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
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 21
Commentary on Leviticus 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Le 21:1-24. Of the Priests' Mourning.
1. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people—The obvious design of the regulations contained in this chapter was to keep inviolate the purity and dignity of the sacred office. Contact with a corpse, or even contiguity to the place where it lay, entailing ceremonial defilement (Nu 19:14), all mourners were debarred from the tabernacle for a week; and as the exclusion of a priest during that period would have been attended with great inconvenience, the whole order were enjoined to abstain from all approaches to the dead, except at the funerals of relatives, to whom affection or necessity might call them to perform the last offices. Those exceptional cases, which are specified, were strictly confined to the members of their own family, within the nearest degrees of kindred.
4. But he shall not defile himself—"for any other," as the sense may be fully expressed. "The priest, in discharging his sacred functions, might well be regarded as a chief man among his people, and by these defilements might be said to profane himself" [Bishop Patrick]. The word rendered "chief man" signifies also "a husband"; and the sense according to others is, "But he being a husband, shall not defile himself by the obsequies of a wife" (Eze 44:25).
5. They shall not make baldness upon their heads … nor … cuttings in their flesh—The superstitious marks of sorrow, as well as the violent excesses in which the heathen indulged at the death of their friends, were forbidden by a general law to the Hebrew people (Le 19:28). But the priests were to be laid under a special injunction, not only that they might exhibit examples of piety in the moderation of their grief, but also by the restraint of their passions, be the better qualified to administer the consolations of religion to others, and show, by their faith in a blessed resurrection, the reasons for sorrowing not as those who have no hope.
7-9. 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 respectability of their office, and the honor of religion, required unblemished sanctity in their families as well as themselves, and departures from it in their case were visited with severer punishment than in that of others.
10-15. he that is the high priest among his brethren … shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes—The indulgence in the excepted cases of family bereavement, mentioned above [Le 21:2, 3], which was granted to the common priests, was denied to him; for his absence from the sanctuary for the removal of any contracted defilement could not have been dispensed with, neither could he have acted as intercessor for the people, unless ceremonially clean. Moreover, the high dignity of his office demanded a corresponding superiority in personal holiness, and stringent rules were prescribed for the purpose of upholding the suitable dignity of his station and family. The same rules are extended to the families of Christian ministers (1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:6).
16-24. Whosoever he be … hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God—As visible things exert a strong influence on the minds of men, any physical infirmity or malformation of body in the ministers of religion, which disturbs the associations or excites ridicule, tends to detract from the weight and authority of the sacred office. Priests laboring under any personal defect were not allowed to officiate in the public service; they might be employed in some inferior duties about the sanctuary but could not perform any sacred office. In all these regulations for preserving the unsullied purity of the sacred character and office, there was a typical reference to the priesthood of Christ (Heb 7:26).