Leviticus 22
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ch. Leviticus 22:1-16. Ceremonial purity and membership of a priestly family are indispensable for those who share in the sacrificial feast

The whole or part of Leviticus 22:1-2 may be looked upon as the introductory formula by Rp[70].

[70] A Reviser, who, probably after that collection had been combined with the Priestly Code, introduced further elements from that Code.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
2. separate] not of course in the full sense of the word. What is meant is that whenever they are in a condition of ceremonial impurity they must be careful not to come into contact with holy things.

Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
3. your seed] For this expression, and ‘seed of Aaron,’ in Leviticus 22:4, see introd. note on chs. 21, 22.

your generations] See latter part of the same note.

4–7 may be compared with Leviticus 21:11-15.

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;
Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.
8. Cp. Leviticus 17:15.

10–16 describe those to whom, outside the priestly body, permission to eat of the holy things may be extended.

They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
10. The ‘sojourner,’ and the hired servant, were not considered as members of the family; not so the cases mentioned in Leviticus 22:11.

But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.
If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.
12. a stranger] i.e. not a priest. By her marriage she has become a member of a non-priestly family, and thus her rights have lapsed. Cp. Leviticus 21:3.

But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.
13. and have no child] The children are debarred, as having had a non-priestly father, and the mother shares their disability.

And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
14. unwittingly] Cp. Leviticus 4:2. We are reminded by the directions here (‘the fifth part’ to be added) of ch. Leviticus 5:14-16; but the case there is quite different. It had to do with unintentionally keeping back from the Lord His dues. Here the man has unwittingly eaten of consecrated food, although not belonging to those who, in accordance with the preceding regulations, were privileged in that respect. The penalty in the former case was naturally a heavier one, viz. a Guilt-Offering.

And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
16. to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt] The expression is unique.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17–25. Directions as to the quality of offerings

This passage retains clear signs of a remarkably composite character. Leviticus 22:17-18 a indicate (‘unto Aaron, and to his sons,’ ‘unto all etc.’) that what follows is a blending of directions referring to priests and to the people. But further, Leviticus 22:21 presents what is virtually a repetition of the directions in Leviticus 22:18-20, while the differences in phraseology between the two point to diversity of origin. We notice further that the classes of offerings dealt with differ, viz. Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings respectively, while each of these have the same sub-divisions, i.e. Vows and Freewill-Offerings, the former passage making no reference to other classes of Burnt-Offerings, such as the Sin-Offerings and Guilt-Offerings (4, 5), and the latter ignoring the third species, viz. Thank-Offering (see Leviticus 22:29), included (Leviticus 7:12) under the genus Peace-Offering. Moreover, within the parallelism (Leviticus 22:18-20 as compared with Leviticus 22:21) there are marked differences in phraseology (e.g. ‘of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats,’ Leviticus 22:19, ‘of the herd or of the flock,’ Leviticus 22:21). For other differences see Oxf. Hex., which further points out the frequent changes in number and person in 18a–20 as indicating successive editorial revisions.

Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
22. The definitions of what constitutes a blemish may be compared with those of Leviticus 21:18 ff. ‘Broken ‘here is from the same root as that so rendered in Leviticus 21:19; ‘maimed’ is lit. cut, mutilated; ‘a wen’ means a running sore, or ulcer.

Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
23. but for a vow] The three varieties included under the name Peace-Offering were, as has been noticed (see on Leviticus 7:11), (a) Thank-Offerings (here mentioned as a separate item in Leviticus 22:29, (b) Votive-Offerings, and (c) Freewill-Offerings. The first (see W.P.Paterson, HDB, Art. Sacrifice, p. 338) was offered in acknowledgment of benefits received, the second and third were combined with prayer for blessings hoped for. These two differed thus, that the Freewill-Offering was simply in support of the prayer, and was made in anticipation of the benefit asked. The vow was promised on fulfilment of the prayer, and thus, unlike the Freewill-Offering, need not be offered if the prayer remained unfulfilled. According to this v., gratitude for the answer was to be indicated by the greater stringency of the regulation as to the nature of the animal to be offered in acknowledgment of the mercy vouchsafed.

For the general prohibition to offer a sacrifice that had a blemish, cp. the rebuke in Malachi 1:8; Malachi 1:13.

Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
24. A reference to emasculation. Animals thus treated were forbidden to be offered.

Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
25. The case apparently is that of a foreigner who desires to offer sacrifice, and is forbidden to present an animal with a blemish. So Dillm. It is much less probable that the prohibition is directed against an Israelite buying blemished animals from a foreigner for a sacrificial purpose.

the bread of your God] See on Leviticus 22:6.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
26–30. Three further directions of a special character with regard to sacrifices

When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
27. For the regulation cp. Exodus 22:30 [Heb. 29].

And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
28. Cp. Deuteronomy 22:6.

And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
29. A sacrifice of thanksgiving, co-ordinated here with the other two species classified elsewhere under Peace-Offering. See on Leviticus 22:23.

On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
30. See Leviticus 7:15.

Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
31–33. Concluding exhortation (characteristic of H)

Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.
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