Restrictions against the Unclean
The LORD introduces the charge and warns Aaron’s line to respect the holy offerings of Israel. Any unclean descendant who comes near them is cut off from the LORD’s presence.
T1hen the LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings that the Israelites have consecrated to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name. I am the LORD. 3Tell them that for the generations to come, if any of their descendants in a state of uncleanness approaches the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD.
Verse 1The LORD speaks to Moses and begins a new instruction.
It introduces the priestly regulations that follow.
Verse 2Aaron and his sons must treat Israel’s consecrated offerings with respect, so they do not profane the LORD’s holy name.
It states the central concern of the section: reverence for holy things.
Verse 3Any descendant of Aaron who approaches the sacred offerings while unclean must be cut off from the LORD’s presence.
It gives the main consequence for violating holiness while unclean.
Specific forms of uncleanness temporarily bar a priest from eating holy food until washing and waiting are complete. The rules end with a sharp warning that neglecting this charge brings guilt and death.
4If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen, 5or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be — 6the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. 7When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the sacred offerings, for they are his food. 8He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD. 9The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
Verse 4A priest with a skin disease or discharge may not eat the sacred offerings until he becomes clean. The same applies after contact with corpse defilement or a bodily emission.
It begins listing conditions that suspend access to holy food.
Verse 5Touching an unclean creeping thing or a person who transmits uncleanness also makes a man unclean.
It adds further sources of defilement to the rule.
Verse 6Whoever touches such things remains unclean until evening and may not eat the sacred offerings unless he washes with water.
It sets the immediate restriction and required cleansing.
Verse 7After sunset he becomes clean and may eat the sacred offerings again, because they are his food.
It marks the restoration of access after cleansing.
Verse 8The priest must not eat an animal found dead or torn, because that would make him unclean.
It adds a further food-related safeguard against defilement.
Verse 9The priests must keep the LORD’s charge, or they will bear guilt and die for profaning what is holy. The LORD is the one who sanctifies them.
It sharpens the warning and grounds it in the LORD’s sanctifying claim.
The chapter then limits sacred food to the priestly household, with narrow exceptions tied to that household’s life. If someone eats it by mistake, restitution is required, so the people do not bear guilt by treating holy things as common.
10No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired hand eat it. 11But if a priest buys a slave with his own money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food. 12If the priest’s daughter is married to a man other than a priest, she is not to eat of the sacred contributions. 13But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it. 14If anyone eats a sacred offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the sacred offering to the priest. 15The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD 16by allowing the people to eat the sacred offerings and thus to bear the punishment for guilt. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”
Verse 10No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, including a guest or hired worker.
It begins drawing the household boundary around holy food.
Verse 11A slave bought by a priest or born in his house may eat the priest’s food.
It names an exception based on belonging to the priestly household.
Verse 12A priest’s daughter married outside the priestly family may not eat the sacred contributions.
It shows that marriage can move a person outside that boundary.
Verse 13If that daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house, she may again share his food. No outsider may share it.
It defines a narrow restoration of access while preserving the boundary against outsiders.
Verse 14Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake must repay it to the priest with an added fifth.
It provides restitution for accidental misuse of holy food.
Verse 15The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites bring to the LORD.
It restates the priestly responsibility that governs the section.
Verse 16They must not let the people eat the sacred offerings and so incur guilt, for the LORD sanctifies them.
It concludes by tying priestly vigilance to the people’s protection from guilt.
A quiet block diagram: each row is one authored paragraph movement, with verse numbers kept visible for scanning and deeper work.
- vv. 1-3
The LORD introduces the charge and warns Aaron’s line to respect the holy offerings of Israel. Any unclean descendant who comes near them is cut off from the LORD’s presence.
These verses establish the governing warning for the whole section. - vv. 4-9
Specific forms of uncleanness temporarily bar a priest from eating holy food until washing and waiting are complete. The rules end with a sharp warning that neglecting this charge brings guilt and death.
These verses define how uncleanness interrupts priestly access and why obedience matters. - vv. 10-16
The chapter then limits sacred food to the priestly household, with narrow exceptions tied to that household’s life. If someone eats it by mistake, restitution is required, so the people do not bear guilt by treating holy things as common.
These verses draw the household boundary around sacred food and provide repair when that boundary is crossed.