No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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Leviticus 21:21-22 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity, or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand, or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles. No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’ ”
Parallel Translations
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No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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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.
He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, 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.
He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (13)
- Leviticus 21:6 (v21) They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, the bread of…
- Leviticus 2:3 (v22) That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.
- Leviticus 2:10 (v22) That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.
- Leviticus 6:16-17 (v22) That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of…
- Leviticus 7:1 (v22) “ ‘This is the law of the trespass offering: It is most holy.
Show all 13 cross-references
- Leviticus 21:8 (v21) Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.
- Leviticus 21:17 (v21) “Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.
- Leviticus 22:10-13 (v22) “ ‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. But…
- Leviticus 24:8-9 (v22) Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before Yahweh continually. It is an everlasting covenant on the behalf of the children of…
- Numbers 18:9-10 (v22) This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin…
- Numbers 18:19 (v22) All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, I have given you and your sons and your daughters…
- 1 Corinthians 9:13 (v22) Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their…
- Leviticus 6:29 (v22) Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv21–22 As the showbread, and meat offerings.
As the showbread, and meat offerings.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v22 Lev 21:22 He shall eat the bread of his…
Lev 21:22 He shall eat the bread of his God, [both] of the most holy, and of the holy.
Ver. 22. He shall eat the bread.] So might not the unclean priests. {Lev 22:3} Our involuntary weaknesses shall not debar us from benefit by Christ.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv21–22 No man that hath a blemish; any notorious blemish…
No man that hath a blemish; any notorious blemish whereby he is disfigured, though not here mentioned.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv21–22 He shall eat the bread of his God,.... That…
He shall eat the bread of his God,.... That part of the sacrifices which was appropriated by the Lord to the priests, for the maintenance of them and their families; for though their natural infirmities disqualified them for service, yet they did not become hereby impure, either in a moral nor ceremonial sense, and might eat of the sacrifices, which impure persons might not; and so the tradition is, blemished persons, whether their blemishes are fixed or transient, may divide and eat, but not offer (g); these being priests, and having no inheritance, nor any way of getting their livelihood, provision is made for them that they might not perish through their defects in nature, which were not voluntary and brought upon them by themselves, but by the providence of God; and such were allowed to eat
both of the most holy and of the holy; there were things the priests eat of, which were most holy, as what remained of the meat offerings, and of the sin offerings, and of the trespass offerings, which only the males of the priest's family might eat of, and that only in the holy place; and there were others less holy, the lighter holy things, as the Jews call them, as the wave breast, and heave shoulder, and the tithes and firstfruits, which were eaten of by all in their families, their daughters as well as their sons, and in their own houses; now of each of these might the blemished priests eat; see Num 18:9, &c.
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(g) Misn. Zebachim, c. 12. sect. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv21–22 A blemish - Any notorious blemish whereby he is…
A blemish - Any notorious blemish whereby he is disfigured, though not here mentioned.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv21–22 Lev 21:21. A blemish — Any notorious blemish whereby…
Lev 21:21. A blemish — Any notorious blemish whereby he is disfigured, though not here mentioned.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v22 22. He shall eat — The blemishes exclude only…
22. He shall eat — The blemishes exclude only from the activities of the priest’s office, not from its emoluments. Hence no injustice was suffered.
Of the most holy — See Lev_2:3, note.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv21–22 21. the bread of his God] And so in…
21. the bread of his God] And so in Lev_21:22. on Lev_21:6.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv21–22 (21) No man that hath a blemish.—The addition of…
(21) No man that hath a blemish.—The addition of this general remark to the twelve instances adduced in the preceding verses, shows that the cases in question were simply typical, and that it was left to the administrators of the Law, not only to decide the minute details and various stages of these cases, but also to determine whether other bodily infirmities are included or not in this summary statement. Hence, during the second Temple, the authorities registered no less than one hundred and forty-two defects which disqualify the priest for serving at the altar. There was a chamber in the court of the Temple in which the Sanhedrim examined all the priests prior to their being received into the staff of those who officiated in the sanctuary. At the conclusion of this periodical examination, all the priests were divided into two classes. Those who were pronounced physically disqualified “put on black garments, wrapped themselves up in black cloaks, and went away in silence”; whilst those who were declared qualified put on white garments and white cloaks, and forthwith joined their brethren to assist in the sacred office. They celebrated the day by giving a feast to all their friends, which they opened with the following benediction: “Blessed be the Lord! Blessed be He because no blemish hath been found in the seed of Aaron, the priest; and blessed be He because He hath chosen Aaron and his sons to stand and to serve before the Lord in His most holy sanctuary.” Those priests who were declared physically unfit, were employed in the chamber for wood at the north-east of the court of the women, to select the proper wood for the altar, since any piece which was worm-eaten could not be burnt on it. (See Lev_1:7.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v22 He shall eat the bread of his God.
Lev_21:22
He shall eat the bread of his God.
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The Divine banquet
It is not easy to say whether the words, bread of his God, refer generally to the sacrifices and offerings, or specially to the shewbread. We take them as pointing to the latter; as, indeed, in any interpretation of the expression, the shewbread must be included, if not mainly intended. It was called the shewbread; or, more properly, the bread of the presence; the bread that stood on the Kings table, and in the Kings presence; the bread which was therefore intimately connected with Him who is called the Angel of the Presence (Isa_62:9); the bread which was associated with Him whose presence went with Israel whithersoever they went (Exo_33:14).
