Leviticus 21
Big idea: If the whole nation is to be holy, those who handle holy things live under tighter limits still. A priest may not defile himself for the dead except for his closest family; the high priest may not do so even for his father or mother. Mourning practices that are merely forbidden to Israel — shaving the head, cutting the flesh — are named again for the priests, and marriage is restricted. Then the hardest paragraph in the chapter: a descendant of Aaron with a physical defect may not approach the veil or the altar. But the law does not put him outside — he shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy. He is provided for and belongs; he simply does not officiate.
Chapter 21 restricts who may approach the holy things. Chapter 22 restricts what may be eaten of them, and what may be offered on the altar.
21:1–9 — The priests: mourning, marriage, and a daughter
A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people, except for his nearest relatives — mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and an unmarried sister. He is a chief man among his people and must not profane himself. He may not shave his head, shave the corners of his beard, or make cuttings in his flesh; he is holy to his God because he offers the bread of his God. He may not marry a prostitute, a profane woman, or a divorced woman, for he is holy to his God — and the people are told to sanctify him. A priest's daughter who plays the prostitute profanes her father, and shall be burned with fire.
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 or shave off the corners of their beards or 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. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. 8 Therefore you shall sanctify him, 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.
21:10–15 — The high priest
The one upon whose head the anointing oil is poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments may not let his hair hang loose or tear his clothes. He must not go in to any dead body — not even for his father or his mother. He shall not go out of the sanctuary or profane it, for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. He must marry a virgin of his own people, not a widow, a divorced woman, a defiled woman or a prostitute, so that he does not profane his offspring — for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.
10 “‘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. 11 He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his mother. 12 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 Yahweh. 13 “‘He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 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. 15 He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.’”
21:16–24 — A defect, and a place at the table
No descendant of Aaron with a physical defect may approach to offer the bread of his God — blindness, lameness, a flat nose, a deformity, an injured foot or hand, being hunchbacked or a dwarf, an eye defect, an itching disease, scabs, damaged testicles. He shall not come near the veil or the altar, that he may not profane the sanctuaries. But the very next sentence secures his living: he shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy. Moses spoke this to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.
16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 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, 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 offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a defect, 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 defect; 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.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).