King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
What 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;
Complete Jewish Bible:
"'Any descendant of Aharon with tzara'at or a discharge is not to eat the holy things until he is clean. Anyone who has touched a person made unclean by a dead body, or who has had a seminal emission,
Berean Standard Bible:
If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen,
American Standard Version:
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath an issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
What man soever{H376} of the seed{H2233} of Aaron{H175} is a leper{H6879}, or hath a running issue{H2100}; he shall not eat{H398} of the holy things{H6944}, until he be clean{H2891}. And whoso toucheth{H5060} any thing that is unclean{H2931} by the dead{H5315}, or a man{H376} whose seed{H2233}{H7902} goeth{H3318} from him;
Cross-References (KJV):
Leviticus 15:2
- Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, [because of] his issue he [is] unclean.
Leviticus 15:3
- And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it [is] his uncleanness.
Leviticus 11:39
- And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
Leviticus 15:13
- And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.
Leviticus 15:16
- And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.
Leviticus 21:1
- ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Numbers 19:11
- ¶ He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Leviticus 22:4
1. **Themes:**
- **Holiness and Purity:** Leviticus 22:4 emphasizes the importance of ritual purity among the priesthood, particularly those of the lineage of Aaron. The verse reflects the broader theme of holiness in Leviticus, where the Israelites are instructed to distinguish between the sacred and the profane.
- **Ritual Cleanliness:** The verse addresses conditions that render a priest ritually impure, such as leprosy (a term that could encompass various skin diseases) and abnormal genital discharges. These conditions temporarily disqualify the priest from partaking in holy offerings and performing certain sacred duties.
- **Exclusion and Inclusion:** The theme of being set apart is evident. Priests who are impure are temporarily excluded from holy activities, highlighting the necessity of purification before re-entering the sanctuary's service.
2. **Historical Context:**
- **Priestly Code:** Leviticus 22:4 is part of the Priestly Code, which contains detailed instructions for worship, sacrifices, and priestly conduct. This code is thought to have been compiled during the post-exilic period (after the return from the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE) but reflects traditions and laws that could be much older.
- **Cultic Purity:** In the ancient Israelite religion, maintaining cultic purity was essential for the priestly class to mediate between God and the people. The priests' purity ensured the efficacy of sacrifices and the sanctity of the tabernacle (and later the Temple).
- **Health and Community:** The regulations also likely served a practical health function, as they would have limited the spread of contagious diseases within the community.
In summary, Leviticus 22:4 reflects the importance of ritual purity for priests in ancient Israel, ensuring that those serving in the sanctuary were free from physical impurities, which symbolized a state of spiritual purity necessary to approach God. These laws were part of a larger system of religious and social regulations designed to maintain the distinctiveness of Israel's worship and the well-being of the community.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H376
There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ
Transliteration: ʼîysh
Pronunciation: eesh
Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה. - Strong's Number: H2233
There are 205 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זֶרַע
Transliteration: zeraʻ
Pronunciation: zeh'-rah
Description: from זָרַע; seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity; [idiom] carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time. - Strong's Number: H175
There are 480 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַהֲרוֹן
Transliteration: ʼAhărôwn
Pronunciation: a-har-one'
Description: of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of Moses; Aaron. - Strong's Number: H6879
There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָרַע
Transliteration: tsâraʻ
Pronunciation: tsaw-rah'
Description: a primitive root; to scourge, i.e. (intransitive and figurative) to be stricken with leprosy; leper, leprous. - Strong's Number: H2100
There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זוּב
Transliteration: zûwb
Pronunciation: zoob
Description: a primitive root; to flow freely (as water), i.e. (specifically) to have a (sexual) flux; figuratively, to waste away; also to overflow; flow, gush out, have a (running) issue, pine away, run. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H6944
There are 382 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֹדֶשׁ
Transliteration: qôdesh
Pronunciation: ko'-desh
Description: from קָדַשׁ; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity; consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, ([idiom] most) holy ([idiom] day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. - Strong's Number: H2891
There are 79 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָהֵר
Transliteration: ṭâhêr
Pronunciation: taw-hare'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by implication); to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated; Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy); be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self). - Strong's Number: H5060
There are 142 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָגַע
Transliteration: nâgaʻ
Pronunciation: naw-gah'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.); beat, ([idiom] be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch. - Strong's Number: H2931
There are 78 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָמֵא
Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
Pronunciation: taw-may'
Description: from טָמֵא; foul in a religious sense; defiled, [phrase] infamous, polluted(-tion), unclean. - Strong's Number: H5315
There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
Transliteration: nephesh
Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it. - Strong's Number: H7902
There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שְׁכָבָה
Transliteration: shᵉkâbâh
Pronunciation: shek-aw-baw'
Description: from שָׁכַב; a lying down (of dew, or for the sexual act); [idiom] carnally, copulation, [idiom] lay, seed. - Strong's Number: H3318
There are 992 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָצָא
Transliteration: yâtsâʼ
Pronunciation: yaw-tsaw'
Description: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.; [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter.