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Leviticus
Chapter Twenty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 21
This
chapter respects the priests
the sons of Aaron
and forbids their mourning for
the dead
unless in some cases
Leviticus 21:1; or
their marriage with an whore or a divorced woman
Leviticus 21:7; and
the daughters of any of them to commit fornication
which is made punishable
with death
Leviticus 21:9; and
it contains particular laws for the high priest to observe
who was not to
mourn for any
even for his parents
Leviticus 21:10;
nor to go out of the sanctuary
Leviticus 21:12;
nor to marry any woman but a virgin
Leviticus 21:13;
and it also directs
that none of the priests having any blemish in them should
be employed in divine service
though they might eat of the holy things
Leviticus 21:16.
Leviticus 21:1. And
the Lord
said to Moses
“Speak to the priests
the sons of Aaron
and say to them: ‘None
shall defile himself for the dead among his people
YLT 1And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Speak unto the
priests
sons of Aaron
and thou hast said unto them
For [any] person [a priest]
is not defiled among his people
And the Lord said unto Moses
.... According to some
Jewish writers this was said on the day the tabernacle was set up; no doubt it
was delivered at the same time the above laws were given; and as care was taken
for the purity and holiness of the Israelites in general
it was necessary that
the priests that were concerned in a more especial manner in the service and
worship of God should be holy also
and have some instructions given them to
take care and keep themselves from all defilements; and particularly the Jewish
writers observe
that this paragraph or section concerning the priests follows
upon
and is in connection with the law concerning such as have familiar
spirits
and wizards
to teach men
that in matters of doubt and difficulty
they should not have recourse to such persons
but to the priests of the Lord:
speak unto the priests
the sons of Aaron; the priests
whether elder or younger
whether fit for service
and whether having
blemishes
or not; for there are some things which concern them
and these are
sons
male children of Aaron
as the Targum of Jonathan
and not daughters
as
Jarchi and others observe; for they were not obliged to regard the laws and
rules here given:
and say unto them
there shall none be defiled for the dead among
his people; by entering into a tent or house where a dead body lay
by
touching it
or by hearing it
or attending it to the grave
or by any
expressions of mourning for it
see Numbers 19:11; that
is
for any person in common that were of his people
that were not nearly
related to him
as in the cases after excepted; so it was a custom with the
Romans
as we are toldF14Servius in Virgil. Aeneid. l. xi. ver. 3.
that such as were polluted by funerals might not sacrifice
which shows that
priests were not allowed to attend funerals
which perhaps might be taken from
hence; and so Porphyry saysF15De Abstinentia
l. 2. c. 50.
that
sacred persons and inspectors of holy things should abstain from funerals or
graves
and from every filthy and mournful sight.
Leviticus 21:2.
2 except for his relatives
who are nearest to him: his mother
his father
his son
his daughter
and his
brother;
YLT 2except for his relation who [is] near unto
him -- for his mother
and for his father
and for his son
and for his
daughter
and for his brother.
But for his kin that is near unto him
.... For such
he might be defiled and mourn
or be where they were
and take care of
and
attend their funerals: this clause some take to be general
of which the
particulars follow
as Aben Ezra; but others take it to be the first particular
excepted
and instanced in
and intends his wife; for it may be rendered
as by
some
"for his flesh"
or "the rest of him"F16לשארו "carne sua"
Pagninus
Montanus.
the
other part of himself
his wife
which is his other self
and one flesh with
him; and so Jarchi and others observe
there is no flesh of his
but his wife;
and if she is not intended here
she is not expressed elsewhere
though must be
supposed
because it is allowed the priest to defile himself for other
relations not so near; and it is plain from the case of Ezekiel
that a priest
might mourn for his wife
Ezekiel 24:15; he
being forbid it
shows his case to be an extraordinary one
and that ordinarily
it was admitted
otherwise there would have been no need of a particular
prohibition of him:
that is
for his
mother
and for his father
and for his son
and for his daughter
and his
brother; R. Alphes addsF17Sepher Alphes
par. 1. fol. 410. 2.
"and his wife"; these being all near relations
and for whom
natural affection would lead and oblige him to mourn
and show a concern for
their death
and to take care of their funeral. This is to be understood of
common priests; for as for the high priest
he might not mourn
or be concerned
for either of these.
Leviticus 21:3.
3 also his virgin sister who
is near to him
who has had no husband
for her he may defile himself.
YLT 3and for his sister
the virgin
who is near
unto him
who hath not been to a man; for her he is defiled.
