Chapter 21

1 Of the priests’ mourning. 6 Of their holiness. 8 Of their estimation. 7, 13 Of their marriages_. 17 The priests that have blemishes must not minister in the sanctuary.

1. Unto the priests. The message of ch. 21 is for the priests and their families. They must keep from defilement of every kind. The people were permitted to do certain things that were forbidden to the priests. In turn, the common priests were allowed more liberties than the high priest. There was a graduated scale of conduct that became more strict according to the person’s rank. The rules that applied to the head of the household applied in some instances to their families also, with the effect thatthe misconduct of a son or a daughter might reflect on the father.

2. But for his kin. A dead body, whether of saint or sinner, was considered unclean, and a priest touching it was rendered unclean and hence could not officiate in the sanctuary. There were exceptions in case of those of near kin, such as father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister.

4. A chief man. Literally, a “husband” (Ex. 21:22), or a married man (Ex. 21:3). It is probably used here in the latter sense, meaning that he may not defile himself for his in-laws. The priest might not follow the usual customs of mourning for the dead, but was ever to maintain the dignity of the priestly office.

6. They shall be holy. Though God does not have two standards of conduct for His people, He does expect His ministers to set an example to the church in holy living. God’s service ever requires of a man the very best. There are three things stressed in this chapter that stand out as qualifications for the priesthood:

1. Physical condition. God demanded that He be served only by men in good physical condition, without physical defects, and in possession of all the natural powers of the body. Physical perfection was representative of perfection of character, toward which all should strive.

2. Holy men. Their lives must be blameless, their families without reproach. A church may rightly be judged by the lives of its members. Another, and perhaps more exacting, test is the standard of holiness produced in the minister’s life.

3. Dedicated men. The priests of old were not permitted to let anything interfere with their service to God. The high priest must not mourn over the loss of a dear one, nor even attend to the funeral details of one dear to him (see vs. 10, 11). Nothing of any kind must come in to hinder the work of God.

9. The daughter of any priest. If a young woman of the people sin, her punishment was to be according to the gravity of the offense. But if the daughter of a priest was immoral, there was but one law—death by fire.

10. The high priest. Although the rules were strict for a priest, they were still more strict for a high priest. He alone of all the priests had been anointed upon the head with oil, he alone was consecrated to put on the golden garments. He must not uncover his head, since this necessitated removing the golden plate on which was the inscription “Holiness to the Lord.” He must not rend his garments, as was the custom when one was in great sorrow. He must not go near a dead body, not even that of his father or mother. Christ’s words to a would-be disciple seem to reflect this ideal (Matt. 8:22). Should the high priest do so, he would become unclean and so incapacitate himself for performing the duties of his sacred office.

12. Go out of the sanctuary. The common priests each served only for a short time every year; the high priest was on continuous duty. He must be available at all times, hence could not go on a journey. One priest could officiate for another in case of emergency, but no one could officiate for the high priest, though in later times he did have a substitute.

13. A wife in her virginity. The high priest was to marry a virgin. He might not marry a widow, as could the common priest, nor, of course, one of blemished reputation.

15. Profane his seed. The children of any such union as mentioned in v. 14 would be disqualified to succeed their father in office, as he himself would be disqualified by violating the law prohibiting such unions. These rules were given to preserve the priesthood as a holy order. The priests must be clean in all respects, that they might deserve the respect of the people.

17. Any blemish. As the sacrifices offered were to be perfect and without blemish, so also must be the priests who officiated at the altar. Those who had blemishes might serve in minor capacities, but must never ascend the altar (v. 21). They might be caretakers of the priests’ wardrobe. They might gather and examine the wood to be used, but not build the fire or remove the ashes. They might inspect lepers, be doorkeepers, and keep the court in order. But they could not perform any strictly priestly function (v. 23). They were not deprived of their regular priestly income, and might eat of the offerings given to the priests, both of the holy and the most holy (v. 22).The sin, trespass, and meat offerings were “most holy,” as was also the shewbread (ch. 2:3, 10; 6:17, 25, 29; 7:1, 6; 10:12, 17). The heave offering and the wave offering, the first fruits, the firstlings, and things devoted were holy.

18. A flat nose. That is, “a mutilated face” (RSV).

Any thing superfluous. Literally, “anything stretched out,” “having any member too long.” Everything connected with the worship of God must be perfect.