Leviticus22

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.

Priestly Purity and Handling Holy Things

1
ADONAI said to Moshe,
2
"Tell Aharon and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the people of Isra'el which they set apart as holy for me, so that they will not profane my holy name; I am ADONAI. ​
3
Tell them, 'Any descendant of yours through all your generations who approaches the holy things that the people of Isra'el consecrate to ADONAI and is unclean will be cut off from before me; I am ADONAI. ​
4
"'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, ​
5
or who has touched a reptile or insect that can make him unclean, or a man who is unclean for any reason and who can transmit to him his uncleanness -
6
the person who touches any of these will be unclean until evening and is not to eat the holy things unless he bathes his body in water. ​
7
After sunset he will be clean; and afterwards, he may eat the holy things; because they are his food.
8
But he is not to eat anything that dies naturally or is torn to death by wild animals and thereby make himself unclean; I am ADONAI. ​
9
The cohanim must observe this charge of mine; otherwise, if they profane it, they will bear the consequences of their sin for doing so and die in it; I am ADONAI, who makes them holy.

Who May Eat the Holy Offerings?

10
"'No one who is not a cohen may eat anything holy, nor may a tenant or employee of a cohen eat anything holy. ​
11
But if a cohen acquires a slave, either through purchase or through his being born in his household, he may share his food. ​
12
If the daughter of a cohen is married to a man who is not a cohen, she is not to have a share of the food set aside from the holy things. ​
13
But if the daughter of a cohen is a widow or divorcee and has no child, and she is sent back to her father's house as when she was young, she may share in her father's food; but no one not a cohen is to share in it.
14
If a person eats holy food by mistake, he must add one-fifth to it and give the holy food to the cohen. ​
15
They are not to profane the holy things of the people of Isra'el that they have set apart for ADONAI
16
and thus cause them to bear guilt requiring a guilt offering, by eating their holy things; because I am ADONAI, who makes them holy.'" ​

Requirements for Acceptable Sacrifices

17
ADONAI said to Moshe,
18
"Speak to Aharon and his sons and to the entire people of Isra'el; tell them: 'When anyone, whether a member of the house of Isra'el or a foreigner living in Isra'el, brings his offering, either in connection with a vow or as a voluntary offering, and brings it to ADONAI as a burnt offering, ​
19
in order for you to be accepted, you must bring a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep or the goats. ​
20
You are not to bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted from you.
21
Whoever brings a sacrifice of peace offerings to ADONAI in fulfillment of a vow or as a voluntary offering, whether it come from the herd or from the flock, it must be unblemished and without defect in order to be accepted.
22
If it is blind, injured, mutilated, has an abnormal growth or has festering or running sores, you are not to offer it to ADONAI or make such an offering by fire on the altar to ADONAI. ​
23
If a bull or lamb has a limb which is too long or short, you may offer it as a voluntary offering; but for a vow it will not be accepted. ​
24
An animal with bruised, crushed, torn or cut genitals you are not to offer to ADONAI. You are not to do these things in your land,
25
and you are not to receive any of these from a foreigner for you to offer as bread for your God, because their deformity is a defect in them - they will not be accepted from you.'" ​

Additional Sacrificial Regulations

26
ADONAI said to Moshe,
27
"When a bull, sheep or goat is born, it is to stay with its mother for seven days; but from the eighth day on, it may be accepted for an offering made by fire to ADONAI. ​
28
However, no animal is to be slaughtered together with its young on the same day, neither cow nor ewe. ​
29
"When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to ADONAI, you must do it in a way such that you will be accepted.
30
It must be eaten on the same day it is offered; leave none of it till morning; I am ADONAI. ​

Call to Keep God’s Commandments

31
"You are to keep my mitzvot and obey them; I am ADONAI.
32
You are not to profane my holy name; on the contrary, I am to be regarded as holy among the people of Isra'el; I am ADONAI, who makes you holy, ​
33
who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am ADONAI."

Study Notes for Leviticus 22

Verse 2

The priests must maintain strict separation and ritual purity when dealing with God’s holy offerings. Failure to do so profanes God’s holy name, treating sacred things as common.

Verse 3

The phrase 'cut off from my presence' signifies severe punishment, often death or exclusion from the community, emphasizing the danger of approaching God while in a state of profanity.

Verse 4

This verse lists specific major impurities (leprosy, bodily discharge, contact with the dead) that temporarily disqualify a priest from consuming the sacrificial portions assigned to him.

Verse 6

Minor forms of uncleanness only required washing and waiting until sunset (until even) for the priest to be restored to ritual purity and resume eating the holy food.

Verse 8

Priests were also forbidden from eating animals that died naturally or were killed by predators (carrion). This rule maintained their physical and ritual purity, setting them apart from the common diet.

Verse 10

The 'holy thing' (portions of sacrifices) was exclusive food for the priests and their immediate families. A 'stranger' (layperson, non-descendant of Aaron) was strictly prohibited from eating it.

Verse 11

Slaves bought by the priest and those born into his household were considered permanent members of the priestly family unit and were consequently permitted to eat the holy food.

Verse 12

If a priest’s daughter marries a non-priest ('stranger'), she loses her right to the holy food because her provision and status are now tied to her husband’s non-priestly household.

Verse 14

If a layperson unintentionally eats a holy offering, they must immediately make restitution by repaying the value of the food plus a 20% penalty (the 'fifth part') to the priest.

Verse 16

The priests are held responsible for preventing unauthorized consumption. Allowing laypersons to eat the holy things causes the priests to 'bear the iniquity of trespass,' polluting their sacred duty.

Verse 18

These standards for sacrifice apply universally, not only to native Israelites but also to 'strangers' (resident aliens) who participate in the covenant community through offerings.

Verse 19

The foundational requirement for an acceptable offering is that it must be a 'male without blemish.' This signifies offering God the best possible quality and points toward the perfect sacrifice to come (Christ).

Verse 22

This list specifies severe physical defects (blindness, broken limbs, skin conditions) that render an animal unacceptable for sacrifice. God rejects defective or second-rate gifts.

Verse 23

A distinction is made: minor imperfections (superfluous or lacking parts) might be accepted only for a *freewill* offering, which is a voluntary gift, but never for a *vow* or obligatory sacrifice.

Verse 25

The strict quality standards apply regardless of the source of the offering, meaning priests must not accept blemished animals even from foreigners, ensuring the sanctity of the altar.

Verse 27

Sacrificial animals needed to be at least eight days old before they could be offered. This ensured the animal was viable and links to the concept of sanctification often associated with the eighth day.

Verse 28

This law, rooted in mercy and respect for life, prohibits the slaughter of a mother and her offspring on the same day. It reflects God’s concern for the natural order and humane treatment.

Verse 30

The sacrifice of thanksgiving (V. 29) was meant to be a communal feast, consumed completely on the day of offering. This prevents the holy food from decaying or being treated casually.

Verse 32

This concluding statement summarizes the theological purpose of Leviticus: Israel must obey to avoid profaning God's name. God’s ultimate desire is to be recognized and 'hallowed' (treated as holy) by the people he saved.

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