Leviticus 22 4

Leviticus 22:4 kjv

What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;

Leviticus 22:4 nkjv

'Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen,

Leviticus 22:4 niv

"?'If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen,

Leviticus 22:4 esv

None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen,

Leviticus 22:4 nlt

"If any of Aaron's descendants has a skin disease or any kind of discharge that makes him ceremonially unclean, he may not eat from the sacred offerings until he has been pronounced clean. He also becomes unclean by touching a corpse, or by having an emission of semen,

Leviticus 22 verses

Leviticus 22 4 Meaning

Leviticus 22:4 sets forth specific conditions under which a descendant of Aaron, meaning a priest, would be ritually unclean and therefore prohibited from partaking in the holy offerings or consecrated food designated for the priestly family. These defiling conditions include a leprous disease (or severe skin affliction), various bodily discharges, and contact with a deceased person. The verse mandates that the priest remains barred from eating the holy things until he has undergone the prescribed purification process and is declared clean, thereby maintaining the sanctity of the Lord's holy gifts.

Leviticus 22 4 Context

Leviticus chapter 22 focuses on the holiness required of priests when handling and consuming the holy things, which were offerings consecrated to God and designated as sustenance for the priests and their households. The preceding verses (22:1-3) issue a general command that priests must avoid defiling themselves so as not to profane God's holy gifts. Verse 4 then itemizes specific forms of ritual uncleanness that would bar a priest from partaking in these sacred meals. This falls within the broader context of the Holiness Code in Leviticus (chapters 17-26), which emphasizes the importance of ritual and moral purity for Israel to live as God's chosen, holy nation. The various conditions of defilement mentioned (skin diseases, discharges, contact with death) represent states antithetical to life, vitality, and purity, all of which are characteristic of the holy God and His presence.

Leviticus 22 4 Word Analysis

• Whoever (אִישׁ - 'ish): Signifies an individual man, emphasizing that this command applies personally to any descendant of Aaron, rather than collectively to the priesthood.
• descendants of Aaron (מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן - mizzerah 'Aharon): Specifically identifies the priestly class as the subject of these regulations. These laws are exclusive to those who serve in a sacerdotal capacity and consume their portion from the holy things.
• leprous disease (צָרוּעַ - tzarua): Refers to a person afflicted with tzara'at, a broad term in the Bible for severe and highly defiling skin diseases, often translated as leprosy. This condition made a person ritually unclean, leading to temporary ostracism until ceremonial cleansing.
• or a discharge (אוֹ־זָב - 'o zav): Indicates someone suffering from a bodily discharge, typically chronic or abnormal (Leviticus 15), such as a persistent genital discharge. This also rendered a person ritually unclean.
• may not eat (לֹא־יֹאכַל - lo'-yokhal): A direct prohibition. It's a severe injunction, as the holy things were the priests' divinely appointed sustenance, emphasizing the gravity of the defilement.
• of the holy things (מִן־הַקֳּדָשִׁים - min-haqqodashim): Refers to consecrated food or portions of sacrifices set aside for the priests, representing God's holy presence and provisions. Access to these sacred meals symbolized their rightful standing before God.
• until he is clean (עַד אֲשֶׁר יִטְהָר - 'ad 'asher yit'har): This phrase highlights that the defilement is not permanent. There is a prescribed ritual purification process (e.g., bathing, sacrifice) through which the priest can restore his clean status and resume eating the holy things. This demonstrates the gracious provision for cleansing.
• and whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead (וְנֹגֵעַ בְּכֹל טְמֵא־נֶפֶשׁ - wᵉnōgēa' bᵉkōl tᵉmē'-nephesh): "Unclean soul" or "defiled by a dead person." This refers to contact with a corpse, which was the most severe form of ritual defilement in Israelite law (Numbers 19), often lasting seven days and requiring a specific purification ritual involving the ashes of a red heifer. It symbolized separation from life.
• or has an emission of semen (אוֹ־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר תֵּצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ שִׁכְבַת זָרַע - 'o-'ish 'asher tetse' mimmennu shikhvat zara'): Refers to seminal emission, whether natural nocturnal emission or other seminal discharge (Leviticus 15:16-18). This rendered one ritually unclean until bathing and waiting for the evening.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "descendants of Aaron... may not eat of the holy things": This core injunction underscores the specific privilege and concomitant responsibility of the priestly office. Access to divine sustenance is conditioned on maintaining ritual purity, signifying the sacred boundary between the holy God and anything tainted by decay, death, or disorder.
• "leprous disease or a discharge... unclean through contact with the dead... emission of semen": These specific conditions are examples of common, yet highly significant, sources of ritual impurity in ancient Israel. They broadly symbolize aspects related to death, the cessation of life, and loss of life-fluid/bodily control. These are contrasted with the holiness of God, who is the source of all life and order. The laws thus serve a pedagogical purpose, teaching Israel about the sanctity of God's presence and the nature of sin.
• "until he is clean": This phrase is crucial. It points to God's provision for restoration. The ritual system was not about permanent excommunication but about temporary separation, with a pathway back to communion. This prefigures the concept of repentance and forgiveness.

Leviticus 22 4 Bonus section

The purity laws, including those in Leviticus 22:4, can be understood as "acted parables." They used tangible, everyday experiences (sickness, death, bodily functions) to convey profound theological truths about God's holiness and the pervasive nature of impurity and sin. These physical distinctions were designed to instill a spiritual awareness in the Israelites, guiding them towards a life that reflected God's character. The priestly requirement to be "clean" before partaking of holy things prefigured the New Testament concept that only a High Priest without blemish could make atonement and only those cleansed by His sacrifice can approach a holy God.

Leviticus 22 4 Commentary

Leviticus 22:4 is a critical verse in understanding the stringent purity standards applied to the Aaronic priesthood. Its purpose was to safeguard the sanctity of God's holy things, preventing contamination of what belonged to Him. The listed forms of defilement—tzara'at, bodily discharges, and contact with the dead—all carry deep symbolic weight, representing aspects of death, decay, disease, and the boundaries of life. A holy God, the source of life, could not have His sacred provisions tainted by anything associated with disorder or the absence of life.

The priestly purity laws were not primarily about hygiene, though physical cleanliness was often a byproduct. Rather, they were deeply theological, establishing a clear distinction between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean, thereby demonstrating God's transcendent nature and His demand for moral and ritual separation from defilement. When a priest was in such a state, he could not approach the holy food, underscoring that sin and impurity create a barrier between humanity and divine blessing or communion.

However, the clause "until he is clean" is vital. It highlights God's merciful provision for restoration. The levitical system included elaborate rituals for purification, signifying that defilement was not an irreversible state but one that could be rectified through prescribed means. This points forward to the ultimate purification offered through Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the Law. He did not become defiled by touching lepers or those with discharges; rather, His touch cleansed them, demonstrating His divine power over sin and death, which were the ultimate realities represented by these ritual impurities. In the New Covenant, believers are called to spiritual purity, examining themselves before partaking in the Lord's Supper (representing spiritual "holy things"), recognizing our high priestly calling through Christ.