Leviticus 21

Leviticus 21:16-24

The design of this chapter is to preserve the dignity of the priesthood. 1. The inferior priests are charged concerning their mourning, their mortgages, and their children, ver. 1—9. 2. The high-priest is restrained more than any of them, ver. 10—15. 3. Neither the one nor the other must have any himself, ver. 10—24.

1. AND the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, “There shall none be desited for the dead among his people. 2. But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother. 3. And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband: for her may he be desited. 4. But he shall not desite himself, being a chief man among the people, to profane himself. 5. ¶ They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6. They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. 7. ¶ They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. 8. Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD which sanctify you, am holy. 9. ¶ And the daughter of any priest, if the profane herself by playing the whore, the profaneth her father: the shall be burnt with fire.

2. 1—9. Particular injunctions are given to the priests:

3. Respecting their mourning. (1.) The persons for whom they may mourn, v. 2, 3. As all approach to a dead couple rendered mourners ceremonially unclean, they would be hereby prevented from executing the functions of their office. Though therefore God permits their absence for their nearest relations, yet he will not allow it for any other. Natural affection cannot but make us mourn over the losses of our house and family, but we must remember there are services to be performed for the living, which it were evil to interrupt by continued forrow. (2.) The manner of their mourning: not extravagant and immoderate, but serious and temperate. They must not cut themselves, or superstitiously devote their hair, as a propitiation to any supposed internal deity, nor indulge excess of forrow, but practice themselves the fulmination they inculcate on others. Note, Ministers must be examples to their flock, and when God exercises them with severest trials, they are called to eminent resignation.

4. Respecting their marriages. They may not marry a whore, or a profane person; one who had been induced, though not openly common, nor a woman divorced, because her conduct was suspicious. The dignity of the priesthood must be maintained in the exemplariness, and irreproachable character of their wives. Note, Ministers should be very cautious in their choice; a light and vain woman will be a disorder to themselves, a reproach to the service they are engaged in, and a hindrance to their labours.

5. Respecting their children. Severest punishments shall accompany their sins, as they are supposed to be better instructed, to act against greater light, and to bring a dishonour upon their holy family. A priest’s daughter that plays the whore, shall be burnt with fire: an offence in a minister’s family, is doubly criminal and scandalous.

6. And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and And, viz., that is consecrated to put on the garments, Shall not uncover his head, nor rent his clothes. 11. Neither Shall he go in to any dead body, nor desite himself for his father or for his mother. 12. ¶ Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is And, upon him: I am the LORD. 13. And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14. A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall be not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife. 15. Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

7. 10—15. As the high-priest excelled in dignity, he must keep himself under greater restrictions, than even the priests his brethren.

8. He may not desite himself for the dead, even for his nearest relations, v. 11. nor expects any of the usual symptoms of mourning, not even to uncover his head. When God’s sanctuary calls for our attendance, the deepest ties that would withdraw us from it must be broken through.

9. Besides the restrictions in common with the rest, he must not marry a widow, but a virgin. Every believer must be presented to Jesus the great high-priest a chaffy virgin; and he is counted such, when having washed his soul in the blood of the lamb, with fervent affection he cleaves to him alone.

10. He must not profane his seed, by marrying himself contrary to God’s ordinances, which would incapacitate his children from succeeding him, or by giving them in marriage to any profane person, which would reflect dishonour on himself and the priesthood. Note, (1.) There is a propriety in persons marrying in their own rank and station. (2.) Ministers must, for their children’s sake, avoid a profane partner, as their families are in more danger of being corrupted by the ill conversation of the one, than by the good conversation of the other.

11. ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 17. Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever be he of thy seed in their generation, that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God: 18. For Or fend, whatsoever man be he that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat note, or any thing of superfluous. 19. Or a man that is a chap-broken-footed or broken-handed. 20. Or crook-back; or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be of the fury, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken: 21. No man that hath a blemish, of the seed of Aaron the priest, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire; he hath a blemish, he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. 22. He shall eat the bread of his

his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 23. Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them. 24. And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

All natural blemishes and deformities of body incapacited the sons of Aaron and Levi from the exercise of the sacrificial function; whether they were unable or invincible, as long as they continued, they were unfit to minister. God will have the people respect the person, as well as the office of his priest; not that their natural defects should morally, or ceremonially defile them: though with-held from the service, they are alike to be maintained at the altar, and share with the other priests the holy things. Note, (1.) Though under the gospel personal blemishes, where abilities and zeal are found, may not disqualify a man for the ministry; yet it is still desirable to avoid ordaining such, whose striking deformity may make their persons appear despicable. (2.) If natural defects make men unqualified for the priesthood, how much more ought moral turpitude to do so? A minister spiritually blind, or halting in his opinion, or perverse in his walk, or vicious in his temper, ought for ever to be banished from God’s altar.