Leviticus 21 · Kingdoms of Scripture

1Yahweh said to Moses, Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, A priest shall not make himself unclean for a dead person among his people,

2except for his close kin who is near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, and for his brother,

3and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has not belonged to a man. For her he may make himself unclean.

4He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people, and so profane himself.

Notes (1)

Translation
Ba’al be-amav is a husband among his people. The line is short, and the kinship it forbids beyond verse 2 is not spelled out. No extra relative is added.

5She shall not make a bald spot on their head. They shall not shave the edge of their beard, and they shall not cut a cut in their flesh.

Notes (1)

Text
The written form is יקרחה, a feminine singular, “she shall make a bald spot.” The Masoretic reading is יקרחו, “they shall make a bald spot.” The written form is printed.

6They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not profane the name of their God, because they bring near the food gifts of Yahweh, the food of their God, and they shall be holy.

7A woman who is a prostitute or profaned they shall not take, and a woman divorced from her husband they shall not take, because he is holy to his God.

Notes (1)

Translation
Chalalah is a woman profaned, no longer in the ordinary standing of a priest’s wife. The line does not add a story of how she was profaned.

8You shall set him apart, because he brings near the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I, Yahweh, who set you apart, am holy.

9When the daughter of a priest profanes herself by whoring, she profanes her father. She shall be burned in the fire.

10The priest who is great above his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and whose hand was filled to wear the garments, shall not let his head go unbound, and he shall not tear his garments.

Notes (1)

Translation
Ha-kohen ha-gadol me-echav is the priest who is great above his brothers. Para is to leave the head unbound. Param is to tear the garments.

11He shall not go in to any dead persons. For his father and for his mother he shall not make himself unclean.

12He shall not go out of the sanctuary, and he shall not profane the sanctuary of his God, because the dedication of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am Yahweh.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nezer is the dedication, the consecration that sits on him with the anointing oil.

13He shall take a woman in her virginity.

14A widow, or a divorced woman, or a profaned woman, a prostitute, these he shall not take. He shall take a virgin from his people as a wife.

15He shall not profane his seed among his people, because I am Yahweh, who sets him apart.

16Yahweh spoke to Moses:

17Speak to Aaron: Any man of your seed, through their generations, who has a defect in him shall not come near to bring near the food of his God.

18For any man who has a defect shall not come near: a blind man, or a lame man, or a man with a split face, or a man with a stretched limb,

Notes (1)

Translation
Mum is a defect. Charum and saru’a are working English, a split face and a stretched limb. The exact defect is not secure, and no medical diagnosis is added.

19or a man who has a broken foot or a broken hand,

20or a gibben, or a thin man, or a man with a film in his eye, or an itch, or a scab, or a crushed testicle.

Notes (1)

Translation
Gibben is left in Hebrew. A hump is a live alternative, and it is not printed. Daq is thin. Tevallul is a film in the eye. Garav is an itch. Yallephet is a scab. Meroach ashekh is a crushed testicle. Several of these names are not secure.

21Any man of the seed of Aaron the priest who has a defect in him shall not draw near to bring near Yahweh’s food gifts. He has a defect. He shall not draw near to bring near the food of his God.

22The food of his God, from the most holy things and from the holy things, he may eat.

23But he shall not come to the curtain, and he shall not draw near the altar, because he has a defect, so he does not profane my sanctuaries, because I am Yahweh, who sets them apart.

24Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel.

1Yahweh said to Moses, Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, A priest shall not make himself unclean for a dead person among his people,

2except for his close kin who is near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, and for his brother,

3and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has not belonged to a man. For her he may make himself unclean.

4He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people, and so profane himself.

Notes (1)

Translation
Ba’al be-amav is a husband among his people. The line is short, and the kinship it forbids beyond verse 2 is not spelled out. No extra relative is added.

5She shall not make a bald spot on their head. They shall not shave the edge of their beard, and they shall not cut a cut in their flesh.

Notes (1)

Text
The written form is יקרחה, a feminine singular, “she shall make a bald spot.” The Masoretic reading is יקרחו, “they shall make a bald spot.” The written form is printed.

6They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not profane the name of their God, because they bring near the food gifts of Yahweh, the food of their God, and they shall be holy.

7A woman who is a prostitute or profaned they shall not take, and a woman divorced from her husband they shall not take, because he is holy to his God.

Notes (1)

Translation
Chalalah is a woman profaned, no longer in the ordinary standing of a priest’s wife. The line does not add a story of how she was profaned.

8You shall set him apart, because he brings near the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I, Yahweh, who set you apart, am holy.

9When the daughter of a priest profanes herself by whoring, she profanes her father. She shall be burned in the fire.

Notes (1)

Translation
Ha-kohen ha-gadol me-echav is the priest who is great above his brothers. Para is to leave the head unbound. Param is to tear the garments.

11He shall not go in to any dead persons. For his father and for his mother he shall not make himself unclean.

12He shall not go out of the sanctuary, and he shall not profane the sanctuary of his God, because the dedication of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am Yahweh.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nezer is the dedication, the consecration that sits on him with the anointing oil.

13He shall take a woman in her virginity.

14A widow, or a divorced woman, or a profaned woman, a prostitute, these he shall not take. He shall take a virgin from his people as a wife.

15He shall not profane his seed among his people, because I am Yahweh, who sets him apart.

16Yahweh spoke to Moses:

17Speak to Aaron: Any man of your seed, through their generations, who has a defect in him shall not come near to bring near the food of his God.

18For any man who has a defect shall not come near: a blind man, or a lame man, or a man with a split face, or a man with a stretched limb,

Notes (1)

Translation
Mum is a defect. Charum and saru’a are working English, a split face and a stretched limb. The exact defect is not secure, and no medical diagnosis is added.

19or a man who has a broken foot or a broken hand,

20or a gibben, or a thin man, or a man with a film in his eye, or an itch, or a scab, or a crushed testicle.

Notes (1)

Translation
Gibben is left in Hebrew. A hump is a live alternative, and it is not printed. Daq is thin. Tevallul is a film in the eye. Garav is an itch. Yallephet is a scab. Meroach ashekh is a crushed testicle. Several of these names are not secure.

21Any man of the seed of Aaron the priest who has a defect in him shall not draw near to bring near Yahweh’s food gifts. He has a defect. He shall not draw near to bring near the food of his God.

22The food of his God, from the most holy things and from the holy things, he may eat.

23But he shall not come to the curtain, and he shall not draw near the altar, because he has a defect, so he does not profane my sanctuaries, because I am Yahweh, who sets them apart.

24Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel.