Focused Passage

Leviticus 21:16-24

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

16 Then the LORD said to Moses,

17 “Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God.

18 No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;

19 no man who has a broken foot or hand,

20 or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.

21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the food offerings to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.

22 He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food,

23 but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

24 Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֥ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . לֵּאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 17

Original words

Say דַּבֵּ֥ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular to אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Aaron אַהֲרֹ֖ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular - לֵאמֹ֑ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct For the generations to come לְדֹרֹתָ֗ם H1755 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural - אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular none לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle of your descendants מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֞ H2233 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular who אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative has יִהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a physical defect מ֔וּם H3971 Noun - masculine singular may approach יִקְרַ֔ב H7126 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to offer לְהַקְרִ֖יב H7126 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct the food לֶ֥חֶם H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct of his God אֱלֹהָֽיו׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

- כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction No כָל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle man אִ֛ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative has any defect מ֖וּם H3971 Noun - masculine singular may approach יִקְרָ֑ב H7126 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular no man אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular who is blind עִוֵּר֙ H5787 Adjective - masculine singular lame פִסֵּ֔חַ H6455 Adjective - masculine singular . . . א֥וֹ H176 Conjunction disfigured חָרֻ֖ם H2763 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular . . . א֥וֹ H176 Conjunction or א֣וֹ H176 Conjunction deformed שָׂרֽוּעַ׃ H8311 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

א֣וֹ א֣וֹ H176 Conjunction no man אִ֔ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative has יִהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a broken שֶׁ֣בֶר H7667 Noun - masculine singular construct foot רָ֑גֶל H7272 Noun - feminine singular or א֖וֹ H176 Conjunction . . . שֶׁ֥בֶר H7667 Noun - masculine singular construct hand יָֽד׃ H3027 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

or אֽוֹ־ H176 Conjunction who is a hunchback גִבֵּ֣ן H1384 Adjective - masculine singular or אוֹ־ H176 Conjunction dwarf דַ֔ק H1851 Adjective - masculine singular or א֖וֹ H176 Conjunction who has an eye בְּעֵינ֑וֹ H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular defect תְּבַלֻּ֣ל H8400 Noun - masculine singular a festering rash גָרָב֙ H1618 Noun - masculine singular . . . א֣וֹ H176 Conjunction scabs יַלֶּ֔פֶת H3217 Noun - feminine singular . . . א֖וֹ H176 Conjunction or א֤וֹ H176 Conjunction a crushed מְר֥וֹחַ H4790 Adjective - masculine singular construct testicle אָֽשֶׁךְ׃ H810 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

No כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . אִ֞ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular descendant מִזֶּ֙רַע֙ H2233 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of Aaron אַהֲרֹ֣ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular the priest הַכֹּהֵ֔ן H3548 Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative has a defect מ֗וּם H3971 Noun - masculine singular shall approach יִגַּ֔שׁ H5066 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to present לְהַקְרִ֖יב H7126 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the food offerings אִשֵּׁ֣י H801 Noun - masculine plural construct to the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular [Since] he has a defect מ֣וּם H3971 Noun - masculine singular - אֵ֚ת H853 Direct object marker he is not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to come near יִגַּ֖שׁ H5066 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to offer לְהַקְרִֽיב׃ H7126 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct the food לֶ֣חֶם H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct of his God אֱלֹהָ֔יו H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

He may eat יֹאכֵֽל׃ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the most מִקָּדְשֵׁ֖י H6944 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct holy הַקֳּדָשִׁ֑ים H6944 Article | Noun - masculine plural food לֶ֣חֶם H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct of his God אֱלֹהָ֔יו H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular as well as וּמִן־ H4480 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the holy [food] הַקֳּדָשִׁ֖ים H6944 Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 23

Original words

but אַ֣ךְ H389 Adverb because כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction he has a defect מ֣וּם H3971 Noun - masculine singular - וְלֹ֤א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle he must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle go יָבֹ֗א H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition near אֶל־ H413 Preposition the veil הַפָּרֹ֜כֶת H6532 Article | Noun - feminine singular or approach יִגַּ֖שׁ H5066 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the altar הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ H4196 Article | Noun - masculine singular vvv לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle so as not to desecrate יְחַלֵּל֙ H2490 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My sanctuaries מִקְדָּשַׁ֔י H4720 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular For כִּ֛י H3588 Conjunction I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular who sanctifies them מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃ H6942 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 24

Original words

Moses מֹשֶׁ֔ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular told וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular this to אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Aaron אַהֲרֹ֖ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular and his sons בָּנָ֑יו H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְאֶֽל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and to וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the Israelites בְּנֵ֖י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃פ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.