I. It is provided by God. As in carrying out His purpose in the old creation, He provided every fruit-bearing tree for man, so, in accomplishing the new creation, He has supplied the food convenient. He has made the provision for His house; and He has also blessed it. For the sustaining the life which He imparts, He provides the food required.
II. It is prepared by God himself. Moses, as representing God, prepared the twelve loaves; and God Himself has prepared the better bread, the flesh of the Son of Man. A body hast Thou prepared Me. In the history of the birth, the life, the sorrows, the hardships, the blood-shedding, the death of the incarnate Son of God, we have a description of the way it, which the shewbread or presence-bread of the Church was prepared, according to Gods own method, for our everlasting food.
III. It is given to us by God. God causes it to be provided for us; nay, He prepares it Himself; and then having thus provided and prepared it, He gives it: God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son (Joh_3:16); The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give, &c.
IV. Who they are who feast on it. Perhaps the answer to such a question will be--Gods priesthood, His Church. Nor would this be incorrect; yet it would be defective. No doubt this heavenly bread is for them, just as the tree of life was for Adam, or the Temple shewbread was for the sons of Aaron. But it is so specially called the bread of our God; and the table on which it is set is so specially Gods own table; and the place where it is to be eaten is so manifestly the royal banquet-hall of heaven, that we come to the conclusion that God Himself is partaker of this feast as well as we. The King, sitting at His own table, in His own festal chamber, not only feeds His guests, bat Himself partakes of that which is set before them. Israels various sacrifices and offerings of all kinds were the various dishes set upon the great Temple table; each of them full of meaning; each of them containing that which would satisfy and comfort; every one of them setting forth some part of the glorious fulness of the God-man, as the true food of souls; and all of them together representing that complete and blessed feast of fat things partaken of by God and His redeemed, in some measure now, but hereafter to be more fully enjoyed at the great marriage-supper in the New Jerusalem, when that shall be fulfilled, so long realised but in parts and fragments, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me (Rev_3:20). (H. Bonar, D. D.)
The bread of God
It was an ancient heathen notion that in sacrifice food was provided for the deity in order thus to show him honour. And, doubtless, in Israel, ever prone to idolatry, there were many who rose no higher than this gross conception of the meaning of such words. Thus, in Psa_50:8-15, God sharply rebukes Israel for so unworthy thoughts of Himself, using language at the same time which teaches the spiritual meaning of the sacrifice, regarded as the food or bread of God . . . Of which language the plain teaching is this. If the sacrifices are called in the law the bread of God, God asks not this bread from Israel in any material sense, or for any material need. He asks that which the offerings symbolise; thanksgiving, loyal fulfilment of covenant engagements to Him, and that loving trust which will call on Him in the day of trouble. Even sol Gratitude, loyalty, trust! this is the food of God, this the bread which He desires that we should offer, the bread which those Levitical sacrifices symbolised. For even as man, when hungry, craves food, and cannot be satisfied without it, so God, who is Himself Love, desires our love, and delights in seeing its expression in all those offices of self-forgetting and self-sacrificing service in which love manifests itself. This is to God even as is food to us. Love cannot be satisfied except with love returned; and we may say, with deepest humility and reverence, the God of love cannot be satisfied without love returned. Hence it is that the sacrifices, which in various ways symbolize the self-offerings of love and the fellowship of love, are called by the Holy Ghost the food or bread of God. And yet we must, on no account, hasten to the conclusion, as many do, that therefore the Levitical sacrifices were only intended to express and symbolise the self-offering of the worshipper, and that this exhausts their significance. On the contrary, the need of infinite love for this bread of God cannot be adequately met and satisfied by the self-offering of any creature, and, least of all, by the self-offering of a sinful creature, whose very sin lies just in this, that he has fallen away from perfect love. The symbolism of the sacrifice as the food of God, therefore, by this very phrase, points toward the self-offering in love of the eternal Son to the Father, and in behalf of sinners for the Fathers sake. It was the sacrifice on Calvary which first became, in innermost reality, that bread of God, which the ancient sacrifices were only in symbol. It was this, not regarded as satisfying Divine justice (though it did this), but as satisfying the Divine love; because it was the supreme expression of the perfect love of the incarnate Son of God to the Father, in His becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. (S. H. Kellogg, D. D.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v22 He may
He may
Here "he" refers to the priest with the bodily defect.
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eat the food of his God
"eat the food offering of his God." Parts of the sacrifices belonged to the priests and could be eaten.
some of the most holy or some of the holy
This also refers to the food that was sacrificed. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "some of the sacrifices offered in the most holy place or some of the sacrifices offered in the holy place" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
to his sons
"to Aaron's sons"
translationWords
holy
curtain
altar
defile
holy place
Yahweh
holy
Moses
word
Aaron
Israel
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v22 21:22 he may eat: Although a mutilation or defect…
21:22 he may eat: Although a mutilation or defect (see 21:18-20) disqualified a descendant of Aaron from representing the people, it did not compromise his priestly lineage. He was eligible to eat the priest’s share of the offerings (see 2:3, 10; 6:17-18).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.