And for his sister a virgin
that is nigh unto him
.... That is
his sister by both father's and mother's side
as Aben Ezra; though
according
to Gersom
his sister by his father's side
and not by his mother's side
is
meant; but
according to Alphes
by his mother's side: perhaps this may signify
not nearness of kin
which is expressed by being his sister
but nearness of
place
for
being unmarried
she remained unto her death in her father's house:
which hath had no husband; neither betrothed to
one
for then she would have been nigh to her husband
and not her brother
and
therefore he might not pollute himself for her
as Gersom observes; nor married
to him
for such an one he might not defile himself
even though she might have
been rejected or divorced by her husband
as the same writer says:
for her may he be defiled; for a pure virgin that
had never been betrothed nor married to a man
and had never departed from her
father's house
and so had no husband to mourn for her
and take care of her
funeral
and so for all the rest before mentioned; and which Jarchi says is a
command
and not a bare sufferance or allowance
but what he ought and was
obliged to do; and so it is related of JosephF18T. Bab. Zebachim
fol. 90. 1.
a priest
that his wife died in the evening of the sabbath
and
he would not defile himself for her
and his brethren the priests obliged him
and made him defile himself against his will.
Leviticus 21:4.
4 Otherwise
he shall not defile himself
being a chief man among his people
to
profane himself.
YLT 4`A master [priest] doth not defile himself
among his people -- to pollute himself;
But he shall not defile
himself
being a chief man among his people
.... Which is
not to be understood of any lord or nobleman or any chief ruler or governor of
the people; for the context speaks only of priests
and not of other
personages; besides
such might defile themselves
or mourn for their dead
as
Abraham did for Sarah; nor of any husband for his wife
for even a priest
as
has been observed
might do this for his wife
and much more a private person;
nor is there any need to restrain it
as some Jewish writers do
to an
adulterous wife
which a husband might not mourn for
though he might for his
right and lawful wife; but there is nothing in the text
neither of an husband
nor a wife: the words are to be interpreted of a priest
and either of him as
considered as a person of eminence
consequence
and importance
and sons
giving a reason why he should not defile himself for the dead
because he was a
principal person among his people to officiate for them in sacred things;
wherefore if he did not take care that he was not defiled for the dead
which
might often happen
he would be frequently hindered from doing his office for
the people
which would be attended with ill consequence to them; and therefore
the above cases are only excepted
as being such that rarely happened: or
rather the words are to be considered as a prohibition of defiling himself
"for any chief"F19בעל בעמיו "in principe populi sui"
V. L. so Pesicta
& Ben Melech in loc. & Kimchi Sepher Shorash. rad. בעל
or principal man
lord
ruler
or governor
among his people; even for such
an one he was not to defile himself
being no relation of his:
to profane himself; make himself unfit for sacred service
or
make himself a common person; put himself upon a level with a common private
man
and be no more capable of serving at the altar
or doing any part of the
work off priest
than such an one.
Leviticus 21:5. 5 ‘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.
YLT 5they do not make baldness on their head
and
the corner of their beard they do not shave
and in their flesh they do not
make a cutting;
They shall not make baldness upon their head
.... For the
dead
as Jarchi
Aben Ezra
and Ben Gersom; not shave their heads
or round the
corners of them
or make baldness between their eyes on that account; as those
things were forbid the Israelites
so the priests also; this and what follow
being superstitious customs used among the Heathens in their mournings for the
dead
particularly by the Chaldeans
as Aben Ezra observes; and so by the
Grecians; when Hephestion
one of Alexander's captains
died
he shaved his
soldiers and himself
imitating Achilles in HomerF20Aelian. Var.
Hist. l. 7. c. 8. ; so the Egyptians
mourning for the loss of Osiris
annually
shaved their headsF21Julius Firmicus de Error. Proph. p. 2. ; and
the priests of Isis
mourning for her lost son
are called by Minutius FelixF23In
Octavio
p. 22. Vid. Lactant. de fals. Relig. l. 1. c. 21. her bald priests;
see Leviticus 19:27
neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard: the five
corners of it; See Gill on Leviticus 19:27.
This the Israelites in common might not do
and particularly their priests;
though the Egyptian priests shaved both their heads and beards
as HerodotusF24Euterpe
sive
l. 2. c. 36. relates: and so they are represented in the Table of IsisF25Vid.
Pignorii Mens. Isiac. liter. S. :
nor make any cuttings in their flesh; either with
their nails
tearing their cheeks and breasts
or with an instrument cutting
their flesh in any part of their bodies
as was the custom of Heathen nations;
such were made by the Egyptians in their mourningsF26; See Gill on Leviticus 19:28.
Leviticus 21:6. 6 They
shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God
for they
offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire
and
the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
YLT 6they are holy to their God
and they pollute
not the name of their God
for the fire-offerings of Jehovah
bread of their
God
they are bringing near
and have been holy.
They shall be holy unto their God
.... Sacred to his service
and wholly given up to it
and not interest themselves in things which hindered
from it
or made them unfit for it; and such care becomes the ministers of the
word
who should give up themselves to it
and not entangle themselves with
other affairs; they should be clean
pure
and holy
that bear the vessels of
the Lord
and minister in holy things
and should set an example of purity and
holiness to others:
and not profane the name of their God; or cause it
to be profaned and evil spoken of on their account
or his service to be
interrupted
and they who bore his name put upon a level with common persons
through their pollutions:
for the offerings of the Lord made by fire; the burnt
offerings
which were offered up to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering
every day
besides others on divers occasions:
and the bread of their God do
they offer; the shewbread
which they set every week before the Lord on the
shewbread table
and the meat or bread offering
the "minchah"
which
they continually offered along with the sacrifices: or the word
"and"
being a supplement
may be left out; and so this clause is put
by way of apposition
and as interpreting the fire offering to be the bread of
their God
which being wholly burnt on the altar
and devoted to God
was his
meat and food
and accepted by him
see Leviticus 3:11
therefore they shall be holy; separate from all
others
and abstain from all impurity both of flesh and spirit
from all
uncleanness
moral and ceremonial; it being highly fit and proper that the
bread of God should be offered by holy persons.
