21 2 For whom the Priests may lament. 6 How pure the Priests ought to be, both in themselves, and in their family.
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the Priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, Let none be [a]defiled by the dead among his people,
2 But by his kinsman that is near unto him: to wit, by his mother, or by his father, or by his son, or by his daughter, or by his brother,
3 Or by his sister a [b]maid, that is near unto him, which had not had an husband: for her [c]he may lament.
4 He shall not lament for the [d]Prince among his people, to pollute himself.
5 They shall not make (A)bald parts upon their head, nor shave off the locks of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not pollute the Name of their God: for the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
7 They shall not take to wife an whore, or [e]one polluted, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband: for such one is holy unto his God.
8 Thou shalt [f]sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the [g]bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord which sanctify you, am holy.
9 ¶ If a Priest’s daughter fall to play the whore, she polluteth her father: therefore shall she be burnt with fire.
10 ¶ Also the high Priest among his brethren, (upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments) shall not [h]uncover his head nor rent his clothes.
11 Neither shall he go to any [i]dead body, nor make himself unclean by his father or by his mother,
12 Neither shall he go out of the [j]Sanctuary, nor pollute the holy place of his God: for the [k]crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord.
13 Also he shall take a maid unto his wife:
14 But a widow, or a divorced woman, or a polluted, or an harlot, these shall he not marry, but shall take a maid of his own [l]people to wife:
15 Neither shall he defile his [m]seed among his people: for I am the Lord which sanctify him.
16 ¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Speak unto Aaron, and say, Whosoever of thy seed in their generations hath any blemishes, shall not prease to offer the bread of his God:
18 For whosoever hath any blemish, shall not come near: as a man blind or lame, or that hath [n]a flat nose, or that hath any [o]misshapen member,
19 Or, a man that hath a broken foot, or a broken hand,
20 Or, is crookbacked, or bleary-eyed, [p]or hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken.
21 None of the seed of Aaron the Priest that hath a blemish, shall come near to offer the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire, having a blemish: he shall not prease to offer the [q]bread of his God.
22 The bread of his God, even of the [r]most holy, and [s]of the holy shall he eat:
23 But he shall not go in unto the [t]veil, nor come near the altar, because he hath a blemish, lest he pollute my Sanctuaries: for I am the Lord that sanctify them.
24 Thus spake Moses unto Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 21:1 By touching the dead, lamenting, or being at their burial.
- Leviticus 21:3 For being married she seemed to be cut off from his family.
- Leviticus 21:3 Hebrew, he may be defiled.
- Leviticus 21:4 The Priest was permitted to mourn for his next kindred only.
- Leviticus 21:7 Which hath an evil name or is defamed.
- Leviticus 21:8 Thou shalt count them holy and reverence them.
- Leviticus 21:8 The showbread.
- Leviticus 21:10 He shall use no such ceremonies as the mourners observed.
- Leviticus 21:11 Or, to the houses of the dead.
- Leviticus 21:12 To go to the dead.
- Leviticus 21:12 For by his anointing he was preferred to the other Priests and therefore could not lament the dead, lest he should have polluted his holy anointing.
- Leviticus 21:14 Not only of his tribe, but of all Israel.
- Leviticus 21:15 By marrying any unchaste or defamed woman.
- Leviticus 21:18 Which is deformed or bruised.
- Leviticus 21:18 As not of equal proportion, or having in number more or less.
- Leviticus 21:20 Or that hath a web or pearl.
- Leviticus 21:21 As the showbread, and meat offerings.
- Leviticus 21:22 As of sacrifice for sin.
- Leviticus 21:22 As of the tenths and firstfruits.
- Leviticus 21:23 Into the Sanctuary.