Leviticus 21

Laws concerning the Priests cleanness, in mourning over the dead, v. 1, etc. in their marriages, 7. in their daughters chastity, with the punishment upon them that commit whoredom, 9. of the high Priests cleanness, in mourning over the dead, 10. in his marriage, 13. a Law concerning such as were not capable of administering the Priesthood by reason of some bodily defects, 16. although they were allowed to eat of the holy things, 22. but not to serve in the Tabernacle, 23.

1. After that the LORD said to Moseh; Speak unto the Priests, the son of Aaron, and say to them; (A Priest) shall not make himself unclean, (or, not defile himself) over a dead [Heb. a soul. See above chapter 19. on verse 28. and below verse 11. viz. by touching the dead body, or helping him into the grave, and mourning over him, according as others, that were no Priests] among his people.

2. Safe, over his kin, that is nearest him; [see above chapter 18. on verse 6. some do comprehend under this qualification , not only those expressly mentioned in the two next verses; but likewise the Priest his wife] over his mother, and over his father, and over his son, and over his daughter, and over his brother.

3. And over his sister, being a Virgin, of near kin to him, [i.e. her that is his true genuine sister, not remote, by alliance of marriage, or otherwise so called] having belonged to no husband yet, over the same he may defile himself.

4. He shall not defile himself (over) a Chief (Or, Ruler, Governour) [The Hebrew word is thus taken, Isaiah 16:8. Others take it for the House-father, or father of the family, or the married man, or Husband, in this sense; that it should not be lawful for the Priest to mourn his wife, ( which word they complete their translation withal); howbeit it seemeth, that this was not unlawful; since Ezekiel the Priest intended it, but that it was forbidden him in an extraordinary manner, Ezekiel 24:16, etc] among his people, to profane himself.

5. They shall make no baldness upon their head, [Heb. not make bald the baldness] and shall not cut off the corner of their beard: nor shall they cut any incisions into their flesh.

6. They shall be holy unto their God, and they shall not Profane the Name of their God. [See above chap.18. on verse 21.] for they offer the fire-offerings of the LORD, the meat of their God; [See above chapter 3. on verse 11. also below 8. 21, 22. and chapter 22. 25.] therefore they shall be holy. [Heb. holiness, i.e. endevour for his holiness; and in regard of their office, they shall be counted holy.]

7. They shall take no wife that is a whore, or prophaned; [i.e. vitiated, abused, having committed whoredom either publicly or privately; and so below verse 14.] nor take a wife thrust out (repudiated) from her husband, [i.e. dismissed by Divorce, having for this purpose, and in evidence thereof received a Bill of Divoce from her husband. so below verse 14. Numbers 30:9. Ezekiel 44:22.] for he is holy to his God.

8. Therefore thou shalt hallow him, [i.e. hold and count him; as the following words in this verse import] because he offereth the meat of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee, for I am holy, I am the LORD, that halloweth you. [i.e. which separateth you from other men for his own peculiar people, and that by the means of the Priest’s office, whom therefore ye ought to esteem holy, and count precious. Compare above the Annot. on chapter 20. verse 8.]

9. Now when any Priest’s daughter shall begin to play the whore, [Heb. to prophane her self with whoredom] she prophaneth her father; [she maketh her father to be vilified and contemned, as a prophane person, putting him to open shame and reproach. See the like phrases, Psalms 89:40. Isaiah 43:28.] she shall be burnt with fire.

10. And he that is the high Priest [Heb. great Priest. So 2 Kings 12:10. and chapter 23. 4.] among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured forth, [some comparing these words with Exodus 40:13, 14, 15. above chapter 8. verse 12, 30. Psalms 133:2. do hold, that after the first Consecration of Aaron and his sons, there were no Priests more anointed but only the high Priest] and whose hand they filled, [see above chapter 7. on verse 37.] for to put on the garments, [whereof see Exodus 28:4.] shall not make his head bare, [i.e. not mourn over the dead. Compare above chapter 10. 6.] nor rend his garments.

11. Neither shall he come by any dead body; (even) over his father, and over his mother, shall he not defile himself. [This is to be understood of the high Priest only; the rest were permitted to do it: see above verse 2.]

12. And out of the Sanctuary he shall not go forth, [viz. to accompany the Funerals] that he prophane not the Sanctuary of his God: [viz. by going into the same, coming back from his deceased father’s or mother’s house, or with a mourning habit] for the Crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him; [of this see Exodus 29:6. and Lev. 8. on verse 9.] I am the LORD.

13. He shall likewise take a wife in her Virginity.

14. A widow, or repudiate, [See above on ver. 7.] or prophaned whore, such a one he shall not take; but a Virgin he shall take to wise out of his people.

15. And he shall not prophane his seed, [i.e. his children; so Genesis 4:25. and below verse 17, 21. viz. by marrying a wife, contrary to the Rules here given him] for I am the LORD, that halloweth him. [i.e. setteth him apart for an holy service. So Exodus 28:3. and 29. 1. and below verse 23.]

16. Further the LORD spoke unto Moseh, saying:

17. Speak to Aaron, saying; None of thy seed, [i.e. sons, or progeny, of ordinary or high Priests, and so below verse 21.] according to their generations, [in what times oranges soever they may happen to live after thee] in whom there shall be a defect, shall draw near to offer the meat of his God. [see above chapter 3. on verse 11.]

18. For no man, in whom there shall be a defect, shall draw near: whether he be a blind man, or cripple, or too short, [Or, having two few numbers; oth. hook-noed, having his nose bent inwards; whereby he comes to speak through the nose] or too long of members. [oth. having an over-plus of members.]

19. Or a man, in whom there shall be a rupture in the foot, or a rupture of the hand:

20. Or bunchy, or dwarfish, [Oth. thin, lean, Slender , a starveling , skeleton] or shall have a skin upon his eye; [oth. be dazel-eyed, blear-eyed] or a dry scall, or a mattery scall, or shall have a rupture on his privity.

21. No man of the seed of Aaron the Priest, in whom there is a defect, shall approach, to offer the fire-offerings of the LORD, there is a defect in him, he shall not approach to offer the meat of his God.

22. The meat of his God, of the most holy things, [Heb. the Holiness of Holinesses. Understand the show-bread the guilt-offerings, and the sin-offerings] and of the holy things, [or, Holinesses, understand thereby the Thank-offerings; the first-fruits, and the tenths] he shall be allowed to eat.

23. Yet to the Vail he shall not come [i.e. he shall not administer the Priestly office. See of this Vail, above chapter 4. on verse 6.] and to the altar he shall not approach, because there is a defect in him: that he do not prophane my Sanctuary: [i.e. the several places and partitions of my Sanctuary; understand by the Sanctuary, the Tent of the Congregation; as is to be seen above chapter 16. 33. put in the plural here, because of the several parts thereof: the Court, the holy place, and the Holy of Holies, or most holy place] for I am the LORD, that halloweth them.

24. And Moseh spoke (this) to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.1 After that the LORD said to Moseh; Speak unto the Priests, the son of Aaron, and say to them; (A Priest) shall not make himself unclean, (or, not defile himself) over a dead [Heb. a soul. See above chapter 19. on verse 28. and below verse 11. viz. by touching the dead body, or helping him into the grave, and mourning over him, according as others, that were no Priests] among his people.