Leviticus 21:16-24 - Exposition

Perfection of the body being typical of perfection of the mind and of the whole man, and symbolical perfection being required of the priest of God, none may be admitted to the priesthood with bodily defects, or excrescences, or grievous blemishes. The translation dwarf , in Leviticus 21:20 , is better than the marginal rendering "too slender," or withered. Being the descendants of Aaron, these priests, blemished as they were, were to be supported as the other priests were supported. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy; that is, the priests' portions of the meat offerings ( Leviticus 2:3 , Leviticus 2:10 ; Leviticus 6:17 ), of the sin offerings ( Leviticus 6:29 ), of the trespass offerings ( Leviticus 7:1 ), of the shewbread ( Leviticus 24:9 ), which were most holy, and of the heave offerings, wave offerings, firstfruit offerings, firstlings, and things devoted ( Numbers 11:11-19 ), which were holy. They were also apparently employed in the less formal and conspicuous duties of the priests, such as examining lepers, and any other functions which did not bring them nigh unto the altar . But they were not to profane God's sanctuaries , by which is meant the holy of holies, the holy place, and the court in which the altar stood. To none of these is the blemished priest to be admitted for the purpose of officiating, though he might enter the court and probably the holy place for other purposes, and might eat the offerings of the priests in the accustomed place.