Leviticus 21:7. 7 They
shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman
nor shall they
take a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest[a] is holy to
his God.
YLT 7`A woman
a harlot
or polluted
they do not
take
and a woman cast out from her husband they do not take
for he [is] holy
to his God;
They shall not take a wife that is a whore
or profane
.... By the
former is meant a common whore
that prostitutes herself to any one through
lust or for gain; and by the latter one whose chastity is violated
but either
unwillingly
that has been forced and ravished
or else willingly
being
enticed
persuaded
and prevailed upon
but did not make a practice of it; this
seems to be the true sense of the words: but the Jewish writers understand them
differently; by a "whore" they suppose is meant one that is not an
Israelitish woman
that is not born of an Israelite
at least of an Israelitish
woman
as proselytes or freed persons; for they say there are no whores but
such
or one that lies with such persons
she may not marry with; as such as
are guilty of cutting off
or any of the Nethinim
or spurious persons
so
Jarchi; and by a "profane" person they think is meant such as are
born of those that are rejected
as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it; that
is
that are either born of incestuous marriages
such as are forbidden
Leviticus 18:1; or
that are born of those that are rejected in the priesthood
or whom a priest
might not marry
as the daughter of a widow
by the high priest
or the
daughter of one divorced
by a common priest
which is the sense of Jarchi:
neither shall they take a woman put away by her husband: which was
in
these and later times
common for any offence
when the crime of adultery was
not pretended; but this always supposed something bad or amiss
and made such a
woman suspected of having done an unseemly thing
therefore priests were
forbidden marrying such persons: the Targum of Jonathan adds
"or by her
husband's brother;'and so takes in one that has loosed the shoe
as the Jews
call her
who being left without issue
her husband's brother refused to marry
her
and therefore she plucked off his shoe
and spit in his face
see Deuteronomy 25:7;
such an one a priest might not marry
according to this paraphrast
and other
Jewish writers
and if he did was to be beatenF1Misn. Maccot
c. 3.
sect. 1. :
for he is holy unto his God; separated from common
persons
and devoted to the service of God
and therefore not to be defiled
with such sort of women
or to lie under any scandal or reproach through such
marriages.
Leviticus 21:8. 8 Therefore
you shall consecrate him
for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy
to you
for I the Lord
who sanctify you
am holy.
YLT 8and thou hast sanctified him
for the bread
of thy God he is bringing near; he is holy to thee; for holy [am] I
Jehovah
sanctifying you.
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore
.... In thought and word
as Aben Ezra
by thinking and speaking well of him; should esteem and reckon
him a holy person
being in a sacred office
and honour him as such; and do all
that can be done to preserve him from unholiness and impurity
and particularly
from marrying with improper and unsuitable persons
such as would bring a
scandal on him and his sacred office: this seems to be spoken to Moses
and so
to the civil magistrate in succession
who were not to suffer such marriages to
take place in the priesthood; and were not only to persuade from it
but to
exercise their authority
and oblige them to put away such wives
and if they
refused
to use severity; so Jarchi
""thou shalt sanctify him"
whether he will or not; if he will not put her away
beat him and chastise him
until he does put "her away"
'see Ezra 2:62
for he offereth the bread of the Lord; meaning not
the shewbread he set in order before the Lord every week
but the various gift
and sacrifices which were offered to God by him
and were acceptable to him as
his food; and therefore he ought to be holy that drew nigh to God
and was
employed in such service
see Leviticus 21:6
he shall be holy unto thee; in thy account and
estimation
and for thy service to offer holy sacrifices
and therefore should
be careful of his holiness to preserve it:
for I the Lord
which sanctify you
am holy; in his
nature
works
and ways
and who had separated them from all other people to be
a holy people to him
and therefore they that ministered in holy things for
them should be holy likewise.
Leviticus 21:9. 9 The
daughter of any priest
if she profanes herself by playing the harlot
she
profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.
YLT 9`And a daughter of any priest when she
polluteth herself by going a-whoring -- her father she is polluting; with fire
she is burnt.
