If we talk about Leviticus 21 in detail,

Chapter 21 of Leviticus goes into detail about the holiness regulations that priests must follow. This chapter clearly sets out what regulations priests must follow to maintain holiness before God. The role of priests is very important, and their holiness and purity are essential to serving God. The following explains in detail the main contents of Leviticus 21.

Regulations for priestly holiness (21:1-9)

1. No touching of corpses : Priests must not touch corpses. This is to prevent them from becoming unclean. However, close relatives (parents, children, siblings) can make an exception and participate in the funeral (21:1-3).
2. Hair and beard : Priests must not shave their heads or beards or cut their flesh. This was a common custom as a sign of mourning, but priests were prohibited from doing this because they were to be perfect before God (21:5).
3. Maintaining holiness : Priests must regard the food (sacrifice) offered to God as holy and maintain its holiness. They must be careful not to pollute God's name (21:6).
4. Marriage regulations : A priest must not marry a prostitute or a divorced woman, but only a chaste virgin. This is to ensure that the priest's family remains holy (21:7).
5. Priest's Daughter : It is stipulated that if a priest's daughter becomes a prostitute and tarnishes her father's honor, she must be burned. This emphasizes that the priestly family must maintain God's holiness (21:9).

Regulations for the sanctification of the high priest (21:10-15)

1. No mourning : The high priest must not let down his hair or tear his clothes for the dead. This means that he must maintain complete holiness as a servant of God in the sanctuary (21:10).
2. No contact with corpses : The high priest must not touch even the corpses of his parents, nor must he leave the sanctuary. This is to maintain the integrity of his office (21:11-12).
3. Marriage regulations : The high priest can only marry virgins, and cannot marry widows, divorced women, or defiled women. This indicates that he must remain holy among the people (21:13-14).

Regulations regarding priests with physical defects (21:16-24)

1. Physical Defects : Priests with physical defects cannot approach the altar or enter the veil of the sanctuary to offer sacrifices. This is because priests with physical defects cannot symbolize complete holiness before God (21:16-21).
2. Holy life : However, even priests with physical defects can eat priestly food (holy sacrifices). This means that he still maintains his priestly status (21:22-23).

summary

Chapter 21 of Leviticus provides detailed regulations on how priests must maintain holiness. Priests must adhere to certain regulations according to their status and role, and breaking these regulations is considered to defile the holiness of God. This emphasizes that priests must live holy and pure before God and the people of Israel.

 

 

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