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Leviticus Chapter 21 (WEB)

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Leviticus 21: Rules for the Priesthood
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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, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beards, nor 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; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband: for he is holy to his God.

8 You shall sanctify him therefore; 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.

10 \"'He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, nor tear his clothes;

11 neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

12 neither shall he 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 A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife.

15 He shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.'\"

16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

17 \"Say to Aaron, 'None of your seed throughout their generations who has a blemish, may approach to offer the bread of his God.

18 For whatever man he is that has a blemish, 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 seed of Aaron the priest, who has a blemish, shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since has a blemish, 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 blemish; 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Leviticus chapter 21 about?
Leviticus 21 sets extra holiness restrictions on the priests, limiting who they could mourn for and marry, and forbidding a priest with a physical blemish from approaching the altar to make offerings.
What special restrictions applied to the high priest specifically?
Verses 10-12 forbid the high priest from uncovering his head, tearing his clothes, or even leaving the sanctuary to mourn for his own father or mother, the same instruction Moses gave Aaron after his sons' deaths in Leviticus 10:6-7.
Could a priest with a disability still serve in any capacity?
Verse 22 says a blemished priest could still eat the holy bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy portions, but verse 23 barred him from going near the veil or the altar itself.

Today's Verse

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

Ezekiel 17:2 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

The high priest faces even stricter limits in verses 10-15, unable to mourn even for his own parents. The chapter closes by listing physical blemishes that bar a priest from the altar, before Leviticus 22 turns to who may eat the holy offerings.