And the daughter of any priest
.... The Targum of
Jonathan restrains it to one that is betrothed; but others
as Jarchi and Aben
Ezra
whether betrothed or married; and all confess
as the former says
that
the Scripture does not speak of one that is single or entirely free: but there
is no exception in the text; and besides
the daughter of any man that was
betrothed to a man
and guilty of the crime here spoken of
was to die
Deuteronomy 22:23;
and therefore such a law respecting the priest's daughter would be needless;
unless it can be thought that it was made merely for the sake of the different
kind of death she was to be put to
and that burning was a more terrible one
than stoning:
if she profane herself by playing the whore; which brings
scandal and disgrace on any person
and much more on anyone that had the honour
of being related to a person in such a sacred office
and the advantage of a
more strictly religious education
and had eaten of the holy things in her
father's house; all which were aggravations of her crime
and made it the more
scandalous and reproachful to her: some render it
"when she begins to
play the whore"F2כי תחל לזנות "cum coepit
fornicari"
Pagninus
Montanus; so Tigurine version. ; as soon as ever it
is discovered in her
and she is taken in it; even for the first that she
commits
she is not to be spared
but put to death:
she profaneth her father: which is another
aggravation of her sin; she brings him under disgrace
disparages his office
and exposes him to censure
reproach
and ridicule
as not having taken care of
her education
and taught her better
and kept her under restraints; men will
upbraid him with it
saying
this is a priest's daughter that has committed
this lewdness; nor will say of him
as Jarchi observes
cursed be he that begat
her
and cursed be he that brought her up:
she shall be burnt with fire; not with hot melted lead
poured down her mouth
but with faggots set about her; See Gill on Leviticus 20:14; no
punishment is here fixed for the person that lay with her
but
according to the
Jewish canonsF3Misn. Sanhedrin
c. 10. sect. 1. Maimon. Issure Biah
c. 1. sect. 6.
she was to be strangled.
Leviticus 21:10. 10 ‘He
who is the high priest among his brethren
on whose head the anointing oil
was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments
shall not uncover his
head nor tear his clothes;
YLT 10`And the high priest of his brethren
on
whose head is poured the anointing oil
and hath consecrated his hand to put on
the garments
his head doth not uncover
nor rend his garments
And he that is the high priest among his brethren
.... Either
among his brethren
the priests
being in office above them; or among his
brethren the Israelites
among and over whom he is high priest; or
as others
render it
"the priest who is greater than his brethren"F4So
Pagninus
Ainsworth
and others.
in an higher office; the Jews sayF5T.
Bab. Yoma
fol. 18. 1. Horayot
fol. 9. 1. Cholin
fol. 134. 2. Maimon. Cele
Hamikdash
c. 5. sect. 1. & in Misn. Yoma
c. 1. sect. 3. & Bartenora
in ib. the high priest was to be greater than his brethren
in beauty
in
strength
in wisdom
and in riches; and if he had not money enough
all the
priests were to give him of theirs
everyone according to his riches
until he
became the richest among them all:
upon whose head the anointing oil was poured; as it was
poured upon Aaron at his consecration
and those that succeeded him
Exodus 29:7 Leviticus 8:12
and that is consecrated to put on the garments; the eight
garments with which the high priest was clothed at the time of his
consecration
Leviticus 8:7; and
in which he and his sons are said to be consecrated
Exodus 29:29; in
order to which he was "to fill his hand"; as the phrase here is
that
is
with the fat and right shoulder of the ram of consecration
and with the
loaf of bread
and cake of oiled bread
and wafer
Exodus 29:23; in
all which he was a type of Christ
the great High Priest
as he is often
called
who is greater than his brethren in all the above things
the high
priest exceeded his brethren
except in worldly riches; and yet the earth also
is his
and the fulness thereof
well as he is fairer than the children of men
stronger than the strong man armed
and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
are hid in him; he is anointed also with the oil of gladness above his fellows;
and all his garments smell of myrrh
aloes
and cassia
and is consecrated an
high priest for evermore: of the high priest it is said
he
shall not uncover his head: that is
on account of
the dead; not take off his mitre
or in any such way express mourning for the
dead; or shall not nourish his hair or let it grow
as the Targums of Onkelos
and Jonathan; and so Jarchi interprets it
he shall not let the hair grow for
mourning; and what is nourishing of the hair? when it is let grow more than
thirty days:
nor rend his clothes; that is
on the same
account
and therefore Jonathan adds
in the hour of distress
or mourning for
the dead; otherwise
in case of blasphemy
he might rend his clothes
see Matthew 26:65; and
indeed
according to the Jewish canons
he might rend his clothes in mourning
only in a different manner from common priests; for so they sayF6Maimon.
Cele Hamikdash
c. 5. sect. 6.
"he may not rend for the dead
as other
priests
'as it is said: "nor rend his clothes"; and if he rends he is
to be beaten
but he may rend below over against (or near) his feet; and so in
the MisnahF7Horayot
c. 3. sect. 5.
an high priest rends below
and a common priest above; See Gill on Leviticus 10:6.
Leviticus 21:11. 11 nor shall he go near any
dead body
nor defile himself for his father or his mother;
YLT 11nor beside any dead person doth he come; for
his father and for his mother he doth not defile himself;
Neither shall he go in to any dead body
.... That is
into a tent or house where any dead body lies
as Jarchi and Aben Ezra
interpret it
for whoever went into such a place was unclean seven days; and so
long therefore an high priest
should he enter there
would be prevented doing
the duty of his office
see Numbers 19:14; this
was aped and followed by the Heathens in later times; so among the Romans
the
"Flamen Dialis"
or high priest of Jupiter
might not go into a place
where a dead body was burnt or buried
nor touch anyF8Massurius
Sabinus
apud A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 10. c. 15. ; and it was a custom with
them
as ServiusF9In Virgil. Aeneid. l. 3. ver. 64. "atraque
cupresso". tells us
to put a branch of cypress at the door of a house
where a dead body was
that an high priest might not enter through ignorance
and be defiled:
nor defile himself for his father
or for his mother; by entering
into the tent or house where they lay dead
or by touching them
or attending
the funeral of them
or by concerning himself about it; and there was no need
to mention his son or his daughter
his brother or his sister; for if he was
not to defile himself for any of his parents
much less for any of those which
are excepted in the case of a common priest
Leviticus 21:2; the
Jews do indeed make one exception in the case of an high priest
and that is
that if he meets with a dead body in the way
he was obliged to defile himself
for it and bury itF11Maimon. Hilchot Ebel
c. 3. sect. 8. ; and so
among the Romans
though it was a crime for an high priest to look upon a dead
body
yet it was reckoned a greater
if
when he saw it
he left it unburiedF12Servius
in Virgil. Aeneid. l. 6. ad ver. "praecipue pius Aeneas"
&c. .
Leviticus 21:12. 12 nor
shall he go out of the sanctuary
nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the
consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am
the Lord.
YLT 12nor from the sanctuary doth he go out
nor
doth he pollute the sanctuary of his God
for the separation of the anointing
oil of his God [is] on him; I [am] Jehovah.
Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary
.... In the
time of service
upon any occasion whatever; otherwise
when there was a
necessity for it
he might go out from thence
though this was rarely done
and
only in the night time: MaimonidesF13Cele Hamikdash
c. 5. sect. 7.
says he had a house prepared for him in the sanctuary
called the chamber of
the high priest; and it was his honour and his glory to remain in the sanctuary
all the day
and he did not go out
except to his own house
and that only in
the night
or an hour or two in the day; and his house was in Jerusalem
and
from thence he never removed: but this law respects him only in the case of his
dead; as when any news was brought him of the death of his father
or of his
mother
if in his service
he was not to quit it on any account; for we are
toldF14Misn. Horayot
c. 3. sect. 5.
that an high priest might
offer when mourning
though he might not eat in such a circumstance
whereas a
common priest might neither offer nor eat; nor might an high priest go out of
the sanctuary on such an occasion
if he was not in service
as to follow the
dead corpse or bier
as Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it; at least
he was to
go no further than the gate of the city; though even this is not allowed by
others
who sayF15Maimon. Cele Hamikdash
c. 5. sect. 5
6. Vid.
Misn. Sanhedrim
c. 2. sect. 1.
if the dead were his
he might not go out after
it; he might not go out of the door of his house
nor out of the sanctuary
and
all the people were to come and comfort him at his own house:
nor profane the sanctuary of his God; by deserting
the service of it
on any account
and particularly on account of the dead
by
departing from it to go after them
and by entering into it again before the
time
when so defiled:
for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him; the anointing
oil
which was a crown of glory
and gave him a superior dignity to others
which it became him to be careful not to debase by any of the above things: or
"the crown and the anointing oil"
so someF16So Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator
&c. supply the word "and"; both the
golden plate or the holy crown
as it is sometimes called
and the anointing
oil were upon him
which showed him to be a very dignified person
a sort of
king as well as a priest
and so a type of Christ
who is a priest upon his
throne
Zechariah 6:13
I am the Lord: whose high priest he is
and who command him all these things
and expect to be obeyed in them.
Leviticus 21:13. 13 And
he shall take a wife in her virginity.
YLT 13`And he taketh a wife in her virginity;
And he shall take a wife in her virginity. One
and not
two
or more
as Ben Gersom observes; and so Maimonides saysF17Hilchot
Issure Biah
c. 17. sect. 13.
an high priest might never take two women
together; for it is said
"a wife"
or "woman"
one
and
not two; and so it is explained in the TalmudF18T. Bab. Yebamot
fol. 59. 1. ; for though polygamy was practised by the Israelites
and even by
the common priests
yet these writers suppose it was by no means allowed to an
high priest: among the Egyptians
though they took as many wives as they
pleased
their priests
married but oneF19Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p.
72. ; and so a minister of the New Testament is to be the husband of one wife
1 Timothy 3:2; and
this wife the high priest was to take was to be a "virgin"
one that
not only had never known a man
but that was never betrothed to any; yea
according to the TalmudistsF20T. Bab. Yebamot
ibid. Maimon. ut
supra. (Cele Hamikdash
c. 5. sect. 5
6.)
who was not quite ripe for
marriage
or the time of her puberty not fully completed
which was the age of
twelve years; within
or somewhat before that time
the high priest was to
marry her
that it might be out of all doubt that she was a pure virgin; since
it is said
"in her virginity"
within the time of her puberty
before it was quite up; this
by many
is thought to be an emblem of Christ and
his church; as he was typified by the high priest
so the church by the virgin
he married
which is espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin
2 Corinthians 11:2.
Leviticus 21:14. 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.
