The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 21 -

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,

except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,

or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.

He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.

Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.

They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.

A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.

You 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.

If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.

The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose

(a)

or tear his garments.

He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.

He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD.

The woman he marries must be a virgin.

He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,

so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”

Restrictions against Those with Blemishes

Then the LORD said to Moses,

“Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God.

No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;

no man who has a broken foot or hand,

or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.

No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.

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

but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Footnotes

(a)21:10 Or must not uncover his head

The LORD 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,

except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,

and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.

He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.

They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the bread of their God. Therefore they shall be holy.

“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.

Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

“‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes.

He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his mother.

He shall not 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.

“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.

He shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute. He shall take a virgin of his own people as a wife.

He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.’”

Restrictions against Those with Blemishes

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.

For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,

or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,

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.

No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

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

He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.