Leviticus 22

King James Version

Full text for Leviticus Chapter 22

1¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name [in those things] which they hallow unto me: I [am] the LORD.

3Say unto them, Whosoever [he be] of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I [am] the LORD.

4What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing [that is] unclean [by] the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;

5Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;

6The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

7And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it [is] his food.

8That which dieth of itself, or is torn [with beasts], he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I [am] the LORD.

9They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

10¶ There shall no stranger eat [of] the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat [of] the holy thing.

11But if the priest buy [any] soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.

12If the priest's daughter also be [married] unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

13But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

14And if a man eat [of] the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth [part] thereof unto it, and shall give [it] unto the priest with the holy thing.

15And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;

16Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

17¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

18Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever [he be] of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;

19[Ye shall offer] at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20[But] whatsoever hath a blemish, [that] shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish [his] vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

22Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

23Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer [for] a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make [any offering thereof] in your land.

25Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption [is] in them, [and] blemishes [be] in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

26And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

27When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

28And [whether it be] cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

29And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer [it] at your own will.

30On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I [am] the LORD.

31Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I [am] the LORD.

32Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I [am] the LORD which hallow you,

33That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I [am] the LORD.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Leviticus 22 details regulations for priests concerning their ritual purity and access to holy offerings, emphasizing that uncleanness profanes God's name. It also outlines strict requirements for animals presented as sacrifices, demanding they be without blemish to be acceptable to the Lord. Furthermore, the chapter specifies who may partake of the holy things and concludes with a reminder of God's holiness and His sanctification of Israel.

Medium Summary

Leviticus 22 begins by instructing Aaron and his sons to maintain ritual purity when handling holy things, lest they profane God's name. Priests with various forms of uncleanness, such as leprosy or contact with the dead, are forbidden from eating holy offerings until cleansed. The chapter then specifies who among the priest's household may eat of the holy food, excluding strangers and hired servants, but including purchased slaves and certain returning daughters. A significant portion of the chapter details the stringent requirements for sacrificial animals, demanding they be male and without any blemish, such as blindness, broken limbs, or deformities, for burnt or peace offerings. Even animals with minor imperfections are only acceptable for freewill offerings, not vows. The chapter concludes with rules regarding the age of sacrificial animals and the consumption of thanksgiving offerings on the same day, reiterating God's holiness and His command for Israel to hallow His name.

Long Summary

Leviticus 22 commences with the LORD's command to Moses, instructing Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of Israel when ritually unclean, emphasizing that such profanation dishonors God's holy name. Any priest or his descendant who approaches holy things while unclean is to be cut off from God's presence. Specific conditions of uncleanness, including leprosy, bodily discharges, contact with the dead, or unclean creeping things, render a priest unable to eat of the holy offerings until evening and after ritual washing. Eating animals that died naturally or were torn by beasts is also forbidden for priests. The text then delineates who may partake of the holy things: only members of the priest's household, such as purchased slaves and those born in his house, are permitted. Strangers, sojourners, and hired servants are explicitly excluded. A priest's daughter married to a stranger may not eat of the holy offerings, but if widowed or divorced and childless, she may return to her father's house and eat of his food. If one unwittingly eats of a holy thing, restitution of the item plus a fifth part is required. The chapter transitions to regulations concerning acceptable sacrifices, stating that any offering, whether for a vow or a freewill offering, must be a male animal without blemish. A comprehensive list of unacceptable blemishes includes blindness, broken limbs, maiming, wens, scurvy, and scabs. While animals with superfluous or lacking parts may be offered as freewill offerings, they are not accepted for vows. Offerings from strangers must also adhere to these standards. Further rules specify that a sacrificial animal must be at least eight days old to be accepted, and a mother and her young are not to be killed on the same day. Finally, thanksgiving offerings must be consumed entirely on the day they are offered. The chapter concludes by reiterating the importance of keeping God's commandments and hallowing His name, reminding Israel that the LORD sanctifies them and brought them out of Egypt to be their God.

Core Concepts

  • Priestly PurityPriests, specifically Aaron and his sons, were required to be ritually clean to handle and eat holy things, lest they profane the Lord's holy name. Various forms of uncleanness, such as leprosy or contact with the dead, rendered them temporarily unfit.
  • Access to Holy OfferingsStrict rules governed who could eat of the holy offerings: only the priest's immediate household, including purchased slaves, but excluding strangers, hired servants, and daughters married outside the priestly line.
  • Unblemished SacrificesAnimals offered as burnt or peace offerings to the Lord had to be perfect and without any physical blemish, such as blindness, broken limbs, or deformities, to be acceptable.
  • Freewill OfferingsWhile most offerings required perfect animals, those with minor imperfections (superfluous or lacking parts) could be accepted for freewill offerings, but not for offerings made to fulfill a vow.
  • Sanctity of God's NameThe chapter repeatedly emphasizes the importance of not profaning the Lord's holy name through disobedience or improper handling of sacred things, underscoring His demand to be hallowed among the children of Israel.
  • Timeliness of OfferingsSpecific regulations were given regarding the age of sacrificial animals (at least eight days old) and the consumption of thanksgiving offerings, which had to be eaten on the same day and not left until the morrow.
  • Restitution for Unwitting ConsumptionIf an individual accidentally ate of a holy thing, they were required to make restitution by adding a fifth part to the value of what was consumed and giving it to the priest.