil H8081 was poured, H3332 and that is consecrated H4390 H3027 to put H3847 on the garments, H899 shall not uncover H6544 his head, H7218 nor rend H6533 his clothes; H899
11 Neither shall he go in H935 to any dead H4191 body, H5315 nor defile H2930 himself for his father, H1 or for his mother; H517
12 Neither shall he go out H3318 of the sanctuary, H4720 nor profane H2490 the sanctuary H4720 of his God; H430 for the crown H5145 of the anointing H4888 oil H8081 of his God H430 is upon him: I am the LORD. H3068
13 And he shall take H3947 a wife H802 in her virginity. H1331
14 A widow, H490 or a divorced woman, H1644 or profane, H2491 or an harlot, H2181 these shall he not take: H3947 but he shall take H3947 a virgin H1330 of his own people H5971 to wife. H802
15 Neither shall he profane H2490 his seed H2233 among his people: H5971 for I the LORD H3068 do sanctify H6942 him.
16 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
17 Speak H1696 unto Aaron, H175 saying, H559 Whosoever H376 he be of thy seed H2233 in their generations H1755 that hath any blemish, H3971 let him not approach H7126 to offer H7126 the bread H3899 of his God. H430
18 For whatsoever man H376 he be that hath a blemish, H3971 he shall not approach: H7126 a blind H5787 man, H376 or a lame, H6455 or he that hath a flat nose, H2763 or any thing superfluous, H8311
19 Or a man H376 that is brokenfooted, H7667 H7272 or brokenhanded, H7667 H3027
20 Or crookbackt, H1384 or a dwarf, H1851 or that hath a blemish H8400 in his eye, H5869 or be scurvy, H1618 or scabbed, H3217 or hath his stones H810 broken; H4790
21 No man H376 that hath a blemish H3971 of the seed H2233 of Aaron H175 the priest H3548 shall come nigh H5066 to offer H7126 the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire: H801 he hath a blemish; H3971 he shall not come nigh H5066 to offer H7126 the bread H3899 of his God. H430
22 He shall eat H398 the bread H3899 of his God, H430 both of the most H6944 holy, H6944 and of the holy. H6944
23 Only he shall not go in H935 unto the vail, H6532 nor come nigh H5066 unto the altar, H4196 because he hath a blemish; H3971 that he profane H2490 not my sanctuaries: H4720 for I the LORD H3068 do sanctify H6942 them.
24 And Moses H4872 told H1696 it unto Aaron, H175 and to his sons, H1121 and unto all the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
2 except for his kin, that is near unto him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
3 and for his sister a virgin, that is near unto him, that hath had no husband; for her may he defile himself.
4 He shall not defile himself, `being' a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
7 They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
8 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.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor rend his clothes;
11 neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
12 neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am Jehovah.
13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or one divorced, or a profane woman, a harlot, these shall he not take: but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife.
15 And he shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth him.
16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or anything superfluous,
19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,
20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or is scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
21 no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy:
23 only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth them.
24 So Moses spake unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
1 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Speak unto the priests, sons of Aaron, and thou hast said unto them, For `any' person `a priest' is not defiled among his people,
2 except for his relation who `is' near unto him -- for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother.
3 and for his sister, the virgin, who is near unto him, who hath not been to a man; for her he is defiled.
4 `A master `priest' doth not defile himself among his people -- to pollute himself;
5 they do not make baldness on their head, and the corner of their beard they do not shave, and in their flesh they do not make a cutting;
6 they are holy to their God, and they pollute not the name of their God, for the fire-offerings of Jehovah, bread of their God, they are bringing near, and have been holy.
7 `A woman, a harlot, or polluted, they do not take, and a woman cast out from her husband they do not take, for he `is' holy to his God;
8 and thou hast sanctified him, for the bread of thy God he is bringing near; he is holy to thee; for holy `am' I, Jehovah, sanctifying you.
9 `And a daughter of any priest when she polluteth herself by going a-whoring -- her father she is polluting; with fire she is burnt.
10 `And the high priest of his brethren, on whose head is poured the anointing oil, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments, his head doth not uncover, nor rend his garments,
11 nor beside any dead person doth he come; for his father and for his mother he doth not defile himself;
12 nor from the sanctuary doth he go out, nor doth he pollute the sanctuary of his God, for the separation of the anointing oil of his God `is' on him; I `am' Jehovah.
13 `And he taketh a wife in her virginity;
14 widow, or cast out, or polluted one -- a harlot -- these he doth not take, but a virgin of his own people he doth take `for' a wife,
15 and he doth not pollute his seed among his people; for I `am' Jehovah, sanctifying him.'
16 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
17 `Speak unto Aaron, saying, No man of thy seed to their generations in whom there is blemish doth draw near to bring near the bread of his God,
18 for no man in whom `is' blemish doth draw near -- a man blind, or lame or dwarfed, or enlarged,
19 or a man in whom there is a breach in the foot, or a breach in the hand,
20 or hump-backed, or a dwarf, or with a mixture in his eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled.
21 `No man in whom is blemish (of the seed of Aaron the priest) doth come nigh to bring near the fire-offerings of Jehovah; blemish `is' in him; the bread of his God he doth not come nigh to bring near.
22 `Bread of his God -- of the most holy things, and of the holy things -- he doth eat;
23 only, unto the vail he doth not enter, and unto the altar he doth not draw nigh; for blemish `is' in him; and he doth not pollute My sanctuaries; for I `am' Jehovah, sanctifying them.'
24 And Moses speaketh unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the sons of Israel.
1 And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none make himself unclean for a dead person among his peoples,
2 except for his immediate relation, who is near unto him -- for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother;
3 and for his sister, a virgin, that is near unto him, who hath had no husband, for her may he make himself unclean.
4 He shall not make himself unclean [who is] a chief among his peoples, to profane himself.
5 They shall not make any baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they present Jehovah's offerings by fire, the bread of their God; therefore shall they be holy.
7 They shall not take as wife a whore, or a dishonoured woman; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband; for he is holy unto his God.
8 And thou shalt hallow him; for the bread of thy God doth he present: he shall be holy unto thee; for I, Jehovah, who hallow you am holy.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burned with fire.
10 And the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his garments.
11 Neither shall he come near any person dead, nor make himself unclean for his father and for his mother;
12 neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am Jehovah.
13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a dishonoured one, a harlot, these shall he not take; but he shall take as wife a virgin from among his peoples.
15 And he shall not profane his seed among his peoples; for I am Jehovah who do hallow him.
16 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Any of thy seed throughout their generations that hath any defect, shall not approach to present the bread of his God;
18 for whatever man hath a defect, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or one limb longer than the other,
19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,
20 or hump-backed, or withered, or that hath a spot in his eye, or hath the itch, or scabs, or his testicles broken.
21 No man of the seed of Aaron the priest that hath defect shall come near to present Jehovah's offerings by fire: he hath a defect; he shall not come near to present the bread of his God.
22 The bread of his God, of the most holy and of the holy, shall he eat;
23 only he shall not come in unto the veil, nor shall he draw near unto the altar; for he hath a defect: that he profane not my sanctuaries; for I am Jehovah who do hallow them.
24 And Moses told it to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.
1 Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, 'A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people;
2 except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,
3 and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
4 He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
5 "'They shall not shave their heads, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
7 "'They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband: for he is holy to his God.
8 You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God: he shall be holy to you: for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.
9 "'The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burned with fire.
10 "'He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, nor tear his clothes;
11 neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
12 neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am Yahweh.
13 "'He shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife.
15 He shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.'"
16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
17 "Say to Aaron, 'None of your seed throughout their generations who has a blemish, may approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 For whatever man he is that has a blemish, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,
19 or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,
20 or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles;
21 no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, who has a blemish, shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
23 He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a blemish; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.'"
24 So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.
1 And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, Let no man make himself unclean for the dead among his people;
2 But only for his near relations, for his mother or his father, his son or his daughter, and his brother;
3 And for his sister, a virgin, for she is his near relation and has had no husband, he may make himself unclean.
4 But let him, being a chief among his people, not make himself unclean in such a way as to put shame on himself.
5 They are not to have their hair cut off for the dead, or the hair on their chins cut short, or make cuts in their flesh.
6 Let them be holy to their God and not make the name of their God common; for the fire offerings of the Lord and the bread of their God are offered by them, and they are to be holy.
7 They may not take as wife a loose or common woman, or one who has been put away by her husband: for the priest is holy to his God.
8 And he is to be holy in your eyes, for by him the bread of your God is offered; he is to be holy in your eyes, for I the Lord, who make you holy, am holy.
9 And if the daughter of a priest makes herself common and by her loose behaviour puts shame on her father, let her be burned with fire.
10 And he who is the chief priest among his brothers, on whose head the holy oil has been put, who is marked out to put on the holy robes, may not let his hair go loose or have his clothing out of order as a sign of sorrow.
11 He may not go near any dead body or make himself unclean for his father or his mother;
12 He may not go out of the holy place or make the holy place of his God common; for the crown of the holy oil of his God is on him: I am the Lord.
13 And let him take as his wife one who has not had relations with a man.
14 A widow, or one whose husband has put her away, or a common woman of loose behaviour, may not be the wife of a priest; but let him take a virgin from among his people.
15 And he may not make his seed unclean among his people, for I the Lord have made him holy.
16 And the Lord said to Moses,
17 Say to Aaron, If a man of your family, in any generation, is damaged in body, let him not come near to make the offering of the bread of his God.
18 For any man whose body is damaged may not come near: one who is blind, or has not the use of his legs, or one who has a broken nose or any unnatural growth,
19 Or a man with broken feet or hands,
20 Or one whose back is bent, or one who is unnaturally small, or one who has a damaged eye, or whose skin is diseased, or whose sex parts are damaged;
21 No man of the offspring of Aaron whose body is damaged in any way may come near to give the fire offerings of the Lord: he is damaged, he may not come near to make the offerings.
22 He may take of the bread of God, the holy and the most holy;
23 But he may not go inside the veil or come near the altar, because he is damaged; and he may not make my holy places common; for I the Lord have made them holy.
24 These are the words which Moses said to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 21
Commentary on Leviticus 21 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Holiness of the Priests, of the Holy Gifts, and of Sacrifices - Leviticus 21-22
The Sanctification of the Priests. - As the whole nation was to strive after sanctification in all the duties of life, on account of its calling as a nation of God, the priests, whom Jehovah had chosen out of the whole nation to be the custodians of His sanctuary, and had sanctified to that end, were above all to prove themselves the sanctified servants of the Lord in their domestic life and the duties of their calling. (1) They were not to defile themselves by touching the dead or by signs of mourning (Leviticus 21:1-6 and Leviticus 21:10-12); (2) they were to contract and maintain a spotless marriage (Leviticus 21:7-9 and Leviticus 21:13-15); and (3) those members of the priesthood who had any bodily failings were to keep away from the duties of the priests' office (Leviticus 21:16-24).
The priest was not to defile himself on account of a soul, i.e., a dead person ( nephesh , as in Leviticus 19:28), among his countrymen, unless it were of his kindred, who stood near to him (i.e., in the closest relation to him), formed part of the same family with him (cf. Leviticus 21:3), such as his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or a sister who was still living with him as a virgin and was not betrothed to a husband (cf. Ezekiel 44:25). As every corpse not only defiled the persons who touched it, but also the tent or dwelling in which the person had died (Numbers 19:11, Numbers 19:14); in the case of death among members of the family or household, defilement was not to be avoided on the part of the priest as the head of the family. It was therefore allowable for him to defile himself on account of such persons as these, and even to take part in their burial. The words of Leviticus 21:4 are obscure: “ He shall not defile himself בּעמּיו בּעל , i.e., as lord (pater-familias) among his countrymen, to desecrate himself;” and the early translators have wandered in uncertainty among different renderings. In all probability בּעל denotes the master of the house or husband. But, for all that, the explanation given by Knobel and others, “as a husband he shall not defile himself on the death of his wife, his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, by taking part in their burial,” is decidedly to be rejected. For, apart from the unwarrantable introduction of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, there is sufficient to prevent our thinking of defilement on the death of a wife, in the fact that the wife is included in the “kin that is near unto him” in Leviticus 21:2, though not in the way that many Rabbins suppose, who maintain that שׁאר signifies wife, but