Leviticus 10:11 kjv
And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
Leviticus 10:11 nkjv
and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses."
Leviticus 10:11 niv
and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses."
Leviticus 10:11 esv
and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses."
Leviticus 10:11 nlt
And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses."
Leviticus 10 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 10:9 | "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink... | Immediate context of priestly conduct |
| Lev 11:47 | "...to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean..." | Specific application of the command |
| Lev 20:25 | "You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals..." | Another specific application of distinction |
| Deut 33:10 | "They teach your ordinances to Jacob, your law to Israel..." | Priestly role to teach God's law |
| Mal 2:7 | "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge..." | Priestly duty to guard and teach knowledge |
| Ezek 22:26 | "Her priests have violated my law and profaned my holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and the common..." | Consequences of failing to distinguish |
| Ezek 44:23 | "They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean." | Direct parallel, reinforcing priestly duty |
| Zep 3:4 | "Her prophets are unprincipled; her priests have profaned the sanctuary and done violence to the law." | Corruption due to lack of distinction |
| Jer 15:19 | "...if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will be my spokesman." | Discernment as prerequisite for God's message |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | "Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be disdained." | God's expectation of reverence and obedience |
| Isa 52:11 | "Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing!..." | Call for spiritual purity and separation |
| Amos 5:15 | "Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts." | Call for moral discernment and justice |
| Heb 5:14 | "...who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." | New Testament emphasis on spiritual discernment |
| Phil 1:9-10 | "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound... so that you may discern what is best..." | New Testament emphasis on discerning what is excellent |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God..." | Spiritual truths require spiritual discernment |
| 1 Kgs 3:9 | "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people..." | Prayer for discerning wisdom |
| Prov 1:7 | "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..." | Wisdom and discernment begin with God |
| Tit 1:15 | "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure." | Internal purity affects external perception |
| Rom 14:14 | "I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that no food is unclean in itself." | New Covenant shift in understanding of "unclean" |
| Acts 10:15 | "What God has made clean, do not call common." | Divine redefinition of clean/common |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation..." | All believers are called to discernment |
| 2 Cor 6:17 | "Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord..." | New Covenant call to spiritual separation |
Leviticus 10 verses
Leviticus 10 11 Meaning
Leviticus 10:11 commands Aaron and his priestly descendants to instruct the people of Israel concerning the vital distinctions between what is holy and what is common, and between what is unclean and what is clean. This priestly role of teaching discernment was fundamental to maintaining the sacred order, preserving God's holiness within the camp, and enabling the people to properly worship and live in covenant with Him.
Leviticus 10 11 Context
Leviticus 10:11 appears immediately after the tragic incident of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, who were consumed by divine fire for offering "unauthorized fire" (Lev 10:1-2). This judgment highlighted the severe consequences of violating God's holiness. In the aftermath, specific instructions are given to the surviving priests: not to mourn publicly (v. 6), not to drink wine or strong drink before ministering (vv. 8-9), and most importantly, to discern and teach the people. The purpose ("so that," v. 10; "and that," v. 11) of the previous prohibitions and the priests' ongoing role is clearly stated here: to distinguish between sacred and common, and clean and unclean. This verse solidifies the priests' enduring duty as guardians and instructors of God's holy standards within the covenant community.
Leviticus 10 11 Word analysis
And that ye may put difference / so that you can distinguish: The Hebrew verb is לְהַבְדִּיל (lehavdil), a Hiphil infinitive construct from the root בָדַל (badal), meaning "to separate," "to divide," "to make a distinction." This term is prominent in Genesis 1 where God separates light from darkness (v. 4) and waters from waters (v. 7). This highlights that the act of distinguishing is a divine mandate, not a human preference. It implies active discernment, requiring wisdom, understanding, and divine guidance. The priests are to actively enable the people to differentiate.
between holy / בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ (ben haqodesh):
- holy: קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh) - refers to that which is set apart for God, consecrated, sacred, exclusively devoted to Him and His purposes. It embodies His very nature and character. Its sanctity demands specific protocols and reverence.
and unholy / וּבֵין הַחֹל (uvein haḥol):
- unholy/common: חֹל (ḥol) - refers to that which is profane, ordinary, secular, not set apart for sacred use. It's not necessarily "evil," but it lacks the divine designation and sanctity of the "holy." Blurring these lines was a major sin, as seen with Nadab and Abihu. The term signifies a crucial category distinct from the sacred realm.
and between unclean / וּבֵין הַטָּמֵא (uvein haṭame):
- unclean: טָמֵא (ṭame) - refers to that which is ritually impure, ceremonially defiled, or polluted according to God's law. Contact with unclean things (e.g., corpses, certain diseases, bodily discharges) rendered a person unfit to enter the tabernacle or participate in sacred rituals. This state necessitated purification rituals before re-entry into the sacred communal life.
and clean / וּבֵין הַטָּהוֹר (uvein haṭahor):
- clean: טָהוֹר (ṭahor) - refers to that which is ritually pure, ceremonially clean, and acceptable for sacred interaction. It indicates a state of ritual eligibility, enabling participation in worship and community life without defiling the holy.
Words-group Analysis:
- "put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean": This parallelism emphasizes two distinct, yet interconnected, aspects of priestly discernment. The "holy/common" distinction relates more directly to items, spaces, and acts designated for God (sacred space vs. mundane space, sacred offering vs. ordinary food, sacred time vs. secular time). The "unclean/clean" distinction relates more to states of ritual purity concerning persons, animals, or objects, often related to contact with life-threatening things (e.g., death, disease) or natural bodily processes. Both sets of distinctions underpin the covenant community's relationship with a holy God. Their correct understanding prevents defilement of the sanctuary and profanation of God's name, enabling acceptable worship.
Leviticus 10 11 Bonus section
The enduring message of Leviticus 10:11 resonates deeply in the New Covenant. While many ritual distinctions related to food and external uncleanness have been fulfilled in Christ (Mk 7:19; Acts 10:15), the principle of spiritual discernment (Heb 5:14) between truth and error, righteousness and sin, spiritual and worldly, remains paramount. Believers, as a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9), are called to apply these internal, spiritual distinctions, ensuring their lives are set apart for God. Just as ancient Israel needed the priests to teach them how to approach God, so today, the Holy Spirit, the ultimate Teacher, guides believers in discerning "what is excellent" (Phil 1:10) and separating themselves from the world's defilements (2 Cor 6:17). This discerning capability protects against false teaching, moral compromise, and anything that profanes God's name, maintaining the purity of the church, the dwelling place of God's Spirit.
Leviticus 10 11 Commentary
Leviticus 10:11 stands as a pivotal verse, revealing a core function of the priesthood established by God. Following the severe judgment on Nadab and Abihu, who blurred the line between the holy and the common with "unauthorized fire," this command underscores the non-negotiable importance of divine distinctions. The priests were not merely to perform rituals, but to be the guardians and interpreters of God's standards for a holy life. They were to prevent a mixing of the sacred with the profane, and the pure with the impure. This discerning role was critical for Israel's unique identity as God's chosen people, distinct from pagan nations where the lines between deities, rituals, and daily life were often blurred or absent. The purity laws and holiness codes ensured that Israel lived out its calling as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6), enabling them to dwell in the presence of a holy God without consuming fire. This instruction to "distinguish" remains a timeless principle for all believers: discernment is essential to honoring God and living righteously, whether in matters of worship, morality, or everyday conduct.