Holiness and the Priests

Leviticus 21

1 And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: a 'None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, 2 'except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; 3 'also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself. 4 'Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a 1 chief man among his people, to profane himself. 5 b 'They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6 'They shall be c holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the d bread of their God; e therefore they shall be holy. 7 f 'They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman g divorced from her husband; for 2 the priest is holy to his God. 8 'Therefore you shall 3 consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for h I the LORD, who i sanctify you, am holy. 9 'The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be j burned with fire.

10 'He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was k poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not l uncover 4 his head nor tear his clothes; 11 'nor shall he go m near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother; 12 n 'nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the o consecration 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 a defiled woman or a harlot - these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife. 15 'Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the LORD sanctify him.' "

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 "Speak to Aaron, saying: 'No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 'For any man who has a p defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb q too long, 19 'a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, 20 'or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. 21 'No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 'He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy; 23 'only he shall not go near the r veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest s he profane My sanctuaries; for I the LORD sanctify them.' " 24 And Moses told it to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

Leviticus 22

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they a separate 5 themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they b do not profane My holy name by what they c dedicate to Me: I am the LORD. 3 "Say to them: 'Whoever of all your descendants throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the LORD, d while he has 6 uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the LORD. 4 'Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a e leper or has f a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings g until he is clean. And h whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or i a man who has had an emission of semen, 5 'or j whoever touches any creeping thing by which he would be made unclean, or k any person by whom he would become unclean, whatever his uncleanness may be - 6 'the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he l washes his body with water. 7 'And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because m it is his food. 8 n 'Whatever dies naturally or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, to defile himself with it: I am the LORD. 9 'They shall therefore keep o My 7 ordinance, p lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, if they profane it: I the LORD sanctify them.

10 q 'No outsider shall eat the holy offering; one who 8 dwells with the priest, or a hired servant, shall not eat the holy thing. 11 'But if the priest r buys a person with his money, he may eat it; and one who is born in his house may eat his food. 12 'If the priest's daughter is married to an outsider, she may not eat of the holy offerings. 13 'But if the priest's daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father's house as in her youth, she may eat her father's food; but no outsider shall eat it. 14 'And if a man eats the holy offering unintentionally, then he shall restore a holy offering to the priest, and add one-fifth to it. 15 'They shall not profane the s holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD, 16 'or allow them to bear the guilt of trespass when they eat their holy offerings; for I the LORD sanctify them.' "

  1. Cross References
    Leviticus 19:28
    You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.
    Ezekiel 44:25
    They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves.
  2. Cross References
    Leviticus 19:27
    You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.
    Deuteronomy 14:1
    You are the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead.
    Ezekiel 44:20
    They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed.
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 22:31
    And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 3:11
    And the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 52:11
    Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the LORD.
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 44:22
    They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 24:1
    When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house.
    Deuteronomy 24:2
    When she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man's wife.
  8. Cross References
    Leviticus 11:44
    For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
    Leviticus 11:45
    For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
  9. Cross References
    Leviticus 8:12
    And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him.
    Leviticus 8:30
    Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.
  10. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 22:21
    Then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
  11. Cross References
    Leviticus 8:12
    And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him.
  12. Cross References
    Leviticus 10:6
    And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, "Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.
    Leviticus 10:7
    You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.
  13. Cross References
    Numbers 19:14
    This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days.
  14. Cross References
    Leviticus 10:7
    You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 29:6
    You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.
    Exodus 29:7
    And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
  16. Cross References
    Leviticus 22:19 - 25
    You shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats.
  17. Cross References
    Leviticus 22:23
    Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
  18. Cross References
    Leviticus 16:2
    And the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
  19. Cross References
    Leviticus 21:12
    Nor 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 the LORD.
  20. Cross References
    Numbers 6:3
    He shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.
  21. Cross References
    Leviticus 18:21
    And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 28:38
    So it shall be on Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
    Leviticus 16:19
    Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
    Leviticus 25:10
    And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.
    Numbers 18:32
    'And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.'"
    Deuteronomy 15:19
    All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
  23. Cross References
    Leviticus 7:20
    But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people.
    Leviticus 7:21
    'Moreover the person who touches any unclean thing, such as human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any abominable unclean thing, and who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.'"
    Numbers 19:13
    Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him.
  24. Cross References
    Numbers 5:2
    Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.
  25. Cross References
    Leviticus 15:2
    Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.
  26. Cross References
    Leviticus 14:2
    This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest.
    Leviticus 15:13
    And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in running water; then he shall be clean.
  27. Cross References
    Leviticus 11:24 - 28
    By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening.
    Leviticus 11:39
    And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.
    Leviticus 11:40
    He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.
    Numbers 19:11
    He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.
  28. Cross References
    Leviticus 15:16
    If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening.
    Leviticus 15:17
    And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening.
  29. Cross References
    Leviticus 11:23 - 28
    But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.
  30. Cross References
    Leviticus 15:7
    And he who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
    Leviticus 15:19
    If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.
  31. Cross References
    Leviticus 15:5
    And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
  32. Cross References
    Leviticus 21:22
    He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy.
    Numbers 18:11
    This also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
    Numbers 18:13
    Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
  33. Cross References
    Exodus 22:31
    And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not ...
    Leviticus 7:24
    And the fat of an animal that dies naturally, a...
    Leviticus 11:39
    And if any animal which you may eat dies, he wh...
    Leviticus 11:40
    He who eats of its carcass shall wash his cloth...
    Leviticus 17:15
    And every person who eats what died naturally o...
    Ezekiel 44:31
    The priests shall not eat anything, bird or bea...
  34. Cross References
    Leviticus 18:30
    'Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.'"
  35. Cross References
    Exodus 28:43
    They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.
    Leviticus 22:16
    'or allow them to bear the guilt of trespass when they eat their holy offerings; for I the LORD sanctify them.'"
    Numbers 18:22
    Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.
  36. Cross References
    Exodus 29:33
    They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy.
    Leviticus 22:13
    But if the priest's daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father's house as in her youth, she may eat her father's food; but no outsider shall eat it.
    Numbers 3:10
    "So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
  37. Cross References
    Exodus 12:44
    But every man's servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it.
  38. Cross References
    Numbers 18:32
    'And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.'"
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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