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The Torah · Old Testament

Leviticus 22

Who may eat holy food and which offerings are accepted

General context

Aaron and his sons must protect holy things from profanation. Approaching them while unclean brings a warning of being cut off from the Lord's presence. Priests who are unclean may not eat holy food until the conditions for cleanness are met. The chapter distinguishes eligible household members from guests and hired workers, addresses a priest's daughter after marriage or return to her father's house, and requires repayment with an added fifth for eating holy food unwittingly. The next section requires acceptable animals for burnt and peace offerings, with a specified exception for certain freewill offerings. Newborn cattle, sheep and goats remain with their mothers for seven days before becoming eligible. A cow or ewe and her young must not be killed on the same day. Thanksgiving meat must be eaten that day. The conclusion calls Israel to keep the commands and honor the Lord who brought them out of Egypt.

Cited passages: Leviticus 22:1, Leviticus 22:2, Leviticus 22:3, Leviticus 22:4, Leviticus 22:5, Leviticus 22:6, Leviticus 22:7, Leviticus 22:8, Leviticus 22:9, Leviticus 22:10, Leviticus 22:11, Leviticus 22:12, Leviticus 22:13, Leviticus 22:14, Leviticus 22:15, Leviticus 22:16, Leviticus 22:17, Leviticus 22:18, Leviticus 22:19, Leviticus 22:20, Leviticus 22:21, Leviticus 22:22, Leviticus 22:23, Leviticus 22:24, Leviticus 22:25, Leviticus 22:26, Leviticus 22:27, Leviticus 22:28, Leviticus 22:29, Leviticus 22:30, Leviticus 22:31, Leviticus 22:32, Leviticus 22:33

Leviticus 22 (KJV)

1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the Lord.

3Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.

4What 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;

5Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;

6The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

7And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.

8That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the Lord.

9They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them.

10There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

11But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.

12If the priest’s daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

13But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

14And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.

15And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the Lord;

16Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the Lord do sanctify them.

17And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

18Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering;

19Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

20But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

21And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

22Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord.

23Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

24Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

25Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

26And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

27When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

28And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

29And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.

30On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the Lord.

31Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord.

32Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you,

33That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The household rules explicitly allow a person purchased by the priest, or born in his house, to eat the food. A widowed or divorced daughter returning home qualifies under the stated condition that she has no child. These details should not be replaced by a general rule about all relatives. The animal rules distinguish a vow from a freewill gift: verse 23 allows a bull or lamb with parts described as 'superfluous or lacking' for a freewill offering but not a vow. That exception does not cancel the other named prohibitions.

Cited passages: Leviticus 22:10, Leviticus 22:11, Leviticus 22:12, Leviticus 22:13, Leviticus 22:14, Leviticus 22:18, Leviticus 22:19, Leviticus 22:20, Leviticus 22:21, Leviticus 22:22, Leviticus 22:23, Leviticus 22:24, Leviticus 22:25

Literary context

The chapter joins the condition and status of those who eat with the condition of what is offered. Repeated language of acceptance and profanation connects the two sections. Its closing appeal to the Lord's name and deliverance from Egypt places the specific household and animal rules within the address to Israel.

Cited passages: Leviticus 22:2, Leviticus 22:3, Leviticus 22:4, Leviticus 22:5, Leviticus 22:6, Leviticus 22:7, Leviticus 22:8, Leviticus 22:9, Leviticus 22:17, Leviticus 22:18, Leviticus 22:19, Leviticus 22:20, Leviticus 22:21, Leviticus 22:22, Leviticus 22:23, Leviticus 22:24, Leviticus 22:25, Leviticus 22:31, Leviticus 22:32, Leviticus 22:33

Key moments

  1. Repayment for an unwitting offense (Leviticus 22:14). Eating holy food unwittingly requires repayment to the priest with an added fifth.
  2. A limited freewill exception (Leviticus 22:23). The text permits a specified bodily irregularity for a freewill animal offering while excluding it for a vow.
  3. Seven days with the mother (Leviticus 22:27). A newborn animal becomes eligible for an offering from the eighth day onward.

For reflection

How do the household rules and the differences between offerings require more care than a single rule about what is holy?

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