Leviticus 22WEB
Books
All books

Leviticus22

World English Bible · Public Domain

1Yahweh 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,

5or 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—

6the 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.

7When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread.

8He 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.

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.

11But 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.

12If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things.

13But 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.

15The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh,

16and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’”

17Yahweh 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:

19that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21Whoever 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.

22You 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.

23Either 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.

24You must not offer to Yahweh that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land.

25You 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.’”

26Yahweh 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.

28Whether 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.

30It 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.

32You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am Yahweh who makes you holy,

33who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh.”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 22.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Laws concerning the priests and sacrifices. (1-33).

vv1-33

In this chapter we have divers laws concerning the priests and sacrifices, all for preserving the honour of the sanctuary. Let us recollect with gratitude that our great High Priest cannot be hindered by any thing from the discharge of his office. Let us also remember, that the Lord requires us to reverence his name, his truths, his ordinances, and commandments. Let us beware of hypocrisy, and examine ourselves concerning our sinful defilements, seeking to be purified from them in the blood of Christ, and by his sanctifying Spirit. Whoever attempts to expiate his own sin, or draws near in the pride of self-righteousness, puts as great an affront on Christ, as he who comes to the Lord's table from the gratification of sinful lusts. Nor can the minister who loves the souls of the people, suffer them to continue in this dangerous delusion. He must call upon them, not only to repent of their sins, and forsake them; but to put their whole trust in the atonement of Christ, by faith in his name, for pardon and acceptance with God; thus only will the Lord make them holy, as his own people.

Cross References

Leviticus 22
v8Exodus 22:31thematic

Exodus prohibits eating torn meat; matches Leviticus forbidding priests from eating what dieth of itself.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v10Matthew 12:4allusion

Jesus references this restriction regarding the showbread, which was only lawful for priests to eat.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v19Malachi 1:8thematic

Malachi rebukes Israel for offering blind, lame, and sick animals in violation of this law.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Deuteronomy explicitly forbids sacrificing any animal with a blemish, such as lameness or blindness.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v22Malachi 1:8thematic

Condemns offering blind, lame, or sick animals, directly mirroring the prohibitions of Leviticus 22:22.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v31Deuteronomy 4:1thematic

Calvin highlights that keeping the commandments is the beginning of a good and upright life.

Supported by John Calvin

v2Exodus 28:38thematic

Aaron bears the iniquity of holy things to prevent profaning the Lord's holy name.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Leviticus 22:32thematic

Repeats the vital injunction that the priests and people must not profane God's holy name.

Supported by John Calvin

v3Leviticus 7:20thematic

Defines the penalty of being cut off for eating peace offerings while ceremonially unclean.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v11Genesis 17:13thematic

Establishes status of servants bought with money or born in the house, qualifying them to eat.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v20Hebrews 9:14typology

The requirement of physical blemishless animals prefigures Christ, who offered Himself without spot to God.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Expands on the requirement to perform vows made to God without slackness or defect.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Connects blemishes that disqualify priests with those that disqualify sacrificial animals.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v25Malachi 1:12-14thematic

Rebukes the offering of blemished sacrifices as profaning God's holy name.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v27Exodus 22:30thematic

Parallels the command that a newborn animal must be seven days under its dam.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Numbers 18:11thematic

Details the portions of the wave offerings assigned to Aaron's clean family members.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Ezra 2:63thematic

Priests with polluted genealogies were barred from eating holy things until cleared by Urim.

Supported by JFB

Prohibits eating anything that dieth of itself, reinforcing general holiness and blood laws.

Supported by JFB

v10Exodus 12:43thematic

Parallels the restriction that no stranger or foreigner may eat of the sacred Passover meal.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v14Leviticus 5:15thematic

Establishes restitution laws and adding a fifth part for unwitting trespass in holy things.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v22Leviticus 22:20thematic

Establishes the foundational principle that whatever has a blemish shall not be accepted.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v25Malachi 1:7thematic

Rebukes offering defiled bread on the altar, correlating to offering blemished animals.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v28Deuteronomy 22:6thematic

Commands kindness to animals, prohibiting taking the mother bird with her young.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v30Exodus 12:10thematic

Parallels the law of eating the sacrifice on the same day, leaving none until morning.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Detailing rules for peace offerings and thanksgiving sacrifices, which must be eaten quickly.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v31Numbers 15:40thematic

Links remembering and doing God's commandments with being holy unto God.

Supported by John Calvin

v32Leviticus 20:8thematic

Points to Yahweh as the one who sanctifies/hallows His covenant people.

Supported by John Calvin

v33Leviticus 11:45thematic

Stresses holiness based on God's redemption of His people from the land of Egypt.

Supported by John Calvin

Explicitly forbids sacrificing any animal with an ill blemish, such as lameness or blindness.

Supported by Matthew Poole