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

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

6 They 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.

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

8 You 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.

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

Original words

Priests must not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle make bald יִקְרְחָה H7139 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . קָרְחָה֙ H7144 Noun - feminine singular spots on their heads בְּרֹאשָׁ֔ם H7218 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural shave off the edges וּפְאַ֥ת H6285 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct of their beards זְקָנָ֖ם H2206 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural . . . לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ H1548 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural or make יִשְׂרְט֖וּ H8295 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural cuts שָׂרָֽטֶת׃ H8296 Noun - feminine singular in their bodies וּבִ֨בְשָׂרָ֔ם H1320 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural . . . לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle

Verse 6

Cross-references

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

Original words

They must be יִהְיוּ֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural holy קְדֹשִׁ֤ים H6918 Adjective - masculine plural to their God לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם H430 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural and not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle profane יְחַלְּל֔וּ H2490 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the name שֵׁ֖ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct of their God אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Because כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker they הֵ֥ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural present מַקְרִיבִ֖ם H7126 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural to the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the food offerings אִשֵּׁ֨י H801 Noun - masculine plural construct the food לֶ֧חֶם H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct of their God אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural they must be וְהָ֥יוּ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural holy קֹֽדֶשׁ׃ H6944 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

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

Original words

[A priest] must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle marry יִקָּ֔חוּ H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . וְאִשָּׁ֛ה H802 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular a woman אִשָּׁ֨ה H802 Noun - feminine singular defiled וַחֲלָלָה֙ H2491 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular by prostitution זֹנָ֤ה H2181 Noun - feminine singular or לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle - יִקָּ֑חוּ H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural divorced גְּרוּשָׁ֥ה H1644 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular by her husband מֵאִישָׁ֖הּ H376 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction [the priest] ה֖וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is holy קָדֹ֥שׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular to his God לֵאלֹהָֽיו׃ H430 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 8

Cross-references

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

Original words

You are to regard him as holy וְקִדַּשְׁתּ֔וֹ H6942 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular since כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker he ה֣וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular presents מַקְרִ֑יב H7126 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular the food לֶ֥חֶם H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct of your God אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular He shall be יִֽהְיֶה־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular holy קָדֹשׁ֙ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular to you לָּ֔ךְ Preposition | second person feminine singular because כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular am holy קָד֔וֹשׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular I who set you apart מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ H6942 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural

Verse 9

Cross-references

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

Original words

If כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction a priest’s כֹּהֵ֔ן H3548 Noun - masculine singular daughter וּבַת֙ H1323 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct . . . אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular construct defiles herself תֵחֵ֖ל H2490 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular by prostituting herself לִזְנ֑וֹת H2181 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker she הִ֣יא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular profanes מְחַלֶּ֔לֶת H2490 Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular her father אָבִ֙יהָ֙ H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular she must be burned תִּשָּׂרֵֽף׃ס H8313 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular in the fire בָּאֵ֖שׁ H784 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular

Read full chapter context All Leviticus chapters

<- Leviticus 20 Leviticus 21 Leviticus 22 ->