Leviticus 21

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] said to Moses, “Speak [to command, to proclaim] to Aaron’s sons, the priests [the spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people], and tell them that a priest [a holy servant of God] is not to defile [to make unclean, to contaminate] himself for a dead person [a deceased relative, a lifeless body] among his people [his nation, his community], word study 2 except for his immediate family [nearest relatives, those near in blood]—his mother [female parent, maternal figure], father [male parent, paternal figure], son [male child, descendant], daughter [female child, offspring], or brother [male sibling, close relative], word study 3 or his unmarried [virgin, a maiden] sister [a close relative, a biological or half-sister] who is near [in close relationship, geographically or spiritually] to him, since she has no [never had a] husband [man, male spouse]. word study 4 He [a master priest, chief man among his people] is not [under any circumstances] to defile [make himself unclean, ceremonially impure] himself for those [only through marriage ties] related to him by marriage [through a spouse], and so [in this way, by this action] profane [pollute, desecrate] himself. word study 5 Priests must not [refrain from, abstain] make bald spots [shave their head, have baldness] on their heads, shave off [cut, trim] the edges [sides, corners] of their beards, or make cuts [incisions, gashes] in their bodies [flesh, physical form]. word study 6 They must be [set apart, sacred] holy to their God [Elohim, the supreme One] and not [desecrate, dishonor] profane the name [reputation, character] of their God. Because they present [offer, bring near] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] the offerings [sacrifices, gifts] made by fire [burnt offerings], the food [bread, grain] of their God, they must be [consecrated, dedicated] holy. word study 7 A priest [set apart for God’s service] must not marry a woman [a female person, wife] defiled [made unclean, polluted] by prostitution [fornication, idolatry] or divorced [put away, driven out] by her husband [man, male person], for the priest [one consecrated to God] is holy [set apart, sacred] to his God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 8 You are to regard him as [set apart, consecrated] holy, since he presents [offers, brings near] the food [bread, sacrifices] of your God [Elohim, the supreme deity]. He shall be holy [sacred, dedicated] to you, because I the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant name] am holy [separate, sacred]—I who set you apart [consecrate, sanctify]. word study 9 If a priest’s [spiritual leader, mediator] daughter [female child, or woman] defiles [profanes, desecrates] herself by prostituting [playing the whore, committing fornication] herself, she profanes [dishonors, defiles] her father [parent, spiritual guide]; she must be burned [executed by fire, consumed] in the fire [burning, flame]. word study 10 The priest [high priest, spiritual leader] who is highest [greatest, most prominent] among his brothers, who has had the anointing [holy, consecrating] oil poured on his head and has been ordained [consecrated, set apart] to wear the priestly [sacred, ceremonial] garments, must not let his hair hang loose [go uncombed, be disheveled] or tear [rend, rip] his garments. word study 11 He must not go near [approach or come into contact with] any dead body [corpse or deceased person]; he must not defile [make unclean or ceremonially impure] himself [his soul or being], even for his father [parent or ancestor] or mother [parent or caregiver]. word study 12 He must not leave [or go out, depart from] or desecrate [profane, make common] the sanctuary [holy place, sacred space] of his God [Elohim, the one supreme God], for the consecration [crown, dedication] of the anointing [holy, sacred] oil of his God [the Lord’s anointed] is on him [upon, above him]. I [the first person, the self-existent One] am the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of all]. word study 13 The woman [a female, a wife, or a bride] he marries [takes as his wife, to take in her virginity] must be a virgin [in her virginity, a woman who has not had relations with a man] [a maiden, a woman in her purity]. word study 14 He is not to marry [a woman whose husband has died, a bereaved woman] a widow [one who has been divorced or separated], a divorced woman, or [a woman who has been morally corrupted, an unchaste woman] one defiled by prostitution [or a harlot, a woman who has engaged in illicit sexual activity]. He is to marry [a woman who has not had sexual relations, a chaste woman] a virgin from [his own community, his own people group] his own people, word study 15 so that he does not [profane, defile by breaking a rule] defile his offspring [seed, descendants] among his people [nation, community], for I am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] who sanctifies [sets apart as holy, consecrates] him.” word study 16 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 17 “Say [speak, communicate] to Aaron [the first high priest], ‘For the generations [descendants, people] to come, none of your descendants [seed, offspring] who has a physical defect [blemish, flaw] may approach [come near, draw near] to offer [present, bring near] the food [bread, grain] of his God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study 18 No man [any male person, individual] who has any [kind of, physical or moral] defect [blemish, flaw, imperfection] may approach [come near, present himself]—no man who is [physically or spiritually] blind [unable to see], lame [crippled, disabled], disfigured [having a damaged body, deformed], or deformed [having an unnatural growth, misshapen]; word study 19 no man [or individual, person] who has a broken [injured, crippled] foot [leg, lower limb] or [alternatively] hand [arm, upper limb], word study 20 or who is a hunchback [crook-backed] or dwarf [thin, small in stature], or who has an eye defect [cataract, blurred vision], a festering rash [scurvy, skin disease], scabs [rough patches on the skin], or a crushed [bruised, broken] testicle [stone, lump]. word study 21 No descendant [offspring, seed] of Aaron the priest [high priest, spiritual leader] who has a defect [blemish, flaw] shall approach [draw near, come close] to present [offer, bring near] the offerings [sacrifices, gifts] made by fire [burnt offerings, sacrifices by fire] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. Since he has a defect [is flawed, imperfect], he is not to come near [approach, draw close] to offer [present, bring] the food [bread, grain] of his God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. word study 22 He may eat [the bread of his God, food from the sanctuary] the most holy [set-apart, sacred] food of his God [Elohim, the supreme One] as well as [including, from the same source] the holy [dedicated, consecrated] food, word study 23 but because he has a [physical or moral] defect, he must not go near the [curtain or veil, separating the holy from the common] veil or approach the [place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] altar, so as not to [profane or desecrate, treating as common] desecrate My sanctuaries [holy places, set apart for God]. For I am the [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] LORD who [sets apart as holy, consecrates] sanctifies them.’” word study 24 Moses [the Israelite leader, mediator] told [spoke, communicated] this to Aaron [the first high priest] and his sons [descendants, family] and to all [every single one, the entire nation] the Israelites [Jacob’s descendants, God’s chosen people]. word study