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1 The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron's sons, the priests: A priest is not to make himself unclean by touching the dead body of any of his relatives. 2 The only exceptions are for his immediate family. This includes his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, 3 or his unmarried sister since she is a close relative because she doesn't have a husband. 4 He must not make himself unclean for those only related to him by marriage—he is not to make himself ceremonially impure.
5 Priests are not to shave bald spots on their heads, trim the sides of their beards, or cut their bodies.*See 19:27. 6 They must be holy to their God and not disgrace their God's reputation. They are the ones who present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God. Consequently they must be holy.
7 A priest is not to marry a woman made unclean through prostitution†This may include cultic prostitution at pagan temples. or who is divorced by her husband, for the priest must be holy to his God. 8 You shall consider him holy because he presents the food offerings to your God. He shall be holy to you, because I am holy. I am the Lord, and I chose you as my special people.‡“Chose you as my special people”: literally, “set you apart.” 9 A priest's daughter who makes herself unclean through prostitution makes her father unclean. She must be executed by burning.
10 The high priest has the highest place among the other priests. He has been anointed with olive oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly clothing. He must not leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothes.§These were signs of distress or mourning. 11 He is not to go near any dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even if it is for his own father or mother. 12 He must not leave to deal with someone who has died*“To deal with someone who has died”: supplied for clarity. It doesn't mean the high priest could never leave the sanctuary. or make the sanctuary of his God unclean because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.
13 He can only marry a virgin. 14 He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one made unclean through prostitution. He has to marry a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he doesn't make his children unclean among his people,†Having a foreign wife would mean that any children of the marriage would be considered unclean. They also could not follow their father in the priesthood, and indeed he could not continue as a priest either. for I am the Lord who makes him holy.”
16 The Lord told Moses, 17 “Tell Aaron: These rules apply for all future generations. If any of your descendants has a physical defect, he is not allowed to come and present the food offerings of his God. 18 No man is allowed to do this if he has any defects, including anyone who is blind, crippled, facially disfigured, or has deformities, 19 anyone who has a broken foot or arm, 20 anyone who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has cataracts, skin sores or scabs, or a damaged testicle.
21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect is allowed to come and present the food offerings to the Lord. Because he has a defect, he must not come and offer the food of his God. 22 He is still allowed to eat the food from the Most Holy Place of his God and also from the sanctuary, 23 but because he has a defect, he is not allowed to go near the curtain or the altar, so that my sanctuary and everything in it‡“My sanctuary and everything in it”: literally, “my sanctuaries.” are not made unclean, because I am the Lord who makes them holy.” 24 Moses repeated this to Aaron and his sons, and to all the Israelites.

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*21:5 See 19:27.

†21:7 This may include cultic prostitution at pagan temples.

‡21:8 “Chose you as my special people”: literally, “set you apart.”

§21:10 These were signs of distress or mourning.

*21:12 “To deal with someone who has died”: supplied for clarity. It doesn't mean the high priest could never leave the sanctuary.

†21:15 Having a foreign wife would mean that any children of the marriage would be considered unclean. They also could not follow their father in the priesthood, and indeed he could not continue as a priest either.

‡21:23 “My sanctuary and everything in it”: literally, “my sanctuaries.”

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher