Leviticus 24:9 kjv

And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.

Leviticus 24:9 nkjv

And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, by a perpetual statute."

Leviticus 24:9 niv

It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the LORD."

Leviticus 24:9 esv

And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD's food offerings, a perpetual due."

Leviticus 24:9 nlt

The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD."

Leviticus 24 verses

Leviticus 24 9 Meaning

Leviticus 24:9 prescribes that the leftover showbread, which was weekly set before the Lord in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, was designated as the exclusive and most sacred food for Aaron and his sons, the priests. They were to consume it in a holy location within the Tabernacle precincts, affirming its extremely sacred nature as a perpetual offering provided by the Lord for His chosen priests.

Leviticus 24 9 Context

Leviticus chapter 24 details the regulations for two perpetual services within the Tabernacle: the maintenance of the lampstand's oil (verses 1-4) and the presentation of the showbread (verses 5-9). Both aspects relate to light and sustenance within the sacred space, symbolic of God's presence and provision for His people. The showbread, or "bread of presence," was physically displayed before the Lord in the Holy Place, replaced weekly on the Sabbath. Verse 9 specifically concerns the fate of the bread that had been replaced—it was not to be discarded but eaten by the priests, reinforcing its sacredness and its role as sustenance for those serving God.

Historically, this ordinance underscores the unique position and dependence of the Aaronic priesthood within ancient Israelite society. The priests did not inherit land like the other tribes but were to live by the offerings made to the Lord. The ritual of consuming the showbread in a holy place symbolized their direct participation in the holy offerings dedicated to God and their dependence on divine provision through these offerings. This law served as a constant reminder to the Israelites of the separation of the priestly office and the sanctity required of those who ministered before a holy God.

Leviticus 24 9 Word analysis

• And it shall be Aaron's and his sons';: This highlights the exclusive hereditary right of the priestly lineage. It establishes their divinely ordained privilege and their role as recipients of consecrated offerings. This portion serves as their livelihood, signifying their dependence on God and the people's offerings rather than a territorial inheritance.
• and they shall eat it: The act of eating signifies appropriation, sustenance, and communion. For the priests, it was a practical means of sustenance, but more profoundly, a ritual act of partaking in that which was holy unto the Lord. This consumption was not a common meal but a sacred ceremony.
• in a holy place: (Hebrew: bemakom qadosh - בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ). This specifies the required location for consumption, underscoring the extreme sacredness of the bread. This "holy place" referred to the Tabernacle precincts, likely within the court, limiting who could consume it and where, thus protecting its sanctity and ensuring appropriate reverence.
• for it is most holy: (Hebrew: qodesh qodashim - קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים). This phrase signifies the highest degree of sanctity. It means "holiness of holinesses" or "holy of holies." This designation was applied to things consecrated entirely to God and could only be handled or partaken by authorized personnel (priests) in specific ways, typically within the sacred precincts. This categorizes the showbread with the altar, various sacrifices, and the Most Holy Place itself, demanding utmost reverence.
• unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire: (Hebrew: isheh Yehovah - אִשֶּׁה יְהוָה). The term isheh broadly refers to offerings made to God, sometimes explicitly involving fire on the altar, but more generally referring to a gift or food offering dedicated to God that has "become fire" (consumed by fire or consecrated as if by fire through dedication). While the bread itself wasn't burned on the altar, its designation here connects it inextricably to the entire system of sacrifices dedicated to God and consumed by the priests as God's representatives. It affirms that the showbread, despite being a grain offering, belongs entirely to the sacrificial system given by God and provided by the community for the priesthood's sustenance.
• even a perpetual statute: (Hebrew: chukkat 'olam - חֻקַּת עוֹלָם). This phrase denotes an enduring, never-ending ordinance or regulation within the Old Covenant. It indicated God's enduring will and purpose for this specific ritual to continue for all generations until it reached its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, the True Bread of Life and High Priest who supersedes the temporary Tabernacle system.

Words-group analysis:

• "And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in a holy place": This entire phrase delineates the exclusive priestly prerogative and duty concerning the holy showbread. It specifies the "who" (Aaron's sons), the "what" (eating the bread), and the "where" (holy place), setting clear boundaries and reinforcing the separated, sacred status of the priesthood and their communion with God through His provisions.
• "for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, even a perpetual statute": This comprehensive clause provides the foundational rationale and theological weight behind the commandment. It defines the nature of the bread (supremely holy), its source and ownership (from God's offerings), and its duration (perpetual). This reinforces the showbread's absolute sacredness and the unchangeable divine decree concerning it within the Mosaic covenant, linking it irrevocably to God's own portions and establishing its binding continuity.

Leviticus 24 9 Bonus section

The specific law of eating the showbread was famously challenged in 1 Samuel 21 when David, fleeing Saul and desperately hungry, received and ate the bread from Ahimelech the priest. Jesus later references this event in Matthew 12:3-4 to defend His disciples gathering grain on the Sabbath. This points to a deeper theological principle: while God institutes laws for holiness and order, His ultimate purpose is mercy and life. The temporary suspension of ritual observance in a situation of dire need (David's hunger) or divine authority (Christ's reinterpretation of the Sabbath law) revealed that such ceremonial laws served as shadows pointing to greater spiritual realities, rather than being ends in themselves. This particular ordinance, "most holy" and a "perpetual statute" under the Old Covenant, found its true "perpetuity" and spiritual substance in Christ. The access once limited to a specific priesthood, in a specific place, consuming physical bread, now broadens in Christ: all believers, through Christ's perfect high priesthood (Hebrews 7-9) and His broken body (Luke 22:19), can spiritually partake of the Bread of Life, no longer confined to a physical tabernacle or a levitical lineage (1 Peter 2:9).

Leviticus 24 9 Commentary

Leviticus 24:9 functions as a critical legal specification within the Mosaic Covenant concerning the priestly livelihood and the extreme sanctity of objects dedicated to God. The showbread, continuously set before the Lord, symbolized God's sustained presence among His people and His provision for them. Upon its weekly replacement, this consecrated bread became the priests' sustenance, reinforcing their complete reliance on God's provision mediated through the Tabernacle system. Its designation as "most holy" (qodesh qodashim) meant it belonged entirely to God and demanded the highest level of reverence, only consumable by priests in the sacred precincts. This boundary upheld the distinct separation of the priesthood and protected the holiness of God's presence from common defilement. The phrase "perpetual statute" emphasized the enduring nature of this covenantal ordinance, underscoring its binding character until its typological fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who declared Himself the "Bread of Life" (John 6:35), offering spiritual nourishment for eternal life to all who believe. His act of partaking of food with sinners and His later reinterpretation of the showbread incident with David (Matt 12:3-4) showcased that human need and God's mercy ultimately transcend mere ritual observance, foreshadowing a New Covenant where holiness is inward and all believers are part of a royal priesthood.