Leviticus 22:15 kjv
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
Leviticus 22:15 nkjv
They shall not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,
Leviticus 22:15 niv
The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the LORD
Leviticus 22:15 esv
They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the LORD,
Leviticus 22:15 nlt
The priests must not let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought to the LORD
Leviticus 22 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Holiness & Separation | ||
| Lev 10:10 | ...you are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the clean and the unclean... | Principle of distinguishing holy from common. |
| Exo 29:37 | Whatever touches the altar shall be holy. | Consecration by touch. |
| Num 18:8 | ...I have given you charge of My heave offerings... | Priestly entitlement to holy portions. |
| Heb 12:14 | Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. | New Covenant call to personal holiness. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | ...as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct... | Believers are to reflect God's holiness. |
| Profanation & Consequences | ||
| Lev 19:12 | You shall not swear by My name falsely, and so profane the name of your God. | Warning against profaning God's name. |
| Lev 21:12 | He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God... | High Priest's special role in sanctuary's holiness. |
| Num 18:32 | You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have lifted up the best of it... | Consequence for not properly giving offerings. |
| Eze 22:26 | Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things... | Priests failing in their duty leading to judgment. |
| Mal 1:7 | "By offering polluted food upon my altar." And you say, "How have we polluted you?" | Accusation of defiling the altar with improper offerings. |
| 1 Sam 2:12-17 | The sons of Eli were worthless men... they despised the Lord's offering. | Priestly family profaning offerings by abuse. |
| Jer 7:9-11 | Will you steal, murder, commit adultery... and then come and stand before me...? | Rebuke for profaning sacred space by immoral living. |
| 1 Cor 11:27 | Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. | Spiritual profanation of the Lord's Supper. |
| Offerings & Priestly Portions | ||
| Exo 29:27 | ...which is waved and that which is lifted up (heave offering)... | Mention of offerings designated for priests. |
| Num 18:24-29 | For the tithe of the people of Israel... I have given to the Levites as an inheritance... | Detail on how offerings are designated. |
| Deut 12:6 | There you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution... | Israel's responsibility to bring proper offerings. |
| Neh 10:37-38 | We would also bring the first of our dough, and our contributions... for the priests... | Commitment to provide for priestly needs. |
| New Covenant Fulfillment/Echo | ||
| Heb 9:11-14 | But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come... | Christ's cleansing work purifying us. |
| Heb 10:10-14 | By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Christ's ultimate sacrifice perfects worshipers. |
| Rom 12:1 | ...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God... | Believers offer themselves as spiritual sacrifices. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | ...you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood... | Believers become a holy, spiritual priesthood. |
| Matt 7:6 | "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs..." | Principle of guarding precious/holy things from desecration. |
Leviticus 22 verses
Leviticus 22 15 Meaning
Leviticus 22:15 commands that the priests and their households must not desecrate the sacred offerings brought by the Israelites to the LORD. This prohibition extends beyond merely forbidding an unqualified person from eating these holy provisions (as in preceding verses). It also encompasses any act that would diminish their consecrated status, such as improper handling, negligent storage, or allowing them to become defiled, thereby treating what is set apart for God as if it were common.
Leviticus 22 15 Context
Leviticus chapter 22 outlines specific laws concerning the ritual purity required for priests to handle and partake of the holy offerings, and for offerings themselves to be acceptable to the LORD. It acts as an extension of the broader themes of holiness and ritual cleanliness established in the "Holiness Code" (Lev 17-26). The chapter details prohibitions against priests approaching sacred things or consuming sacred food while unclean (v. 1-9), rules for members of the priestly household (v. 10-14), and regulations for unblemished sacrifices (v. 17-33). Verse 15 specifically addresses the broader concern of profaning these "holy things," ensuring that they are not treated as common, highlighting the perpetual need to maintain their sanctified status regardless of consumption. This prohibition protected the integrity of God's worship and emphasized His distinct holiness from any common or pagan practice.
Leviticus 22 15 Word analysis
- And they: Refers primarily to the priestly household and all those eligible to partake of holy things (as per Lev 22:10, 13). It highlights their collective and individual responsibility to protect the sanctity of what belongs to the LORD.
- shall not: Expresses a direct and unequivocal divine command, establishing an absolute prohibition against the stated action.
- profane: From the Hebrew root חלל (ḥālal), used here in the Piel stem, meaning to treat as common, defile, desecrate, or violate the holiness of something. This action directly counteracts the act of "sanctifying" (קדש, qādash) and signifies a reduction of a sacred item's status to a secular or polluted level through misuse or neglect.
- the holy things: Hebrew: קָדָשִׁים (qōḏāšîm), the plural form of קֹדֶשׁ (qōḏeš). This term refers to all items, provisions, or portions of offerings that have been ritually separated and dedicated exclusively for the LORD, which includes various priestly entitlements like heave offerings, wave offerings, firstfruits, and parts of sacrifices.
- of the children of Israel: This phrase specifies the source of these consecrated items – they are offerings brought by the covenant people, emphasizing their origin from the community's worship and devotion to God.
- which they offer: Hebrew: יָרִימוּ (yārîmû), Hiphil imperfect of רוּם (rûm), meaning "to lift up" or "to set apart." This term specifically denotes "heave offerings" (תְּרוּמָה, tᵉrûmāh), which were portions of offerings elevated and designated for the priests, underscoring their consecrated nature.
- unto the LORD: This phrase declares the ultimate recipient and proprietor of these holy things. Their sanctity originates from their dedication to Yahweh, thereby making any act of profanation a direct offense against God Himself.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And they shall not profane": This strongly worded command underscores the absolute necessity of maintaining the sacred character of dedicated items. It implies not only refraining from direct transgression but also actively guarding against any circumstance that could diminish holiness.
- "the holy things of the children of Israel": This phrase highlights the journey of the offerings from the community ("children of Israel") into a sacred status ("holy things"). It emphasizes that the responsibility for maintaining their holiness lies with those handling them after they have been set apart for God.
- "which they offer unto the LORD": This concluding part firmly grounds the strictness of the command in the ultimate purpose of the offerings: their dedication directly "unto the LORD." This establishes that profanation is an offense not just against ritual law, but against God Himself, who is the recipient of these consecrated gifts.
Leviticus 22 15 Bonus section
This verse expands the understanding of "profanation" beyond just improper eating. It encompasses any action that reduces the sacred status of the offerings. For instance, this could imply improper storage of these holy provisions, allowing them to spoil or become ritually unclean, or using them for common purposes. The priestly family had the responsibility not only to consume the holy portions according to the law but also to safeguard them in their state of holiness. This strict boundary ensured the constant awareness of God's holiness within the priestly ministry and the wider Israelite community, reinforcing that His presence and the items associated with His worship required precise and reverent handling.
Leviticus 22 15 Commentary
Leviticus 22:15 provides a crucial directive on the careful handling of holy offerings. Beyond stipulating who may eat consecrated food (v. 10-14), it broadly forbids the "profaning" (desecration) of these items by anyone connected to the priesthood. This includes any action that treats what is consecrated to God as if it were common, whether through physical misuse, negligent care, or allowing those unqualified to contaminate them. The command underscores the unwavering principle of separation inherent in God's holiness and His demands on those who serve Him and handle His dedicated provisions. This maintains the purity of worship and the distinction between the divine and the mundane, serving as a timeless reminder that what is consecrated to God demands utmost reverence and careful preservation of its sacred status.