Leviticus 21:6 kjv
They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
Leviticus 21:6 nkjv
They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
Leviticus 21:6 niv
They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the LORD, the food of their God, they are to be holy.
Leviticus 21:6 esv
They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD's food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
Leviticus 21:6 nlt
They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the LORD, gifts of food for their God.
Leviticus 21 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 19:6 | "...you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." | Call to holiness for all Israel. |
| Exod 28:43 | "...that they may not incur guilt and die when they come near..." | Priestly garments for holiness, avoid guilt. |
| Lev 10:3 | "...Through those who are near me I will show myself holy..." | God's holiness demands reverence from priests. |
| Lev 22:2 | "...warn Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts..." | Priests must handle holy things with reverence. |
| Lev 22:32 | "...You shall not profane my holy name..." | General command not to profane God's name. |
| Num 3:3 | "These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests..." | Priests consecrated for their office. |
| Deut 26:19 | "...a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised." | Israel’s covenant call to holiness. |
| Ezek 22:26 | "Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned..." | Warning against priests who profane sacred things. |
| Hag 2:11-13 | "If someone is carrying holy meat in the fold of his garment..." | Holiness is not easily transferred; defilement is. |
| Ps 89:7 | "God is greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones..." | God demands reverence from those near Him. |
| Is 52:11 | "Depart, depart, go out from there... Purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord." | Call to purity for those serving God. |
| Mal 1:6 | "A son honors his father, and a servant his master... O priests, who despise my name!" | God rebukes priests for dishonoring His name. |
| Rom 12:1 | "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God..." | Christian life as spiritual offering. |
| Eph 4:1 | "...walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called..." | General Christian call to worthy conduct. |
| 1 Thess 4:7 | "For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness." | General Christian call to holiness. |
| Heb 7:26 | "For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent..." | Jesus' perfect holiness as High Priest. |
| Heb 12:14 | "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." | Holiness required for fellowship with God. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "...as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct..." | Christian holiness reflecting God's nature. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "...to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God..." | Believers as a spiritual priesthood. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation..." | Believers as the new royal priesthood. |
| Rev 22:11 | "Let the one who is holy continue to be holy." | Encouragement for sustained holiness. |
Leviticus 21 verses
Leviticus 21 6 Meaning
Leviticus 21:6 mandates that priests must be holy to God and must not profane God’s name. This stringent requirement is because they are responsible for presenting the Lord’s food offerings, specifically described as the bread of their God. Their unique function in mediating worship and sustenance to God necessitates their absolute separation and dedication to Him.
Leviticus 21 6 Context
Leviticus 21 details specific laws of holiness for the priests of Israel, distinguishing them from the common people and from each other (High Priest versus ordinary priests). This chapter, part of the broader Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-27), outlines prohibitions regarding mourning rituals, marriage, and physical blemishes that would disqualify them from temple service. Verse 6 serves as the theological bedrock for these strictures: the priests' elevated role as direct servants offering sacred gifts to God requires their utmost purity. In a historical and cultural context saturated with pagan worship practices that often involved immoral or profane rituals, these laws established the uniqueness and absolute sanctity of Yahweh's worship, underscoring that His service demands a consecrated and undefiled priesthood.
Leviticus 21 6 Word analysis
- They shall be holy: The Hebrew word is qāḏôš (קָדוֹשׁ). It signifies being "set apart," "consecrated," "sacred," or "distinct." This is not merely an external ritual purity but an intrinsic quality reflecting God's nature, demanding complete separation from defilement for divine service. Their very existence is meant to reflect the sacred.
- to their God: This highlights the covenantal relationship and proprietary nature. The holiness commanded is not generic but specific dedication to Yahweh, emphasizing that the priests belong solely to Him.
- and not profane: The Hebrew verb is ḥālal (חָלַל), meaning "to desecrate," "pollute," "make common," or "violate." This is the antithesis of qāḏôš. To profane God’s name means to treat what is holy as common or unclean, diminishing God's honor and reverence.
- the name of their God: "Name" (šēm, שֵׁם) represents God's character, reputation, authority, and presence. Profaning His name implies bringing discredit or contempt upon God through their actions, especially in their sacred office.
- for they offer the Lord’s food offerings: This introduces the rationale for priestly holiness. The offerings (sometimes referred to as ishsheh - offerings made by fire) are intrinsically sacred, connecting the offerer directly to the divine presence.
- the bread of their God: "Bread" (leḥem, לֶחֶם) here is used metonymically for the food offerings. It refers to the portions of sacrifices given to God (through burning on the altar) and consumed by the priests. It signifies the sustenance or portion dedicated to God, emphasizing His relationship as the one sustained by the offerings presented by His people. This underscores the intimate, sacred nature of their duty.
- therefore they shall be holy: This concluding phrase reiterates the command, strengthening the cause-and-effect relationship. Their function in offering the most sacred things directly to God unequivocally necessitates their consecrated state.
Words-group analysis
- "They shall be holy... and not profane the name of their God": This pairing illustrates the dual nature of priestly responsibility: an active state of holiness to be maintained, and a strict prohibition against defiling God's honor. The command for holiness has direct implications for how God is perceived.
- "for they offer the Lord’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy": This entire clause provides the direct justification. The unique proximity of the priests to divine service, involving the handling of sacred sustenance meant for God Himself, demands an equally unique state of separation and dedication. Their identity is inseparable from their sacred function.
Leviticus 21 6 Bonus section
- The stringency of these laws served as a vivid object lesson for all Israel concerning God's absolute holiness and the serious nature of worship.
- The emphasis on physical perfection and ritual purity for priests underscored that even the best human effort to approach God required careful adherence to His standards. This pointed forward to the perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ, who met all demands of holiness inherently and definitively.
- "Profaning the name" (חִלֵּל אֶת־שֵׁם) is a weighty theological concept often linked with sacrilege, false worship, or living a life that contradicts divine truth (Ezek 36:20-23). It implies reducing the holy to the common.
Leviticus 21 6 Commentary
Leviticus 21:6 succinctly captures the foundational principle of priestly conduct in ancient Israel: holiness is not optional but is intrinsically linked to their sacred duty. The priests were set apart by God, bearing a profound responsibility as intermediaries. Their actions directly reflected on God's character. By presenting the "food offerings," "the bread of their God," they handled items utterly sacred, intimately connected with God's provision and presence. Any impurity, misstep, or disrespect from them would not merely be a personal sin but would actively "profane the name of their God," cheapening divine majesty and disrupting the sacred order. This concept highlights that closeness to God demands greater purity and accountability. It also provides a paradigm for Christian believers today, who are called a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9). Our worship, lives, and ministries should equally reflect holiness and ensure we do not profane God's name through compromise, lest our actions misrepresent God to a watching world.