Leviticus Chapter 22 — Purity in Offerings and Priesthood
Leviticus 22 outlines specific requirements for priests regarding ritual purity and provides strict standards for animal sacrifices to ensure they are acceptable to God.
1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.*LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah.
3“Tell them, ‘If anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things which the children of Israel make holy to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from before me. I am the LORD.
4“ ‘Whoever of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has a discharge shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man who has a seminal emission,
5or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he may be made unclean, or a man from whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has—
6the person that touches any such shall be unclean until the evening, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he bathes his body in water.
7When the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his bread.
8He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am the LORD.
9“ ‘They shall therefore follow my commandment, lest they bear sin for it and die in it, if they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
10“ ‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
11But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread.
12If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things.
13But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it.
14“ ‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest.
15The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,
16and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’ ”
17The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18“Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their free will offerings, which they offer to the LORD for a burnt offering:
19that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats.
20But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.
22You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the LORD.
23Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24You must not offer to the LORD that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land.
25You must not offer any of these as the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’ ”
26The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
27“When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to the LORD.
28Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.
29“When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.
30It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am the LORD.
31“Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am the LORD.
32You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am the LORD†LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah. who makes you holy,
33who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD.”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Leviticus 22:2
“Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they make holy to me, and that they not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.”
It establishes the core purpose of these laws: protecting the sanctity of God's name through proper handling of holy things.
Leviticus 22:21
“Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.”
This verse highlights the requirement for excellence and integrity in offerings made to God.
Leviticus 22:32
“You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy,”
It summarizes the theme of communal holiness and the recognition of God as the source of sanctification.
Chapter Summary
Leviticus 22 details the regulations for the priests of Israel regarding the holy offerings. The chapter begins with warnings that any priest who is ritually unclean—whether through disease, contact with the dead, or other factors—must not approach or eat the holy things until they have undergone purification. It also defines who within a priest's household is permitted to eat the holy offerings, excluding guests and hired servants while including purchased slaves and certain returning family members. The second half of the chapter focuses on the quality of sacrifices brought by the people. It emphasizes that animals offered for vows or freewill offerings must be perfect and without defect, such as blindness or injury. The chapter concludes by reminding Israel that these laws exist to maintain the holiness of God's name and to honor the One who brought them out of Egypt.
Frequently Asked Questions
The offerings were primarily for the priests and their immediate households. This included their children, slaves born in the house or purchased, and widowed or divorced daughters who returned to live with their father, but excluded hired servants or foreign guests.
The text states that any priest who approached the holy things while in a state of ritual uncleanness would be cut off from God's presence. They were required to bathe and wait until evening to be considered clean again before eating any holy things.
Animals that were blind, injured, maimed, or had sores, warts, or deformities were not acceptable for most sacrifices. These requirements ensured that the people offered their best to God rather than their surplus or damaged livestock.
The chapter commands that a cow or ewe and its young must not be killed on the same day. Additionally, a young animal had to remain with its mother for seven days before it could be accepted as an offering.
Study Note
The phrase 'I am the LORD' is repeated throughout the chapter as a divine signature, emphasizing that these regulations carry the full weight of God's authority and covenant identity.
Related Chapters
Leviticus Chapter 21
This chapter continues the specific holiness requirements for priests established in the previous chapter.
Malachi Chapter 1
The prophet Malachi later rebukes the people for offering the very types of defective sacrifices forbidden in Leviticus 22.
Hebrews Chapter 9
This New Testament chapter connects the Old Testament requirements for perfect sacrifices to the concept of a final, perfect offering.
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