Leviticus Chapter 22
1 The LORD 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 the LORD.
3 "Tell them, 'If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am the LORD.
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 whereby 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 the LORD.
9 " 'They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it and die in it, if they profane it. I am the LORD 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.
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 the LORD,
16 and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.' "
17 The LORD 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 the LORD 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 the LORD 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 the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the LORD.
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 the LORD 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.' "
26 The LORD 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 the LORD.
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 the LORD, 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 the LORD.
31 "Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am the LORD.
32 You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy amongst the children of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy,
33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD."
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Leviticus Chapter 22 Guide
Instructions already given are now repeated with greater detail and wider application. Not only must the priest himself be free from blemish and defilement, he must see to it that all that which he offered was to be of h e same character. Yet again, he was not to exercise hospitality toward those who were unclean or strangers to the covenant of the things which pertained to the House of his God.
These stringent instructions closed with a reaffirmation of the reason, which had been given in other connections, "I am Jehovah ... I will be hallowed among the children of Israel." Thus these people were never allowed to lose sight of the fact that the deepest purpose of their existence was the manifestation of the truth concerning God. All the degradation existing among the nations was due to the false ideas of God which characterized their life and worship. Jehovah is the God of holiness because He is essentially the God of love. These are the profoundest things that nations can learn. A people created for their manifestation must share in that holiness and in that love. Hence the absolute necessity for entire loyalty in personal life and relative conduct of the men who are to interpret to the surrounding nations the truth concerning God.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Leviticus Chapter 22 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Laws concerning the priests and sacrifices.
Verses 1-33
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.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.