Leviticus 21:1

Regulations for Conduct of Priests

1 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ^a‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,

2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

3 also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself.

4 Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a¹ chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5 ^a‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 They shall be ^aholy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the ^bbread of their God; ^ctherefore they shall be holy.

7 ^aThey shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman ^bdivorced from her husband; for¹ the priest is holy to his God.

8 Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for ^aI the Lord, who ^bsanctify you, am holy.

9 The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be ^aburned with fire.

10 ‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was ^apoured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not ^buncover his head nor tear his clothes;

11 nor shall he go ^anear any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother;

12 ^anor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the ^bconsecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord.

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

14 A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife.

Commentaries:

Matthew Henry

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Leviticus 21:1-24

Laws concerning the priests.

- As these priests were types of Christ, so all ministers must be followers of him, that their example may teach others to imitate the Saviour. Without blemish, and separate from sinners, He executed his priestly office on earth. What manner of persons then should his ministers be! But all are, if Christians, spiritual priests; the minister especially is called to set a good example, that the people may follow it. Our bodily infirmities, blessed be God, cannot now shut us out from his service, from these privileges, or from his heavenly glory. Many a healthful, beautiful soul is lodged in a feeble, deformed body. And those who may not be suited for the work of the ministry, may serve God with comfort in other duties in his church.

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Regulations for Conduct of Priests

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning