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Leviticus 22:4 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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4 `Any man of the seed of Aaron, and is leprous or hath an issue -- of the holy things he doth not eat till that he is clean; and he who is coming against any uncleanness of a person, or a man whose seed of copulation goeth out from him,

Cross Reference

Leviticus 15:2-3 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

`Speak unto the sons of Israel, and ye have said unto them, When there is an issue out of the flesh of any man, `for' his issue he `is' unclean; and this is his uncleanness in his issue -- his flesh hath run with his issue, or his flesh hath stopped from his issue; it `is' his uncleanness.

Leviticus 15:13-16 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

`And when he who hath the issue is clean from his issue, then he hath numbered to himself seven days for his cleansing, and hath washed his garments, and hath bathed his flesh with running water, and been clean. `And on the eighth day he taketh to himself two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and hath come in before Jehovah unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and hath given them unto the priest; and the priest hath made them, one a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering; and the priest hath made atonement for him before Jehovah, because of his issue. `And when a man's seed of copulation goeth out from him, then he hath bathed with water all his flesh, and been unclean till the evening.

Leviticus 6:25-29 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

`Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, This `is' a law of the sin-offering: in the place where the burnt-offering is slaughtered is the sin-offering slaughtered before Jehovah; it `is' most holy. `The priest who is making atonement with it doth eat it, in the holy place it is eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting; all that cometh against its flesh is holy, and when `any' of its blood is sprinkled on the garment, that on which it is sprinkled thou dost wash in the holy place; and an earthen vessel in which it is boiled is broken, and if in a brass vessel it is boiled, then it is scoured and rinsed with water. `Every male among the priests doth eat it -- it `is' most holy;

Leviticus 11:24-28 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

`And by these ye are made unclean, any one who is coming against their carcase is unclean till the evening; and anyone who is lifting up `aught' of their carcase doth wash his garments, and hath been unclean till the evening: -- even every beast which is dividing the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, and the cud is not bringing up -- unclean they `are' to you; any one who is coming against them is unclean. `And any one going on its paws, among all the beasts which are going on four -- unclean they `are' to you; any one who is coming against their carcase is unclean until the evening; and he who is lifting up their carcase doth wash his garments, and hath been unclean until the evening -- unclean they `are' to you.

Leviticus 13:2-3 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

`When a man hath in the skin of his flesh a rising, or scab, or bright spot, and it hath become in the skin of his flesh a leprous plague, then he hath been brought in unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests; and the priest hath seen the plague in the skin of the flesh, and the hair in the plague hath turned white, and the appearance of the plague `is' deeper than the skin of his flesh -- it `is' a plague of leprosy, and the priest hath seen him, and hath pronounced him unclean.

Leviticus 13:44-46 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

he `is' a leprous man, he `is' unclean; the priest doth pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague `is' in his head. `As to the leper in whom `is' the plague, his garments are rent, and his head is uncovered, and he covereth over the upper lip, and `Unclean! unclean!' he calleth; all the days that the plague `is' in him he is unclean; he `is' unclean, alone he doth dwell, at the outside of the camp `is' his dwelling.

Leviticus 14:1-32 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, `This is a law of the leper, in the day of his cleansing, that he hath been brought in unto the priest, and the priest hath gone out unto the outside of the camp, and the priest hath seen, and lo, the plague of leprosy hath ceased from the leper, and the priest hath commanded, and he hath taken for him who is to be cleansed, two clean living birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. `And the priest hath commanded, and he hath slaughtered the one bird upon an earthen vessel, over running water; `as to' the living bird, he taketh it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and hath dipped them and the living bird in the blood of the slaughtered bird, over the running water, and he hath sprinkled on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and hath pronounced him clean, and hath sent out the living bird on the face of the field. `And he who is to be cleansed hath washed his garments, and hath shaved all his hair, and hath bathed with water, and hath been clean, and afterwards he doth come in unto the camp, and hath dwelt at the outside of his tent seven days. `And it hath been, on the seventh day -- he shaveth all his hair, his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair he doth shave, and he hath washed his garments, and hath bathed his flesh with water, and hath been clean. `And on the eighth day he taketh two lambs, perfect ones, and one ewe-lamb, daughter of a year, a perfect one, and three tenth deals of flour `for' a present, mixed with oil, and one log of oil. `And the priest who is cleansing hath caused the man who is to be cleansed to stand with them before Jehovah, at the opening of the tent of meeting, and the priest hath taken the one he-lamb, and hath brought it near for a guilt-offering, also the log of oil, and hath waved them -- a wave offering before Jehovah. `And he hath slaughtered the lamb in the place where he slaughtereth the sin-offering and the burnt-offering, in the holy place; for like the sin-offering the guilt-offering is to the priest; it `is' most holy. `And the priest hath taken of the blood of the guilt-offering, and the priest hath put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot; and the priest hath taken of the log of oil, and hath poured on the left palm of the priest, and the priest hath dipped his right finger in the oil which `is' on his left palm, and hath sprinkled of the oil with his finger seven times before Jehovah. `And of the residue of the oil which `is' on his palm, the priest putteth on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt-offering; and the remnant of the oil which `is' on the palm of the priest, he putteth on the head of him who is to be cleansed, and the priest hath made atonement for him before Jehovah. `And the priest hath made the sin-offering, and hath made atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterwards he doth slaughter the burnt-offering; and the priest hath caused the burnt-offering to ascend, also the present, on the altar, and the priest hath made atonement for him, and he hath been clean. `And if he `is' poor, and his hand is not reaching `these things', then he hath taken one lamb -- a guilt-offering, for a wave-offering, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth deal of flour mixed with oil for a present, and a log of oil, and two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, which his hand reacheth to, and one hath been a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering; and he hath brought them in on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, before Jehovah. `And the priest hath taken the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest hath waved them -- a wave-offering before Jehovah; and he hath slaughtered the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the priest hath taken of the blood of the guilt-offering, and hath put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot; and the priest doth pour of the oil on the left palm of the priest; and the priest hath sprinkled with his right finger of the oil which `is' on his left palm, seven times before Jehovah. `And the priest hath put of the oil which `is' on his palm, on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt-offering; and the remnant of the oil which `is' on the palm of the priest he doth put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him, before Jehovah. `And he hath made the one of the turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons (from that which his hand reacheth to, `even' that which his hand reacheth to), the one a sin-offering, and the one a burnt offering, besides the present, and the priest hath made atonement for him who is to be cleansed before Jehovah. This `is' a law of him in whom `is' a plague of leprosy, whose hand reacheth not to his cleansing.'

Numbers 19:11-16 YLT

KJV ASV DARBY WEB BBE STRONG

`He who is coming against the dead body of any man -- is unclean seven days; he doth cleanse himself for it on the third day, and on the seventh day he is clean; and if he cleanse not himself on the third day, then on the seventh day he is not clean. Any one who is coming against the dead, against the body of man who dieth, and cleanseth not himself -- the tabernacle of Jehovah he hath defiled, and that person hath been cut off from Israel, for water of separation is not sprinkled upon him; he is unclean; his uncleanness `is' still upon him. `This `is' the law, when a man dieth in a tent: every one who is coming in unto the tent, and all that `is' in the tent, is unclean seven days; and every open vessel which hath no covering of thread upon it is unclean. `And every one who cometh, on the face of the field, against the pierced of a sword, or against the dead, or against a bone of man, or against a grave, is unclean seven days;

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 22

Commentary on Leviticus 22 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 22

In this chapter we have divers laws concerning the priests and sacrifices all for the preserving of the honour of the sanctuary.

  • I. That the priests should not eat the holy things in their uncleanness (v. 1-9).
  • II. That no stranger who did not belong to some family of the priests should eat of the holy things (v. 10-13), and, if he did it unwittingly, he must make restitution, (v. 14-16).
  • III. That the sacrifices which were offered must be without blemish (v. 17-25).
  • IV. That they must be more than eight days old (v. 26-28), and that the sacrifices of thanksgiving must be eaten the same day they were offered (v. 29, etc.).

Lev 22:1-9

Those that had a natural blemish, though they were forbidden to do the priests' work, were yet allowed to eat of the holy things: and the Jewish writers say that "to keep them from idleness they were employed in the wood-room, to pick out that which was worm-eaten, that it might not be used in the fire upon the altar; they might also be employed in the judgment of leprosy:' but,

  • I. Those that were under any ceremonial uncleanness, which possibly they contracted by their own fault, might no so much as eat of the holy things while they continued in their pollution.
    • 1. Some pollutions were permanent, as a leprosy or a running issue, v. 4. These separated the people from the sanctuary, and God would show that they were so far from being more excusable that really they were more abominable in a priest.
    • 2. Others were more transient, as the touching of a dead body, or any thing else that was unclean, from which, after a certain time, a man was cleansed by bathing his flesh in water, v. 6. But whoever was thus defiled might not eat of the holy things, under pain of God's highest displeasure, who said, and ratified the saying, That soul shall be cut off from my presence, v. 3. Our being in the presence of God, and attending upon him, will be so far from securing us that it will but the more expose us to God's wrath, if we dare to draw nigh to him in our uncleanness. The destruction shall come from the presence of the Lord (2 Th. 1:9), as the fire by which Nadab and Abihu died came from before the Lord. Thus those who profane the holy word of God will be cut off by that word which they make so light of; it shall condemn them. They are again warned of their danger if they eat the holy thing in their uncleanness (v. 9), lest they bear sin, and die therefore. Note,
      • (1.) Those contract great guilt who profane sacred things, by touching them with unhallowed hands. Eating the holy things signified an interest in the atonement; but, if they ate of them in their uncleanness, they were so far from lessening their guilt that they increased it: They shall bear sin.
      • (2.) Sin is a burden which, if infinite mercy prevent not, will certainly sink those that bear it: They shall die therefore. Even priests may be ruined by their pollutions and presumptions.
  • II. As to the design of this law we may observe,
    • 1. This obliged the priests carefully to preserve their purity, and to dread every thing that would defile them. The holy things were their livelihood; if they might not eat of them, how must they subsist? The more we have to lose of comfort and honour by our defilement, the more careful we should be to preserve our purity.
    • 2. This impressed the people with a reverence for the holy things, when they saw the priests themselves separated from them (as the expression is, v. 2) so long as they were in their uncleanness. He is doubtless a God of infinite purity who kept his immediate attendants under so strict a discipline.
    • 3. This teaches us carefully to watch against all moral pollutions, because by them we are unfitted to receive the comfort of God's sanctuary. Though we labour not under habitual deformities, yet actual defilements deprive us of the pleasure of communion with God; and therefore he that is washed needeth to wash his feet (Jn. 13:10), to wash his hands, and so to compass the altar, Ps. 26:6. Herein we have need to be jealous over ourselves, lest (as it is observably expressed here) we profane God's holy name in those things which we hallow unto him, v. 2. If we affront God in those very performances wherein we pretend to honour him, and provoke him instead of pleasing him, we shall make up but a bad account shortly; yet thus we do if we profane God's name, by doing that in our uncleanness which pretends to be hallowed to him.

