Focused Passage

Leviticus 21:1-4

Priestly Holiness, Nearness to God, and the Sanctity of Those Who Offer the LORD's Food

The LORD commands Moses to speak to Aaron's sons, giving restrictions on priestly contact with the dead, mourning customs, marriage, family dishonor, and the stricter holiness of the high priest. The chapter then addresses priests with physical defects: they may eat from the holy food but may not approach to offer the LORD's food or enter the sanctuary veil area, lest they profane the LORD's holy places.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,

2 except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,

3 or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.

4 He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Leviticus 19:28 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 44:25 Classic cross-references Numbers 19:11 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 26:14 Classic cross-references Numbers 5:2 Classic cross-references

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֤אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֔ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular Speak אֱמֹ֥ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Aaron’s אַהֲרֹ֑ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular sons בְּנֵ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct the priests הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים H3548 Article | Noun - masculine plural and tell וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular them [that] אֲלֵהֶ֔ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural [a priest] is not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to defile himself יִטַּמָּ֖א H2930 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for a dead person לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ H5315 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular among his people בְּעַמָּֽיו׃ H5971 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 2

Original words

except כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction for his immediate הַקָּרֹ֖ב H7138 Article | Adjective - masculine singular . . . אֵלָ֑יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular family לִשְׁאֵר֔וֹ H7607 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular his mother לְאִמּ֣וֹ H517 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular father וּלְאָבִ֔יו H1 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular son וְלִבְנ֥וֹ H1121 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular daughter וּלְבִתּ֖וֹ H1323 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular or brother וּלְאָחִֽיו׃ H251 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 3

Original words

or his unmarried הַבְּתוּלָה֙ H1330 Article | Noun - feminine singular sister וְלַאֲחֹת֤וֹ H269 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular who is near הַקְּרוֹבָ֣ה H7138 Article | Adjective - feminine singular to him אֵלָ֔יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular since אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative she has הָיְתָ֖ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular no לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle husband לְאִ֑ישׁ H376 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular - לָ֖הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular - יִטַּמָּֽא׃ H2930 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular

Verse 4

Cross-references

Ezekiel 24:16 Classic cross-references

Original words

He is not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to defile himself יִטַּמָּ֖א H2930 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for those related to him by marriage בַּ֣עַל H1167 Noun - masculine singular . . . בְּעַמָּ֑יו H5971 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and so profane himself לְהֵ֖חַלּֽוֹ׃ H2490 Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular

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