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

16Then 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.

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

19no man who has a broken foot or hand,

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

21No 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.

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

23but 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.’”

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Then the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaidוַיְדַבֵּ֥רH1696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulartoאֶל־H413PrepositionMosesמֹשֶׁ֥הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .לֵּאמֹֽר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 17

Original words

Sayדַּבֵּ֥רH1696Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singulartoאֶֽל־H413PrepositionAaronאַהֲרֹ֖ןH175Noun - proper - masculine singular-לֵאמֹ֑רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructFor the generations to comeלְדֹרֹתָ֗םH1755Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural-אִ֣ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularnoneלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleof your descendantsמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֞H2233Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularwhoאֲשֶׁ֨רH834Pronoun - relativehasיִהְיֶ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singulara physical defectמ֔וּםH3971Noun - masculine singularmay approachיִקְרַ֔בH7126Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularto offerלְהַקְרִ֖יבH7126Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructthe foodלֶ֥חֶםH3899Noun - masculine singular constructof his Godאֱלֹהָֽיו׃H430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

-כִּ֥יH3588ConjunctionNoכָל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct. . .לֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particlemanאִ֛ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularwhoאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativehas any defectמ֖וּםH3971Noun - masculine singularmay approachיִקְרָ֑בH7126Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularno manאִ֤ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularwho is blindעִוֵּר֙H5787Adjective - masculine singularlameפִסֵּ֔חַH6455Adjective - masculine singular. . .א֥וֹH176Conjunctiondisfiguredחָרֻ֖םH2763Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular. . .א֥וֹH176Conjunctionorא֣וֹH176Conjunctiondeformedשָׂרֽוּעַ׃H8311Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

א֣וֹא֣וֹH176Conjunctionno manאִ֔ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularwhoאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativehasיִהְיֶ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singulara brokenשֶׁ֣בֶרH7667Noun - masculine singular constructfootרָ֑גֶלH7272Noun - feminine singularorא֖וֹH176Conjunction. . .שֶׁ֥בֶרH7667Noun - masculine singular constructhandיָֽד׃H3027Noun - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

orאֽוֹ־H176Conjunctionwho is a hunchbackגִבֵּ֣ןH1384Adjective - masculine singularorאוֹ־H176Conjunctiondwarfדַ֔קH1851Adjective - masculine singularorא֖וֹH176Conjunctionwho has an eyeבְּעֵינ֑וֹH5869Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singulardefectתְּבַלֻּ֣לH8400Noun - masculine singulara festering rashגָרָב֙H1618Noun - masculine singular. . .א֣וֹH176Conjunctionscabsיַלֶּ֔פֶתH3217Noun - feminine singular. . .א֖וֹH176Conjunctionorא֤וֹH176Conjunctiona crushedמְר֥וֹחַH4790Adjective - masculine singular constructtesticleאָֽשֶׁךְ׃H810Noun - masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

Noכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct. . .אִ֞ישׁH376Noun - masculine singulardescendantמִזֶּ֙רַע֙H2233Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructof Aaronאַהֲרֹ֣ןH175Noun - proper - masculine singularthe priestהַכֹּהֵ֔ןH3548Article | Noun - masculine singular. . .לֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particlewhoאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativehas a defectמ֗וּםH3971Noun - masculine singularshall approachיִגַּ֔שׁH5066Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularto presentלְהַקְרִ֖יבH7126Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe food offeringsאִשֵּׁ֣יH801Noun - masculine plural constructto the LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular[Since] he has a defectמ֣וּםH3971Noun - masculine singular-אֵ֚תH853Direct object markerhe is notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleto come nearיִגַּ֖שׁH5066Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularto offerלְהַקְרִֽיב׃H7126Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructthe foodלֶ֣חֶםH3899Noun - masculine singular constructof his Godאֱלֹהָ֔יוH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

He may eatיֹאכֵֽל׃H398Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe mostמִקָּדְשֵׁ֖יH6944Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural constructholyהַקֳּדָשִׁ֑יםH6944Article | Noun - masculine pluralfoodלֶ֣חֶםH3899Noun - masculine singular constructof his Godאֱלֹהָ֔יוH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularas well asוּמִן־H4480Conjunctive waw | Prepositionthe holy [food]הַקֳּדָשִׁ֖יםH6944Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 23

Original words

butאַ֣ךְH389Adverbbecauseכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionhe has a defectמ֣וּםH3971Noun - masculine singular-וְלֹ֤אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlehe must notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particlegoיָבֹ֗אH935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .וְאֶל־H413Conjunctive waw | Prepositionnearאֶל־H413Prepositionthe veilהַפָּרֹ֜כֶתH6532Article | Noun - feminine singularor approachיִגַּ֖שׁH5066Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe altarהַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַH4196Article | Noun - masculine singularvvvלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleso as not to desecrateיְחַלֵּל֙H2490Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerMy sanctuariesמִקְדָּשַׁ֔יH4720Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularForכִּ֛יH3588ConjunctionIאֲנִ֥יH589Pronoun - first person common singularam the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularwho sanctifies themמְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃H6942Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 24

Original words

Mosesמֹשֶׁ֔הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singulartoldוַיְדַבֵּ֣רH1696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularthis toאֶֽל־H413PrepositionAaronאַהֲרֹ֖ןH175Noun - proper - masculine singularand his sonsבָּנָ֑יוH1121Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular. . .וְאֶֽל־H413Conjunctive waw | Prepositionand toוְאֶל־H413Conjunctive waw | Prepositionallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe Israelitesבְּנֵ֖יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃פH3478Noun - 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.