Lev 22:10-16

The holy things were to be eaten by the priests and their families. Now,

  • I. Here is a law that no stranger should eat of them, that is, no person whatsoever but the priests only, and those that pertained to them, v. 10. The priests are charged with this care, not to profane the holy things by permitting the strangers to eat of them (v. 15) or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass (v. 16); that is, suffer them to bring guilt upon themselves, by meddling with that which they have no right to. Thus it is commonly understood. Note, We must not only be careful that we do not bear iniquity ourselves, but we must do what we can to prevent others bearing it. We must not only not suffer sin to lie upon our brother, but, if we can help it, we must not suffer it to come upon him. But perhaps there is another meaning of those words: the priests' eating the sin-offerings is said to signify their bearing the iniquity of the congregation, to make an atonement for them, ch. 10:17. Let not a stranger therefore eat of that holy thing particularly, and so pretend to bear the iniquity of trespass; for it is daring presumption for any to do that, but such as are appointed to do it. Those that set up other mediators besides Christ our priest, to bear the iniquity of trespass, sacrilegiously rob Christ of his honour, and invade his rights. When we warn people not to trust to their own righteousness, nor dare to appear before God in it, but to rely on Christ's righteousness only for peace and pardon, it is because we dare not suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, for we know it is too heavy for them.
  • II. Here is an explanation of the law, showing who were to be looked upon as belonging to the priest's family, and who not.
    • 1. Sojourners and hired servants abode not in the house for ever; they were in the family, but not of it; and therefore they might not eat of the holy things (v. 10): but the servant that was born in the house or bought with money, being a heirloom to the family, though a servant, yet might eat of the holy things, v. 11. Note, Those only are entitled to the comforts of God's house who make it their rest for ever, and resolve to dwell in it all the days of their life. As for those who for a time only believe, to serve a present turn. They are looked upon but as sojourners and mercenaries, and have no part nor lot in the matter.
    • 2. As to the children of the family, concerning the sons there could be no dispute, they were themselves priests, but concerning the daughters there was a distinction. While they continued in their father's house they might eat of the holy things; but, if they married such as were not priests, they lost their right (v. 12), for now they were cut off from the family of the priests. Yet if a priest's daughter became a widow, and had no children in whom she might preserve a distinct family, and returned to her father's house again, being neither wife nor mother, she should again be looked upon as a daughter, and might eat of the holy things. If those whom Providence has made sorrowful widows, and who are dislodged from the rest they had in the house of a husband, yet find it again in a father's house, they have reason to be thankful to the widows' God, who does not leave them comfortless.
    • 3. Here is a demand of restitution to be made by him that had no right to the holy things, and yet should eat of them unwittingly, v. 14. If he did it presumptuously, and in contempt of the divine institution, he was liable to be cut off by the hand of God, and to be beaten by the magistrate; but, if he did it through weakness in inconsideration, he was to restore the value, adding a fifth part to it, besides which he was to bring an offering to atone for the trespass; see ch. 5:15, 16.
  • III. This law might be dispensed with in a case of necessity, as it was when David and his men ate of the show-bread, 1 Sa. 21:6. And our Saviour justifies them, and gives a reason for it, which furnishes us with a lasting rule in all such cases, that God will have mercy and not sacrifice, Mt. 12:3, 4, 7. Rituals must give way to morals.
  • IV. It is an instruction to gospel ministers, who are stewards of the mysteries of God, not to admit all, without distinction, to eat of the holy things, but to take out the precious from the vile. Those that are scandalously ignorant or profane are strangers and aliens to the family of the Lord's priests; and it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to such. Holy things are for holy persons, for those who are holy, at least, in profession, Mt. 7:6.

