Leviticus

Leviticus 21:17–23

17“Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God.

18No man who has any defect may approach — no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; 19no man who has a broken foot or hand, 20or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.

21No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the food offerings to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God. 22He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food, 23but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

Read all of Leviticus 21

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Leviticus 21:17

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Sayדַּבֵּ֥רdab·bêrVerb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singularH1696 speak
toאֶֽל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Aaronאַהֲרֹ֖ן’a·hă·rōnNoun - proper - masculine singularH175 Aaron
For the generations to comeלְדֹרֹתָ֗םlə·ḏō·rō·ṯāmPreposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine pluralH1755 period, generation, dwelling
noneלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
of your descendantsמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֞miz·zar·‘ă·ḵāPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH2233 sowing, seed, offspring
whoאֲשֶׁ֨ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
hasיִהְיֶ֥הyih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a physical defectמ֔וּםmūmNoun - masculine singularH3971 blemish, defect
may approachיִקְרַ֔בyiq·raḇVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH7126 come near, approach
to offerלְהַקְרִ֖יבlə·haq·rîḇPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH7126 come near, approach
the foodלֶ֥חֶםle·ḥemNoun - masculine singular constructH3899 bread, food
of his Godאֱלֹהָֽיו׃’ĕ·lō·hāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH430 God

Leviticus 21:18

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Noכָל־ḵālNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
manאִ֛ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
whoאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
has any defectמ֖וּםmūmNoun - masculine singularH3971 blemish, defect
may approachיִקְרָ֑בyiq·rāḇVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH7126 come near, approach
no manאִ֤ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
who is blindעִוֵּר֙‘iw·wêrAdjective - masculine singularH5787 blind
lameפִסֵּ֔חַp̄is·sê·aḥAdjective - masculine singularH6455 lame
disfiguredחָרֻ֖םḥā·rumVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH2763 ban, devote, exterminate
orא֣וֹ’ōwConjunctionH176 or
deformedשָׂרֽוּעַ׃śā·rū·a‘Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH8311 extend

Leviticus 21:19

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
no manאִ֔ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
whoאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
hasיִהְיֶ֥הyih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a brokenשֶׁ֣בֶרše·ḇerNoun - masculine singular constructH7667 breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash
footרָ֑גֶלrā·ḡelNoun - feminine singularH7272 foot
orא֖וֹ’ōwConjunctionH176 or
handיָֽד׃yāḏNoun - feminine singularH3027 hand

Leviticus 21:20

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
orאֽוֹ־’ōw-ConjunctionH176 or
who is a hunchbackגִבֵּ֣ןḡib·bênAdjective - masculine singularH1384 crook-backed, hump-backed
orאוֹ־’ōw-ConjunctionH176 or
dwarfדַ֔קḏaqAdjective - masculine singularH1851 thin, small, fine
orא֖וֹ’ōwConjunctionH176 or
who has an eyeבְּעֵינ֑וֹbə·‘ê·nōwPreposition-b; Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine singularH5869 eye
defectתְּבַלֻּ֣לtə·ḇal·lulNoun - masculine singularH8400 confusion, obscurity
a festering rashגָרָב֙ḡā·rāḇNoun - masculine singularH1618 itch, scab
scabsיַלֶּ֔פֶתyal·le·p̄eṯNoun - feminine singularH3217 scab, scurf
orא֤וֹ’ōwConjunctionH176 or
a crushedמְר֥וֹחַmə·rō·w·aḥAdjective - masculine singular constructH4790 bruised, emasculated
testicleאָֽשֶׁךְ׃’ā·šeḵNoun - masculine singularH810 testicle

Leviticus 21:21

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Noכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
descendantמִזֶּ֙רַע֙miz·ze·ra‘Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH2233 sowing, seed, offspring
of Aaronאַהֲרֹ֣ן’a·hă·rōnNoun - proper - masculine singularH175 Aaron
the priestהַכֹּהֵ֔ןhak·kō·hênArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3548 priest
whoאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
has a defectמ֗וּםmūmNoun - masculine singularH3971 blemish, defect
shall approachיִגַּ֔שׁyig·gašVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5066 draw near, approach
to presentלְהַקְרִ֖יבlə·haq·rîḇPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH7126 come near, approach
the food offeringsאִשֵּׁ֣י’iš·šêNoun - masculine plural constructH801 an offering made by fire
to the LORDיְהוָ֑הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
he has a defectמ֣וּםmūmNoun - masculine singularH3971 blemish, defect
he is notלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
to come nearיִגַּ֖שׁyig·gašVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5066 draw near, approach
to offerלְהַקְרִֽיב׃lə·haq·rîḇPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH7126 come near, approach
the foodלֶ֣חֶםle·ḥemNoun - masculine singular constructH3899 bread, food
of his Godאֱלֹהָ֔יו’ĕ·lō·hāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH430 God

Leviticus 21:22

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
He may eatיֹאכֵֽל׃yō·ḵêlVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH398 eat
the mostמִקָּדְשֵׁ֖יmiq·qā·ḏə·šêPreposition-m; Noun - masculine plural constructH6944 sacred, sanctity
holyהַקֳּדָשִׁ֑יםhaq·qo·ḏā·šîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH6944 sacred, sanctity
foodלֶ֣חֶםle·ḥemNoun - masculine singular constructH3899 bread, food
of his Godאֱלֹהָ֔יו’ĕ·lō·hāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH430 God
as well asוּמִן־ū·min-Conjunctive waw; PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the holyהַקֳּדָשִׁ֖יםhaq·qo·ḏā·šîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH6944 sacred, sanctity

Leviticus 21:23

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
butאַ֣ךְ’aḵAdverbH389 surely
becauseכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
he has a defectמ֣וּםmūmNoun - masculine singularH3971 blemish, defect
he must notלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
goיָבֹ֗אyā·ḇōVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
nearאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the veilהַפָּרֹ֜כֶתhap·pā·rō·ḵeṯArticle; Noun - feminine singularH6532 curtain
or approachיִגַּ֖שׁyig·gašVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5066 draw near, approach
the altarהַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַham·miz·bê·aḥArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4196 altar
so as not to desecrateיְחַלֵּל֙yə·ḥal·lêlVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH2490 bore, pierce
My sanctuariesמִקְדָּשַׁ֔יmiq·dā·šayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH4720 sacred place, sanctuary
Forכִּ֛יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
Iאֲנִ֥י’ă·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
am the LORDיְהוָ֖הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
who sanctifies themמְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃mə·qad·də·šāmVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH6942 be set apart, consecrated

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Leviticus 21:17 Leviticus 10:3 · Numbers 16:5 · Psalm 65:4

Leviticus 21:18 1 Timothy 3:2–3 · Leviticus 22:19–25

Leviticus 21:20 Deuteronomy 23:1

Leviticus 21:21 Leviticus 21:6 · Leviticus 21:8 · Leviticus 21:17

Leviticus 21:22 Leviticus 2:3 · Leviticus 6:16–17 · Leviticus 2:10 · Leviticus 7:1 · Leviticus 24:8–9 · Numbers 18:19 · Numbers 18:9–10 · Leviticus 22:10–13 · 1 Corinthians 9:13

Leviticus 21:23 Leviticus 21:12

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.