Leviticus chapter 22
The use of holy offerings. Unacceptable offerings.
Note: Many people find it morally objectionable that a religion requires the killing of innocent animals.
THE USE OF HOLY OFFERINGS
VERSE 1. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
VERSE 2. “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.
to separate themselves from the holy things. That is, to respect the offerings.
holy … profane. This sets up a dichotomy:
- Some things are holy
- Other things are profane
Later, in western philosophy, this dichotomy will align with the dualism of Socrates and Plato. Dualism persists to this day.
For Christians, the most common expression of dualism is this:
- Spiritual is good
- Physical is bad
VERSE 3. “Tell them, ‘If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am the LORD.
VERSE 4. “ ‘Whoever of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has a discharge shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man who has a seminal emission,
a man who has a seminal emission. That is, a man who ejaculates.
VERSE 5. or whoever touches any creeping thing whereby he may be made unclean, or a man from whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has—
VERSE 6. the person that touches any such shall be unclean until the evening, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he bathes his body in water.
VERSE 7. When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread.
VERSE 8. He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am the LORD.
That which dies of itself … he shall not eat. Scavenging of dead animals is not allowed.
VERSE 9. “ ‘They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it and die in it, if they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
VERSE 10. “ ‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
VERSE 11. But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread.
VERSE 12. If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things.
VERSE 13. But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it.
no stranger shall eat any of it. That is, no layperson may eat of it.
VERSE 14. “ ‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest.
VERSE 15. The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,
VERSE 16. and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’ ”
UNACCEPTABLE OFFERINGS
VERSE 17. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
VERSE 18. “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their free will offerings, which they offer to the LORD for a burnt offering:
VERSE 19. that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats.
a male without defect. In most of the the Book of Leviticus, the sacrificial animals were to be male. But in some cases, the animal for a sin offering was to be female. Read more »
VERSE 20. But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you.
VERSE 21. Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.
VERSE 22. You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the LORD.
VERSE 23. Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
VERSE 24. You must not offer to the LORD that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land.
VERSE 25. You must not offer any of these as the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’ ”
VERSE 26. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
VERSE 27. “When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to the LORD.
VERSE 28. Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.
VERSE 29. “When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.
VERSE 30. It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am the LORD.
VERSE 31. “Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am the LORD.
VERSE 32. You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy,
VERSE 33. who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD.”
LEVITICUS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, The Scapegoat, Female Sacrificial Animals
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.