Leviticus 21

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people,

except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,

and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.

He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

“‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh.

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, the bread of their God. Therefore they shall be holy.

“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.

Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

“‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes.

He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his mother.

He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the LORD.

“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.

He shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute. He shall take a virgin of his own people as a wife.

He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.’”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Say to Aaron, ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.

For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,

or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,

or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles.

No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter sets apart the priests, especially the high priest, for holy service before the Lord, detailing restrictions on contact with death, personal appearance, marriage, and physical integrity. It underscores the sacredness of the priestly office as a reflection of God’s holiness, establishing boundaries that preserve the dignity and purity of those who draw near to offer sacrifices in Israel’s worship.

Flow.

Begins with general prohibitions for priests against defilement by the dead, permitting exceptions only for closest familial relations.
Prohibits practices associated with mourning (shaving, cutting the body) and regulates marriage to maintain ritual purity.
Focuses on the high priest, imposing stricter separations: no mourning even for parents, specific marriage requirements, and an elevated standard of holiness.
Concludes with restrictions on priests who have physical defects, barring them from offering sacrifices though allowing them to share in holy food.

Connections.
Following chapter 20, which emphasizes the holiness of the community and the penalties for violating divine standards, chapter 21 intensifies the demand for holiness within the priestly line who mediate between God and His people. The call to separation reaches its summit in the high priest, foreshadowing the perfect holiness required of the one who will ultimately represent God to humanity. This prepares the way for chapter 22, which continues the theme by regulating the purity of offerings and the priestly consumption of holy things, ensuring that both worshipers and worship remain consecrated to the Lord.

What it teaches.
The priests are to embody the holiness of God in their persons and practices, reflecting the truth that nearness to God requires separation from defilement (WCF 14.2). Their restrictions in mourning, marriage, and bodily integrity signify the reverence due to God’s presence and the seriousness of representing Him to Israel (HC LD 32; WCF 21.1). The disqualification of those with physical defects does not imply personal unworthiness but signifies that the priestly role is a typological foreshadowing of Christ, whose perfect humanity fulfills the demands of holy service (WCF 8.4; HC LD 16). The high priest, in particular, prefigures the sinless, perpetual intercessor who is “holy, blameless, set apart from sinners” (), pointing forward to the ultimate anointed one.

Apply.
The holiness required of priests directs attention to the perfection of Christ’s priesthood, through whom believers are cleansed and admitted into God’s presence.

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