Focused Passage

Leviticus 21:5-9

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

5Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.

6They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God, they must be holy.

7A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.

8You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.

9If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 5

Cross-references

Leviticus 19:28Classic cross-references Leviticus 19:27Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 14:1Classic cross-references Ezekiel 44:20Classic cross-references Ezekiel 5:1Classic cross-references

Original words

Priests must notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlemake baldיִקְרְחָהH7139Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .קָרְחָה֙H7144Noun - feminine singularspots on their headsבְּרֹאשָׁ֔םH7218Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralshave off the edgesוּפְאַ֥תH6285Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular constructof their beardsזְקָנָ֖םH2206Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural. . .לֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particle. . .יְגַלֵּ֑חוּH1548Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralor makeיִשְׂרְט֖וּH8295Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralcutsשָׂרָֽטֶת׃H8296Noun - feminine singularin their bodiesוּבִ֨בְשָׂרָ֔םH1320Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural. . .לֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particle

Verse 6

Cross-references

Leviticus 10:3Classic cross-references Leviticus 21:21Classic cross-references Leviticus 18:21Classic cross-references Leviticus 3:11Classic cross-references Ezra 8:28Classic cross-references

Original words

They must beיִהְיוּ֙H1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralholyקְדֹשִׁ֤יםH6918Adjective - masculine pluralto their Godלֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔םH430Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluraland notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleprofaneיְחַלְּל֔וּH2490Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralthe nameשֵׁ֖םH8034Noun - masculine singular constructof their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑םH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralBecauseכִּי֩H3588Conjunction-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheyהֵ֥םH1992Pronoun - third person masculine pluralpresentמַקְרִיבִ֖םH7126Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine pluralto the LORDיְהוָ֜הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularthe food offeringsאִשֵּׁ֨יH801Noun - masculine plural constructthe foodלֶ֧חֶםH3899Noun - masculine singular constructof their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛םH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralthey must beוְהָ֥יוּH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralholyקֹֽדֶשׁ׃H6944Noun - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Leviticus 21:13Classic cross-references Ezekiel 44:22Classic cross-references 1 Timothy 3:11Classic cross-references Exodus 19:6Classic cross-references Leviticus 21:8Classic cross-references

Original words

[A priest] must notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particlemarryיִקָּ֔חוּH3947Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .וְאִשָּׁ֛הH802Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singulara womanאִשָּׁ֨הH802Noun - feminine singulardefiledוַחֲלָלָה֙H2491Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singularby prostitutionזֹנָ֤הH2181Noun - feminine singularorלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particle-יִקָּ֑חוּH3947Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluraldivorcedגְּרוּשָׁ֥הH1644Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singularby her husbandמֵאִישָׁ֖הּH376Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singularforכִּֽי־H3588Conjunction[the priest]ה֖וּאH1931Pronoun - third person masculine singularis holyקָדֹ֥שׁH6918Adjective - masculine singularto his Godלֵאלֹהָֽיו׃H430Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 8

Cross-references

Leviticus 20:7Classic cross-references Leviticus 11:44Classic cross-references Leviticus 19:2Classic cross-references Leviticus 10:3Classic cross-references Exodus 31:13Classic cross-references

Original words

You are to regard him as holyוְקִדַּשְׁתּ֔וֹH6942Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singularsinceכִּֽי־H3588Conjunction-אֶת־H853Direct object markerheה֣וּאH1931Pronoun - third person masculine singularpresentsמַקְרִ֑יבH7126Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singularthe foodלֶ֥חֶםH3899Noun - masculine singular constructof your Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularHe shall beיִֽהְיֶה־H1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularholyקָדֹשׁ֙H6918Adjective - masculine singularto youלָּ֔ךְPreposition | second person feminine singularbecauseכִּ֣יH3588ConjunctionIאֲנִ֥יH589Pronoun - first person common singularthe LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularam holyקָד֔וֹשׁH6918Adjective - masculine singularI who set you apartמְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃H6942Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural

Verse 9

Cross-references

Genesis 38:24Classic cross-references Revelation 17:16Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 22:21Classic cross-references Leviticus 19:29Classic cross-references

Original words

Ifכִּ֥יH3588Conjunctiona priest’sכֹּהֵ֔ןH3548Noun - masculine singulardaughterוּבַת֙H1323Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct. . .אִ֣ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular constructdefiles herselfתֵחֵ֖לH2490Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularby prostituting herselfלִזְנ֑וֹתH2181Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markersheהִ֣יאH1931Pronoun - third person feminine singularprofanesמְחַלֶּ֔לֶתH2490Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singularher fatherאָבִ֙יהָ֙H1Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singularshe must be burnedתִּשָּׂרֵֽף׃סH8313Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularin the fireבָּאֵ֖שׁH784Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular

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