implicite , the wife not being expressly mentioned, because man and wife form one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and the wife stands nearer to the husband than father and mother, son and daughter, or brother and sister. Nothing is proved by appealing to the statement made by Plutarch , that the priests of the Romans were not allowed to defile themselves by touching the corpses of their wives; inasmuch as there is no trace of this custom to be found among the Israelites, and the Rabbins, for this very reason, suppose the death of an illegitimate wife to be intended. The correct interpretation of the words can only be arrived at by considering the relation of the fourth verse to what precedes and follows. As Leviticus 21:1-3 stand in a very close relation to Leviticus 21:5 and Leviticus 21:6, - the defilement on account of a dead person being more particularly explained in the latter, or rather, strictly speaking, greater force being given to the prohibition, - it is natural to regard Leviticus 21:4 as standing in a similar relation to Leviticus 21:7, and to understand it as a general prohibition, which is still more clearly expounded in Leviticus 21:7 and Leviticus 21:9. The priest was not to defile himself as a husband and the head of a household, either by marrying a wife of immoral or ambiguous reputation, or by training his children carelessly, so as to desecrate himself, i.e., profane the holiness of his rank and office by either one or the other (cf. Leviticus 21:9 and Leviticus 21:15). - In Leviticus 21:5 desecration is forbidden in the event of a death occurring. He was not to shave a bald place upon his head. According to the Chethib יקרחה is to be pointed with ה - attached, and the Keri יקרחוּ is a grammatical alteration to suit the plural suffix in בּראשׁם , which is obviously to be rejected on account of the parallel יגלּחוּ לא זקנם וּפאת . In both of the clauses there is a constructio ad sensum , the prohibition which is addressed to individuals being applicable to the whole: upon their head shall no one shave a bald place, namely, in front above the forehead, “between the eyes” (Deuteronomy 14:1). We may infer from the context that reference is made to a customary mode of mourning for the dead; and this is placed beyond all doubt by Deuteronomy 14:1, where it is forbidden to all the Israelites “for the dead.” According to Herodotus , 2, 36, the priests in Egypt were shaven, whereas in other places they wore their hair long. In other nations it was customary for those who were more immediately concerned to shave their heads as a sign of mourning; but the Egyptians let their hair grow both upon their head and chin when any of their relations were dead, whereas they shaved at other times. The two other outward signs of mourning mentioned, namely, cutting off the edge of the beard and making incisions in the body, have already been forbidden in Leviticus 19:27-28, and the latter is repeated in Deuteronomy 14:1. The reason for the prohibition is given in Leviticus 21:6 - “ they shall be holy unto their God, ” and therefore not disfigure their head and body by signs of passionate grief, and so profane the name of their God when they offer the firings of Jehovah; that is to say, when they serve and approach the God who has manifested Himself to His people as the Holy One. On the epithet applied to the sacrifices, “the food of God,” see at Leviticus 3:11 and Leviticus 3:16.
Their marriage and their domestic life were also to be in keeping with their holy calling. They were not to marry a whore (i.e., a public prostitute), or a fallen woman, or a woman put away (divorced) from her husband, that is to say, any person of notoriously immoral life, for this would be irreconcilable with the holiness of the priesthood, but (as may be seen from this in comparison with Leviticus 21:14) only a virgin or widow of irreproachable character. She need not be an Israelite, but might be the daughter of a stranger living among the Israelites; only she must not be an idolater or a Canaanite, for the Israelites were all forbidden to marry such a woman (Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3).
Leviticus 21:8
“ Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, ” that is to say, not merely “respect his holy dignity” ( Knobel ), but take care that he did not desecrate his office by a marriage so polluted. The Israelites as a nation are addressed in the persons of their chiefs. The second clause of the verse, “ he shall be holy unto thee, ” contains the same thought. The repetition strengthens the exhortation. The reason assigned for the first clause is the same as in Leviticus 21:6; and that for the second, the same as in Leviticus 20:8, Leviticus 20:26; Exodus 31:13, etc.
Leviticus 21:9
The priests's family was also to lead a blameless life. If a priest's daughter began to play the whore, she profaned her father, and was to be burned, i.e., to be stoned and then burned (see Leviticus 20:14). כּהן אישׁ , a man who is a priest, a priest-man.
The high priest was to maintain a spotless purity in a higher degree still. He, whose head had been anointed with oil, and who had been sanctified to put on the holy clothes (see Leviticus 8:7-12 and Leviticus 7:37), was not to go with his hair flying loose when a death had taken place, nor to rend his clothes (see Leviticus 10:6), nor to go in to any dead body ( מת נפשׁת souls of a departed one, i.e., dead persons); he was not to defile himself (cf. Leviticus 21:2) on account of his father and mother (i.e., when they were dead), nor to go out of the sanctuary funeris nempe causa ( Ros .), to give way to his grief or attend the funeral. We are not to understand by this, however, that the sanctuary was to be his constant abode, as Bähr and Baumgarten maintain (cf. Leviticus 10:7). “ Neither shall he profane the sanctuary of his God, ” sc., by any defilement of his person which he could and ought to avoid; “ for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him ” (cf. Leviticus 10:7), and defilement was incompatible with this. נזר does not mean the diadem of the high priest here, as in Exodus 29:6; Exodus 39:30, but consecration (see at Numbers 6:7).
He was only to marry a woman in her virginity, not a widow, a woman put away, or a fallen woman, a whore ( זונה without a copulative is in apposition to חללה a fallen girl, who was to be the same to him as a whore), but “a virgin of his own people,” that is to say, only an Israelitish woman.
“ Neither shall he profane his seed (posterity) among his people, ” sc., by contracting a marriage that was not in keeping with the holiness of his rank.
Directions for the sons (descendants) of Aaron who were afflicted with bodily imperfections. As the spiritual nature of a man is reflected in his bodily form, only a faultless condition of body could correspond to the holiness of the priest; just as the Greeks and Romans required, for the very same reason, that the priests should be ὁλόκληροι , integri corporis ( Plato de legg. 6, 759; Seneca excerpt. controv. 4, 2; Plutarch quaest. rom. 73). Consequently none of the descendants of Aaron, “according to their generations,” i.e., in all future generations (see Exodus 12:14), who had any blemish ( mum , μῶμος , bodily fault) were to approach the vail, i.e., enter the holy place, or draw near to the altar (in the court) to offer the food of Jehovah, viz., the sacrifices. No blind man, or lame man, or charum , κολοβόριν (from κολοβός and ῥίν ), naso mutilus (lxx), i.e., one who had sustained any mutilation, especially in the face, on the nose, ears, lips, or eyes, not merely one who had a flat or stunted nose; or שׂרוּע , lit., stretched out, i.e., one who had anything beyond what was normal, an ill-formed bodily member therefore; so that a man who had more than ten fingers and ten toes might be so regarded (2 Samuel 21:20).
Whoever had a fracture in his foot or hand.
גּבּן a hump-backed man. דּק , lit., crushed to powder, fine: as distinguished from the former, it signified one how had an unnaturally thin or withered body or member, not merely consumptive or wasted away. בּעינו תּבלּל mixed, i.e., spotted in his eye, one who had a white speck in his eye ( Onk., Vulg., Saad. ), not blear-eyed (lxx). גּרב , which occurs nowhere else except in Leviticus 22:22 and Deuteronomy 28:27, signifies, according to the ancient versions, the itch; and ילּפת , which only occurs here and in Leviticus 22:22, the ring-worm (lxx, Targ ., etc.). אשׁך מרוח , crushed in the stones, one who had crushed or softened stones; for in Isaiah 38:21, the only other place where מרח occurs, it signifies, not to rub to pieces, but to squeeze out, to lay in a squeezed or liquid form upon the wound: the Sept. rendering is μόνορχις , having only one stone. Others understand the word as signifying ruptured ( Vulg., Saad. ), or with swollen testicles ( Juda ben Karish ). All that is certain is, that we are not to think of castration of any kind (cf. Deuteronomy 23:2), and that there is not sufficient ground for altering the text into מרוח extension.
Persons afflicted in the manner described might eat the bread of their God, however, the sacrificial gifts, the most holy and the holy, i.e., the wave-offerings, the first-fruits, the firstlings, tithes and things laid under a ban (Numbers 18:11-19 and Numbers 18:26-29), - that is to say, they might eat them like the rest of the priests; but they were not allowed to perform any priestly duty, that they might not desecrate the sanctuary of the Lord (Leviticus 21:23, cf. Leviticus 21:12).
Moses communicated these instructions to Aaron and his sons.