Leviticus 22
Big idea: Two questions are settled here. First, who may eat the holy things — a priest with uncleanness on him may not, until evening and a bath; a leper or a man with a discharge may not, until clean; a foreigner or hired servant may not, but a slave bought with the priest's money and those born in his house may. A priest's daughter married outside loses the right; widowed or divorced and returned home, she regains it. Second, what may be offered — a male without defect, nothing blind, injured, maimed, festering. A newborn animal stays seven days with its mother; a cow and her calf are not killed on the same day. The chapter closes on the reason: I am Yahweh who makes you holy, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Chapter 22 ends by naming Yahweh as the one who makes Israel holy. Chapter 23 shows how a year is shaped around him — the calendar of appointed feasts.
22:1–9 — Uncleanness and the holy things
Aaron and his sons must keep clear of the holy things when unclean, so they do not profane the holy name. Anyone of Aaron's offspring who approaches with uncleanness on him is cut off. A leper or a man with a discharge may not eat the holy things until clean; so with anyone who touches a corpse-uncleanness, a seminal emission, a creeping thing, or an unclean man. Such a person is unclean until evening and may not eat unless he bathes; when the sun is down he is clean, and then he may eat, because it is his bread. He must not eat what dies of itself or is torn. Keep the commandment, lest they bear sin and die.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am Yahweh. 3 “Tell them, ‘If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am Yahweh. 4 “‘Whoever of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has a discharge shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man who has a seminal emission, 5 or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he may be made unclean, or a man from whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has— 6 the person that touches any such shall be unclean until the evening, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he bathes his body in water. 7 When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread. 8 He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am Yahweh. 9 “‘They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it and die in it, if they profane it. I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.
22:10–16 — Who eats the priest's bread
No outsider eats the holy thing — not a foreigner living with the priests, not a hired servant. But a slave the priest bought with his money may eat, and so may those born in his house. A priest's daughter married to an outsider may not eat the heave offering; but if she is widowed or divorced with no child and has returned to her father's house as in her youth, she may eat of her father's bread. If a man eats something holy unwittingly, he adds a fifth of its value and gives the holy thing to the priest. The priests must not profane Israel's holy things and so cause guilt.
10 “‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. 11 But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread. 12 If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things. 13 But if a 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 of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it. 14 “‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest. 15 The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh, 16 and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’”
22:17–25 — Without defect, that you may be accepted
Addressed to Israel and the foreigners among them: a vow or freewill burnt offering must be a male without defect from the bulls, sheep or goats — that you may be accepted. Nothing with a defect is acceptable. A peace offering for a vow or freewill offering must be perfect. Nothing blind, injured, maimed, warted, festering or with a running sore may be offered. An animal with a deformity or a missing part may be given as a freewill offering but not for a vow. Nothing with damaged testicles may be offered — you must not do this in your land — nor may such animals be accepted from a foreigner's hand.
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their free will offerings, which they offer to Yahweh for a burnt offering: 19 that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21 Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect. 22 You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to Yahweh, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to Yahweh. 23 Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24 You must not offer to Yahweh that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land. 25 You must not offer any of these as the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’”
22:26–33 — Seven days with its mother
A newborn bull, sheep or goat stays seven days with its mother, and may be offered from the eighth day on. A cow or ewe and its young are not killed on the same day. A thanksgiving sacrifice is offered so that you may be accepted, and eaten the same day with none left until morning. Then the closing charge: keep my commandments and do them. You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am Yahweh who makes you holy, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God.
26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 28 Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day. 29 “When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Yahweh, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am Yahweh. 31 “Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am Yahweh. 32 You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am Yahweh who makes you holy, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).