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.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 21
Commentary on Leviticus 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
This chapter might borrow its title from Mal. 2:1, "And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.' It is a law obliging priests with the utmost care and jealousy to preserve the dignity of their priesthood.
Lev 21:1-9
It was before appointed that the priests should teach the people the statutes God had given concerning the difference between clean and unclean, ch. 10:10, 11. Now here it is provided that they should themselves observe what they were to teach the people. Note, Those whose office it is to instruct must do it by example as well as precept, 1 Tim. 4:12. The priests were to draw nearer to God than any of the people, and to be more intimately conversant with sacred things, and therefore it was required of them that they should keep at a greater distance than others from every thing that was defiling and might diminish the honour of their priesthood.
Lev 21:10-15
More was expected from a priest than from other people, but more from the high priest than from other priests, because upon his head the anointing oil was poured, and he was consecrated to put on the garments (v. 10), both which were typical of the anointing and adorning of the Lord Jesus, with all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, which he received without measure. It is called the crown of the anointing oil of his God (v. 12); for the anointing of the Spirit is, to all that have it, a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty. The high priest being thus dignified,
Lev 21:16-24
The priesthood being confined to one particular family, and entailed upon all the male issue of that family throughout their generations, it was very likely that some or other in after-ages that were born to the priesthood would have natural blemishes and deformities: the honour of the priesthood would not secure them from any of those calamities which are common to men. Divers blemishes are here specified; some that were ordinarily for life, as blindness; others that might be for a time, as a scurf or scab, and, when they were gone, the disability ceased. Now,