Leviticus 21 1

Leviticus 21:1 kjv

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:

Leviticus 21:1 nkjv

And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,

Leviticus 21:1 niv

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,

Leviticus 21:1 esv

And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people,

Leviticus 21:1 nlt

The LORD said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. "A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative.

Leviticus 21 verses

Leviticus 21 1 Meaning

Leviticus 21:1 inaugurates a series of specialized holiness requirements for the Aaronic priesthood, distinguishing them with a higher standard of ritual purity than that required for ordinary Israelites. Specifically, this verse prohibits priests from intentionally defiling themselves through contact with any deceased person, emphasizing their separation unto God for sacred service within His sanctuary. This command highlights the inherent opposition between God's life-giving holiness and the impurity associated with death.

Leviticus 21 1 Context

Leviticus 21 is part of the "Holiness Code" (chapters 17-27), a section of Leviticus emphasizing God's call for Israel to live in a distinct way, reflecting His holy character. Specifically, chapter 21 delineates specific purity regulations for the priests (v. 1-15) and the high priest (v. 10-15), followed by physical requirements for those who would serve at the altar (v. 16-24). The overarching theme is the necessity of priests maintaining an elevated state of holiness due to their sacred office and their proximity to God's dwelling place (the Tabernacle/Temple). This verse initiates the regulations by addressing the highly defiling nature of death, setting a boundary that keeps the priests ritually clean for their duties. Historically, this occurs shortly after the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood and their anointing, emphasizing that their sacred calling demands unique, strict behavioral and purity standards.

Leviticus 21 1 Word analysis

• And the LORD said: The phrase introduces a direct divine instruction, emphasizing God's personal initiative and authority behind these laws. "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH, Yahweh) signifies the covenant-keeping God, underscoring that these commands are part of His covenant relationship with Israel and its leadership.
• to Moses: Moses serves as the mediator through whom God communicates His divine will to His people, specifically here to the priestly lineage.
• Speak: The Hebrew word is דַּבֵּר (dabbēr), a Piel imperative, conveying a strong and active command for direct communication. Moses is to ensure these specific instructions are heard by those to whom they apply.
• to the priests: Hebrew: כֹּהֲנִים (kōhanīm). These are the divinely appointed mediators of worship and sacrifice for Israel. Their unique role necessitates stricter standards of ritual purity compared to ordinary Israelites. They stand between a holy God and an unholy people, thus requiring greater sanctity.
• the sons of Aaron: This specifies the precise lineage and defines the Aaronic priesthood. It reminds them of their heritage and the responsibilities inherent in their familial designation, chosen directly by God.
• and say to them: A repetition of the instruction to communicate, reinforcing the importance and the directness of the message from God through Moses to the priests.
• No one shall defile himself: This is a core command.
  • "No one" (לֹא אִישׁ, lō' 'îsh) acts as a universal prohibition within the priestly class, ensuring individual accountability.
  • "shall defile himself" (יִטַּמָּא, yiṭṭamma') from the root טָמֵא (ṭāmē'). This verb specifically refers to contracting ritual impurity. It is not necessarily moral impurity, but a state that makes one unfit for sacred duties or entry into sacred spaces. Contact with the dead was considered highly defiling, requiring elaborate purification rites as seen in Numbers 19.
• for a dead person: Hebrew: לְנֶפֶשׁ (lᵉnefeš), literally "for a soul" or "for a life." In this context, "nefesh" refers to a dead body, an individual who has died. Death, the ultimate consequence of sin, renders one ritually unclean. The prohibition is against deliberate contact or exposure that would cause this impurity, especially in a professional capacity like burying the dead as an undertaker or cultic engagement with the deceased common in pagan practices.
• among his people: This phrase denotes the general scope of the prohibition for any deceased member of the community, not just a specific type of person. It implicitly prepares for the nuanced exceptions found in verses 2-3, which allow priests to defile themselves for very close blood relatives (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and virgin sister). This demonstrates God’s balance between maintaining sanctity and acknowledging human family bonds.

Leviticus 21 1 Bonus section

• The emphasis on avoiding defilement by death stands in stark contrast to ancient Near Eastern funeral rites and ancestor veneration practices, where close contact with the dead and even cultic necromancy were common. This command served as a powerful polemic against such pagan influences, reinforcing Israel’s distinct theological framework where life comes from God, and death is an enemy that renders one ritually unfit for His presence.
• This verse introduces the broader concept that different levels of holiness (or impurity) applied to different groups within Israel—ordinary Israelites, priests, and the high priest. This structured system underscored the ordered nature of God’s creation and covenant, and the graduated responsibility placed on those closer to Him in sacred office.
• The ritual impurity from a dead body was the highest level of defilement in Israelite law, requiring the most extensive purification rituals (e.g., the red heifer ceremony in Num 19). The priest's avoidance of this source of impurity, therefore, signified the extreme degree of purity required for his sacred duties.
• The principles of Leviticus 21:1, though ceremonial, prefigure a deeper spiritual truth. In the New Testament, while believers are not bound by these ceremonial laws, the call to spiritual purity and separation from the "works of death" (i.e., sin, Rom 6:23) remains a core theme for the "royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9). Christ, our High Priest, was uniquely undefiled, conquering death itself (Heb 7:26; Rev 1:18), fulfilling the essence of priestly holiness perfectly.

Leviticus 21 1 Commentary

Leviticus 21:1 sets a critical baseline for the sacredness of the Aaronic priesthood. God, through Moses, explicitly commands the priests to maintain a higher degree of ritual purity, specifically by avoiding contact with deceased persons. This stricture is paramount because priests serve in the Tabernacle, the physical manifestation of God's holy presence among Israel. Death, being the ultimate result of sin and the antithesis of life, brings with it a potent ritual impurity that is incompatible with the vibrant holiness of God's sanctuary.

This prohibition was not about condemning grief or compassion, as later verses in Leviticus 21 do provide limited exceptions for immediate family. Rather, it underscored the theological truth that death separates and defiles, marking a state contrary to the life and purity emanating from God. For the priests, who represented God to the people and the people to God, any contamination would compromise their mediation. Their holiness was to be a tangible demonstration of God’s own transcendent purity, reflecting His desire for His chosen servants to be separated from the pollutions of the fallen world. This divine expectation served to protect the integrity of worship and to cultivate a deep reverence for the sacred.