The priests in their uncleanness must abstain from the holy things, 1-5. How they shall be cleansed, 6-9. Who of the priest's house may eat of the holy things, 10-16. The sacrifices must be without blemish, 17-25. The age of the sacrifice, 26-28. The law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving, 29-33.
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel and that they do not profane my holy name in those things which they hallow to me. I am the LORD. 3 Say to them, 'Any man of all your posterity among your generations who approaches the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow to the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD. 4 If any man of the offspring of Aaron is a leper or has a running issue, he shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. And whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goes from him, 5 Or whoever touches any creeping animal, by which he may be made unclean, or a man by whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has, 6 The soul which has touched any of these shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he washes his flesh with water. 7 And when the sun is set, he shall be clean and shall afterward eat of the holy things, because it is his food. 8 That which dies of itself or is torn by beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself with it. I am the LORD. 9 They shall therefore keep my ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die therein, if they profane it. I, the LORD, sanctify them.
10 'There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing. A sojourner of the priest or a hired servant shall not eat of the holy thing. 11 But if the priest buys any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and also he who is born in his house, they shall eat of his food. 12 If the priest's daughter also is married to a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things. 13 But if the 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 shall eat of her father's food, but no stranger shall eat of it. 14 And if a man eats of the holy thing unknowingly, then he shall add to it a fifth part and shall give it to the priest with the holy thing. 15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which they offer to the LORD, 16 Or allow them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things. For I, the LORD, sanctify them.'"
17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel and say to them, 'Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who will offer his oblation for all his vows and for all his voluntary-offerings, which they will offer to the LORD for a burnt-offering, 19 You shall offer at your own will a male without blemish of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But whatever has a blemish, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21 And whoever offers a sacrifice of peace-offerings to the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a voluntary-offering in bulls or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted. There shall be no blemish in it. 22 Blind, broken, maimed, having a wen, scurvy, or scabbed, you shall not offer these to the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar to the LORD. 23 Either a bull or a lamb that has anything superfluous or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a voluntary-offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24 You shall not offer to the LORD that which is bruised, crushed, broken, or cut, neither shall you make any offering thereof in your land, 25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall you offer the bread of your God of any of these, because their corruption is in them and blemishes are in them. They shall not be accepted for you.'"
26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 "When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is brought forth, it shall remain seven days with its mother. And from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire to the LORD. 28 And whether it is cow, or ewe, you shall not kill it and her young both in one day. 29 And when you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it at your own will. 30 On the same day it shall be eaten up. You shall leave none of it until the next day. I am the LORD. 31 Therefore, you shall keep my commandments and do them. I am the LORD.
32 "You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who hallows you, 33 Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Leviticus, Chapter 22[➚]