Leviticus 21 explained: Stricter Rules for the Priests

Priests and the dead (vv. 1-4)

Being near a dead body made a person ritually unclean, meaning unfit for sanctuary service for a time, so an ordinary priest could do this only for close family. The Hebrew of verse 4 is unclear, and scholars are unsure whether it means in-laws, a priest's own wife, or the priest as a leading man among the people.

No mourning rituals (vv. 5-6)

Shaving the head, trimming the beard's edges and cutting the skin were grief customs in the region, possibly linked to rites for the dead. Because priests handled the offerings, called God's food, they had to keep clear of these practices.

Marriage and family honor (vv. 7-9)

Priests could not marry a former prostitute or a divorced woman, limits not placed on other Israelites, because a priest's household was seen as reflecting God's holiness. Verse 9 orders that a priest's daughter who becomes a prostitute be burned, a harsh penalty stated plainly, since her conduct was thought to disgrace her father and his office.

The high priest's mourning (vv. 10-12)

The high priest, anointed with oil and dressed in special garments, could not show the usual signs of grief or go near any corpse, not even a parent's. He had to stay ready for sanctuary service at all times, and Christians later read this figure as a picture of Jesus as the perfect high priest.

The high priest's marriage (vv. 13-15)

He could not marry a widow, a divorced woman or a former prostitute, only a virgin from his own people. The stated reason is to keep his children, who would inherit the office, free of any defilement.

Physical defects and service (vv. 16-24)

Descendants of Aaron with a disability, injury or visible skin condition could not offer sacrifices, much as animals for offering had to be without defect, apparently so that whatever came nearest to God appeared whole. They still ate the priests' holy food and stayed part of the priestly family, though many modern readers find this exclusion troubling.

Key verse: Leviticus 21:8

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether these priestly standards still offer guidance for church leaders today or were entirely fulfilled and set aside in Jesus.

Something to think about

What do you think is gained, and what is lost, when people in sacred or public roles are held to stricter standards than everyone else?