YLT 14widow
or cast out
or polluted one -- a
harlot -- these he doth not take
but a virgin of his own people he doth take
[for] a wife
A widow
.... The high priest might not marry
whether the widow of a
priest or of an Israelite
as Aben Ezra
that is
of any Israelite that was not
of the priesthood; and this
whether a widow after espousals
or after
marriage
as runs the Jewish canonF21Misn. Yebamot
c. 6. sect. 4. ;
the meaning is
that if she was betrothed to a man
and that man died before he
married her
and so was a virgin; yet being betrothed to him was reckoned as
his widow; and such an one the high priest might not marry
any more than one
that had been left a widow
having being married: though
according to the same
constitutions
if he had betrothed a widow
and after that was appointed an
high priest
he might marry her
and an instance of it is given in Joshua the
son of Gamla: and in the same it is observed
that an high priest
when his
brother dies
must suffer his shoe to be plucked off
and not marry his
brother's widow; which
in other cases
when there was no issue
was required:
or a divorced woman; whether by a priest
or
a common Israelite; and indeed
if a common priest might not marry such a
person
much less an high priest: or profane anyone born of those that were not
fit for priests to marry
as the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi; See Gill on Leviticus 21:7
or an harlot; a common
prostitute:
those shall he not take any or either of them
to
be his wife; which are forbid in order to maintain the dignity of his office
and a reverence of it: there seems to be a gradation in these instances
he
might not marry a widow
which was forbidden no other man; and if not such an
one
much less a divorced woman
still less a profane person
and least of all
an harlot:
but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife; which phrase
"of his own people"
did not limit him to his own tribe
and to the
fraternity of priests in it
as if he was to marry only in it
or the daughter
of a priest; for the priests and Levites being scattered in the several tribes
and having no inheritances in them
were not restrained from marrying into
other tribes
as the rest of the tribes were; and so an high priest sometimes
married into another tribe
though he took care not to debase himself
by
marrying into a mean family: so Jehoiada
the high priest
married
Jehoshabeath
the daughter of King Jehoram
2 Chronicles 22:11;
but by this law he was forbid to marry a virgin of another nation
even though
a proselytess and one that was made free
as Gersom observes; a captive virgin
and one that was become a Jewess
as Aben Ezra says
he was not allowed to
marry.
Leviticus 21:15. 15 Nor
shall he profane his posterity among his people
for I the Lord sanctify
him.’”
YLT 15and he doth not pollute his seed among his
people; for I [am] Jehovah
sanctifying him.'
Neither shall he profane his seed among his people
.... By
marrying any such persons
whereby his children
born of them
would lie under
disgrace
and be unfit to succeed him in the priesthood
or by marrying among
mean persons
or by marrying them to such as were unlawful
and would be a
disparagement to them:
for I the Lord do sanctify him; separate him from all
others
to the high and sacred office of the high priesthood
and am concerned
for his honour and holiness; and therefore it became him to observe these laws
and rules
and abstain from such disagreeable marriages.
Leviticus 21:16. 16 And
the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying
YLT 16And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... After he had spoken
to him of the holiness of the priests
that they should not defile themselves
neither with the dead nor with impure marriages
he proceeded to add some
things concerning blemishes in their bodies
which rendered them unfit for the
service:
saying; as follows.
Leviticus 21:17. 17 “Speak
to Aaron
saying: ‘No man of your descendants in succeeding generations
who has any defect
may approach to offer the bread of his God.
YLT 17`Speak unto Aaron
saying
No man of thy seed
to their generations in whom there is blemish doth draw near to bring near the
bread of his God
Speak unto Aaron
saying
.... Who being the high
priest
it was incumbent on him
at least at this time
to see that the laws
and rules relating to the priesthood were observed; and particularly to examine
carefully who were and who were not to be admitted to serve in it:
whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations; or
"a
man of thy seed"F23איש מזרעך "vir de semine tuo"
Pagninus
Montanus
&c.
for this only respected his male seed
females of his seed had no
concern in the following laws; but his sons
in all successive ages and
generations
to the coming of the Messiah
had
whether high priests or common
priests:
that hath any blemish; in any part of his body
particularly such as are after mentioned:
let him not approach to offer the bread of his God; neither go
into the holy place
to set the shewbread in order there
nor to offer any
sacrifice upon the altar; so JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 3. c. 12. sect.
2. explains this law; that a priest should be perfect
and if he laboured under
any defect
should not ascend the altar
nor enter into the temple: this was
imitated by the Heathens: Romulus ordered that such as were weak and feeble in
any part of the body should not be made priestsF25Pompon. Laet. de
Sacerdot. c. 6. de Vestalibus. : the Jewish priests were types of Christ
who
is holy
harmless
without spot and blemish; and through whose blood and
righteousness all who are made priests by him are unblamable
without spot or
wrinkle
or any such thing; and a Gospel minister
bishop
or pastor
ought to
be unblemished in his life and conversation
Titus 1:6; and
there are some who think that the blemishes of the mind and of the life are
rather here meant than those of the body.
Leviticus 21:18. 18 For
any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame
who has a
marred face or any limb too long
YLT 18for no man in whom [is] blemish doth draw
near -- a man blind
or lame or dwarfed
or enlarged
For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish
.... Let him
be otherwise ever so well qualified for his office
as with respect to his
parentage
against which no objection lies; or
as to his character and
abilities
being a man of knowledge and of good manners; and whether these
blemishes be
as the JewsF26Misn. Zebachim
c. 12. sect 1. &
Becorot
c. 7. sect. 1. call them
fixed
settled ones
which have attended
them ever since they were born
and are likely to attend them as long as they
live; or are transient ones
only for the present
and perhaps
in a short
time
wilt be removed; yet it matters not
while these blemishes are on them:
he shall not approach; to the altar to offer
sacrifice
or do any part of the priestly office
for this phrase is expressive
of a sacerdotal act: the particular blemishes unfitting a man for such service
follow:
a blind man
or a lame; that is blind of one
eye
or of both; and is lame of one leg
or of both:
or he that hath a flat nose; which Jarchi explains
whose nose is sunk between his two eyes
whose nose is short
and crooked
or
mutilated:
or anything superfluous; more members than usual
as six fingers on an hand
or two gristles in an ear
as Ben Gersom; or whose
members are not proportionate
as one eye large and the other small
or one
thigh or leg longer than the other
so Jarchi; the Targum of Jonathan
is
"whose thigh (or thigh bone) is out of joint;'and so a man draws his
foot after him
which is the sense of the Rabbins
as observed by KimchiF1Sepher
Shorash. rad. שרע.
and Ben Melech from him; and so
such are not fit to be called the priests of the Lord
and much less ministers
of his word
who are blind as to the knowledge of divine and spiritual things
and walk not as becomes the Gospel of Christ; or halt between two opinions
or
savour not the things of God
and lay not aside all superfluity of naughtiness.
Leviticus 21:19. 19 a
man who has a broken foot or broken hand
YLT 19or a man in whom there is a breach in the
foot
or a breach in the hand
Or a man that is brokenfooted or brokenhanded. That has any
of the bones or joints in his hands and feet broke
or when they are distorted
and he is clubfooted
or his fingers crooked and clustered together; and such a
man could not be fit to ascend the altar
and lay the sacrifice in order upon
it; and may be an emblem of such as are awkward or disorderly in their walk and
conservation
and to every good work and action unfit
and so unfit for their
master's use.
Leviticus 21:20. 20 or
is a hunchback or a dwarf
or a man who has a defect in his eye
or eczema or scab
or is a eunuch.
YLT 20or hump-backed
or a dwarf
or with a mixture
in his eye
or a scurvy person
or scabbed
or broken-testicled.
Or crookbackt
.... That has a protuberance
or bunch upon
his back
one that we commonly call "hunchbacked"; the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it
"whose eyebrows lying cover his
eyes;'and so Jarchi
interprets it
the hair of whose eyebrows is long and
lying; and so other Jewish writers understand it of some deformity about the
eyes
the hair of the eyebrows being thick and heavy over them
and so hinder
the sight
at least it makes the person not so sightly and graceful; it is saidF2Becorot
c. 7. sect. 2.
he that hath no eyebrows
or but one eyebrow
is the
"Gibben" (the word here used) spoken of in the law
Leviticus 21:20
or a dwarf; one of a small stature
as Aben Ezra
as generally hunchbacked
persons are
and so unfit to attend the altar
being scarce able to reach up to
it
and do the business of it
as well as must make a very mean appearance; but
the above Targums understand this also of some blemish about the eyes
paraphrasing it"or he that has no hair on his eyebrows
'just the reverse
of the former; Jarchi seems to understand it of a thin small film upon the eye;
though something of that kind seems to be intended in the next clause:
or that hath a blemish in his eye; a mixture
a confusion
or rather a suffusion in it
as the above Targum; in which
as one of them
says
the white is mixed with the black
and with which agrees what is said in
the MisnahF3Ib. c. 6. sect. 2.
where it is asked
what is the
confusion or suffusion? the white which spreads in the his
and enters into the
black of the eye; it seems to be a white speck in the pupil of the eye
and so
Jarchi
KimchiF4Ut supra
(Sepher Shorash.) rad. בלל.
and others interpret it:
or be scurvy or scabbed; both these were kinds of
ulcers
according to the Jewish writers
particularly Jarchi
who says of the
first
that it is a dry scab within and without; and of the other
that it is
the Egyptian scab
which is moist without and dry with it; and so the Targum of
Jonathan:
or hath his stones broken; this is differently
interpreted in the MisnahF5Becorot
c. 7. sect. 5.
and by other
Jewish writers; some say it signifies one that has no testicles
or only one;
so the Septuagint and the Jerusalem Targum: others
whose testicles are broken
or bruised
so Jarchi: or are inflated
so Akiba
Aben Ezra
and the Targum of
Jonathan; some understand it of an "hernia" or rupture
when a man is
burstened: all which may in a moral and mystical sense signify either some
defect in the understanding
or vices in the heart or life
which render unfit
for public service in the sanctuary.
Leviticus 21:21. 21 No man of the descendants
of Aaron the priest
who has a defect
shall come near to offer the offerings
made by fire to the Lord.
He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
YLT 21`No man in whom is blemish (of the seed of
Aaron the priest) doth come nigh to bring near the fire-offerings of Jehovah;
blemish [is] in him; the bread of his God he doth not come nigh to bring near.
Verse 21
No man that hath a blemish
of the seed of Aaron the priest
.... Whether
an high priest or a common priest that lies on him anyone of the above
blemishes; and which the Jewish writersF6Maimon. Biath Hamikdash
c.
8. sect. 17. make to amount to the number of one hundred and forty
and which
they reckon
so many in one part of the booty and so many in another
till they
make up the said number; and whoever had any might not
come nigh to offer up the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire; the burnt
offerings on the altar
to which he might not approach
and the meat offerings
and the fat
and the incense:
he hath a blemish; in one part of him or another; and though
but one:
he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God: this is
repeated for the confirmation of it
and to show how determined the Lord was in
this matter; and how much he should resent it in any that should be found
guilty of the breach of those rules
and so it is designed to deter from
attempting: it.
Leviticus 21:22. 22 He
may eat the bread of his God
both the most holy and the holy;
YLT 22`Bread of his God -- of the most holy things
and of the holy things -- he doth eat;
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 offerF7Misn.
Zebachim
c. 12. sect. 1. ; 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 Numbers 18:9
&c.
Leviticus 21:23. 23 only
he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar
because he has a defect
lest he profane My sanctuaries; for I the Lord sanctify them.’”
YLT 23only
unto the vail he doth not enter
and
unto the altar he doth not draw nigh; for blemish [is] in him; and he doth not
pollute My sanctuaries; for I [am] Jehovah
sanctifying them.'
Only he shall not go in unto the vail
.... So far as
to the vail
which divided between the holy and the holy of holies; that is
he
shall not go into the holy place which was before the vail; not to set the
shewbread upon the table there
nor to light and him the lamps in the
candlestick
nor to offer incense on the altar of incense
which stood in it: some
render it "within the vail"F8אל הפרכת "intra velum"
V. L.
where only the high
priest might enter once a year; but if he had any blemish on him he might not
nor might such an one be an high priest; Aben Ezra seems to have some respect
to this in his note
"to the vail he shall not come
that he may be an high
priest:"
nor come nigh unto the altar; as not to the altar of
incense in the holy place
so neither to the altar of burnt offering in the
court of the tabernacle
that is
so as to officiate there: but though they
might not be employed in such sacred service
the Jews in later times have
found business for them to employ them in
and that was worming the wood
or
searching the wood for worms
which was used in the burning of the sacrifices;
for we are toldF9Misn. Middot
c. 2. sect. 5.
that at the
northeast corner (of the court of the women) was the wood room
where the
priests that had blemishes wormed the wood; and whatsoever wood in which a worm
was found
was rejected from being laid upon the altar: the reason why he might
not go into either place before mentioned is repeated:
because he hath a blemish; either fixed or
transient; one of those particularly expressed
or any other; for the Jews
suppose there are others implied besides those expressed
which disqualified
for service:
that he profane not my sanctuaries; if an high priest
the
holy of holies
if a common priest
the holy place
and the court of the
tabernacle:
for I the Lord do sanctify them; the vail
to which
blemished priests might not go: and the altar
to which they might not come
nigh: or rather
the sanctuaries or holy places
where they might not
officiate
which God had separated and devoted for sacred uses
and were not to
be defiled by any; though Ben Gersom observes
that this has no respect to the
sanctuary
for if it had it would have been said
"I am the Lord
that
sanctify it"; but since a plural word is used before
I see not but that
with great propriety it is expressed
and with reference thereunto
"sanctify them"; which he would have understood of holy things
but
what he means is not easy to say
unless the holy things such persons might eat
of
Leviticus 21:22
which is fetched.
Leviticus 21:24. 24 And
Moses told it to Aaron and his sons
and to all the children of Israel.
YLT 24And Moses speaketh unto Aaron
and unto his
sons
and unto all the sons of Israel.
And Moses told it to Aaron
and to his sons
.... What God
had said to him concerning the priests defiling themselves for the dead
both
common priests and high priest
and concerning their marriages and their
blemishes; that they might be careful not to transgress the laws and rules
given them concerning those things:
and to all the children of Israel; to the heads of the
tribes and elders of the people
and by them to the whole
that they might know
who were fit
and who not
to put their sacrifice into their hands
to offer
for them: Jarchi thinks this was to warn the sanhedrim concerning the priests
whose business it was to examine and judge who were fit for service and who not;
for so we are toldF11Misn. Middot
c. 5. sect. 3.
that in the
chamber Gazith
or of hewn stone
the great sanhedrim of Israel sat and judged
the priests
and rejected some and received others.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)