Bible Commentaries

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be ^a defiled for the dead among his people:

(a) By touching the dead, lamenting, or being at their burial.

And for his sister a ^b virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

(b) For being married she seemed to be cut off from his family.

[But] he shall not defile himself, [being] a ^c chief man among his people, to profane himself.

(c) The priest was permitted to mourn for his next kindred only.

They shall not take a wife [that is] a whore, or ^d profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he [is] holy unto his God.

(d) Which has an evil name or is defamed.

Thou shalt ^e sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the ^f bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, [am] holy.

(e) You shall count them holy and reverence them.

(f) The showbread.

And [he that is] the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not ^g uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;

(g) He shall use no such ceremonies as the mourners observed.

Neither shall he go out of the ^h sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the ⁱ crown of the anointing oil of his God [is] upon him: I [am] the LORD.

(h) To go to the dead.

(i) For by his anointing he was preferred above the other priests and therefore could not lament the dead, least he should have polluted his holy anointing.

A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, [or] an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own ^k people to wife.

(k) Not only of his tribe, but of all Israel.

Neither shall he profane his ^l seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

(l) By marrying any unchaste or defamed woman.

For whatsoever man [he be] that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath ^m a flat nose, or any ⁿ thing superfluous,

(m) Which is deformed or bruised.

(n) As not of equal proportion, or having in number more or less.

Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, ^o or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

(o) Or that has a web or pearl.

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 ^p bread of his God.

(p) As the show bread, and meat offerings.

He shall eat the bread of his God, [both] of the ^q most holy, and ^r of the holy.

(q) As of sacrifice for sin.

(r) As of the tithes and first fruits.

Only he shall not go in unto the ^s vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

(s) Into the sanctuary.