Lev 22:17-33

Here are four laws concerning sacrifices:-

  • I. Whatever was offered in sacrifice to God should be without blemish, otherwise it should not be accepted. This had often been mentioned in the particular institutions of the several sorts of offerings. Now here they are told what was to be accounted a blemish which rendered a beast unfit for sacrifice: if it was blind, or lame, had a wen, or the mange (v. 22),-if it was bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut (v. 24), that is, as the Jewish writers understand it, if it was, in any of these ways, castrated, if bulls and rams were made into oxen and weathers, they might not be offered. Moreover a difference is made between what was brought as a free-will offering and what was brought as a vow, v. 23. And, though none that had any of the forementioned blemishes might be brought for either, yet if a beast had any thing superfluous or lacking (that is, as the Jews understand it, if there was a disproportion or inequality between those parts that are pairs, when one eye, or ear, or leg, was bigger than it should be, or less than it should be)-if there was no other blemish than this, it might be accepted for a free-will offering, to which a man had not before laid himself, nor had the divine law laid him, under any particular obligation; but for a vow it might not be accepted. Thus God would teach us to make conscience of performing our promises to him very exactly, and not afterwards to abate in quantity or value of what we had solemnly engaged to devote to him. What was, before the vow, in our own power, as in the case of a free-will offering, afterwards is not, Acts 5:4. It is again and again declared that no sacrifice should be accepted if it was thus blemished, v. 20, 21. According to this law great care was taken to search all the beasts that were brought to be sacrificed, that there might, to a certainty, be no blemish in them. A blemished sacrifice might not be accepted even from the hand of a stranger, though to such all possible encouragement should be given to do honour to the God of Israel, v. 25. By this it appears that strangers were expected to come to the house of God from a far country (1 Ki. 8:41, 42), and that they should be welcome, and their offerings accepted, as those of Darius, Ezra 6:9, 10; Isa. 56:6, 7. The heathen priests were many of them not so strict in this matter, but would receive sacrifices for their gods that were ever so scandalous; but let strangers know that the God of Israel would not be so served. Now,
    • 1. This law was then necessary for the preserving of the honour of the sanctuary, and of the God that was there worshipped. It was fit that every thing that was employed for his honour should be the best of the kind; for, as he is the greatest and brightest, so he is the best of beings; and he that is the best must have the best. See how greatly and justly displeasing the breach of this law was to the holy God, Mal. 1:8, 13, 14.
    • 2. This law made all the legal sacrifices the fitter to be types of Christ, the great sacrifice from which all these derived their virtue. In allusion to this law, he is said to be a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pt. 1:19. As such a priest, so such a sacrifice, became us, who was harmless and undefiled. When Pilate declared, I find no fault in this man, he did thereby in effect pronounce the sacrifice without blemish. The Jews say it was the work of the sagan, or suffragan, high priest, to view the sacrifices, and see whether they were without blemish or no; when Christ suffered, Annas was in that office; but little did those who brought Christ to Annas first, by whom he was sent bound to Caiaphas, as a sacrifice fit to be offered (Jn. 18:13, 24), think that they were answering the type of this law.
    • 3. It is an instruction to us to offer to God the best we have in our spiritual sacrifices. If our devotions are ignorant, and cold, and trifling, and full of distractions, we offer the blind, and the lame, and the sick, for sacrifice; but cursed be the deceiver that does so, for, while he thinks to put a cheat upon God, he puts a damning cheat upon his own soul.
  • II. That no beast should be offered in sacrifice before it was eight days old, v. 26, 27. It was provided before that the firstlings of their cattle, which were to be dedicated to God, should not be brought to him till after the eighth day, Ex. 22:30. Here it is provided that no creature should be offered in sacrifice till it was eight days old complete. Sooner than that it was not fit to be used at men's tables, and therefore not a God's altar. The Jews say, "It was because the sabbath sanctifies all things, and nothing should be offered to God till at least one sabbath had passed over it.' It was in conformity to the law of circumcision, which children were to receive on the eighth day. Christ was sacrificed for us, not in his infancy, though then Herod sought to slay him, but in the prime of his time.
  • III. That the dam and her young should not both be killed in one day, whether in sacrifice or for common use, v. 28. There is such a law as this concerning birds, Deu. 22:6. This was forbidden, not as evil in itself, but because it looked barbarous and cruel to the brute creatures; like the tyranny of the king of Babylon, that slew Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and then put out his eyes. It looked ill-natured towards the species to kill two generations at once, as if one designed the ruin of the kind.
  • IV. That the flesh of their thank-offerings should be eaten on the same day that they were sacrificed, v. 29, 30. This is a repetition of what we had before, ch. 7:15; 19:6, 7. The chapter concludes with such a general charge as we have often met with, to keep God's commandments, and not to profane his holy name, v. 31, 32. Those that profess God's name, if they do not make conscience of keeping his commandments, do but profane his name. The general reasons are added: God's authority over them-I am the Lord; his interest in them-I am your God; the title he had to them by redemption-"I brought you out of the land of Egypt, on purpose that I might be your God;' the designs of his grace concerning them-I am the Lord that hallow you; and the resolutions of his justice, if he had not honour from them, to get himself honour upon them-I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. God will be a loser in his glory by no man at last; but sooner or later will recover his right, either in the repentance of sinners or in their ruin.