Levítico 22
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Levítico 22
NJB (MT versing) Sundry Rules for Priests Regulations for Conduct of Priests (21;1-22:16) Instructions to the Priests (21:1-22:33) The Holiness of the Offerings Holiness in Consuming Sacred Food a. the priests 22:1-9 22:1-9 22:1-9 22:1-3 22:1-3a 22:3b 22:4-8 22:4-7 22:8 22:9 22:9 b. lay people 22:10-16 22:10-13 22:10-16 22:10-13 22:10-11 22:12-14 22:14-16 22:14-16 22:15-16 Flawless Animals for Sacrifice Offerings Accepted and Not Accepted c. sacrificial animals 22:17-25 22:17-25 22:17-20 22:17-24 22:17 22:18a 22:18b-20 22:21-25 22:21-25 22:25 22:26-31 22:26-30 22:26-30 22:26-30 22:26 22:27-28 22:29-30 d. concluding exhortation 22:31-33 22:31-33 22:31-33 22:31-33 22:32-33 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Brief outline Be careful about the "cleanness" of the priests, Lev. 22:3-9 who can eat the sacrifices, Lev. 22:10-16h acceptable sacrifices, Lev. 22:17-25,26-30 Concluding statement, Lev. 22:2 and 30-33 Notice that the defects in priests mentioned in chapter 21 are matched in chapter 22 by defects in animals (Lev. 22:17-25). This ceremonial defilement seems so strange to moderns but remember, this is the ANE and "holiness" is the key theological issue of the book. Only priests in the Tabernacle could eat that which is "most holy" but the priest and his family (cf. Leviticus 7) could eat some sacrifices (cf. Leviticus 6-7). grain offerings (except for the small part offered on the altar) tithes right thighs peace offerings firstlings Also, the person of the tribe of Levi who could not function as a priest because of the deformities or accidents listed in Leviticus 21, could still eat of the holy gifts. Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, p. 417, suggests that there were three kinds of communal sacrifices. the sacrifice of praise (todah, cf. Lev. 7:12-15; 22:29-30) the voluntary sacrifice from one's devotion (nedabah, cf. Lev. 7:16-17; 22:18-23) the votive sacrifice (nedar, cf. Lev. 7:16-17; 22:18-23) All of these are addressed in Leviticus 3.
Levítico 22:1-9
22:2 "be careful with the holy gifts" The subject of ceremonial purity continues. The priest must maintain purity because if not he profanes YHWH's name, Lev. 22:2 (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 145-150; cf. Lev. 18:21; 19:12; 20:3; 21:6); see SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH (OT) if not he will be "cut off," Lev. 22:3; see full note at Lev. 7:20 The MT has "hold yourself away from the holy things." This VERB (BDB 634, KB 684, Niphal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense) means "to separate something/someone in a ceremonial sense." The priests were to be very careful about how they handled sacrifices. right animal right place right person right time who at what, where, and when how to specifically handle the blood how to specifically dispose of the remains These procedures were crucial to maintain "holiness." ▣ NASB, NRSV, TEV, LXX "dedicate" NKJV, NJB "sanctify" "consecrate" REV, Peshitta (Lamsa) "hallow" This is the VERB form (Niphal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense) of the root "holy," "sacred," "apartness," "separated to" (BDB 871-3, KB 1073). It is used six times in this chapter. The NASB translates it in two ways. "dedicate" ‒ Lev. 22:2,3 "sanctify" ‒ Lev. 22:10,16,32 (twice) See SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY. ▣ "so as not to profane" This VERB (BDB 320, KB 319, Piel IMPERFECT, possibly another IMPERFECT, like "dedicate," used in a JUSSIVE sense). This word for "pollute," "defile," or "profane" occurs several times in Leviticus (cf. Lev. 18:21; 19:8,12,29; 20:3; 21:4,6,9,12,15,23; 22:2,9,15,32). It is the opposite of "holy." ▣ "My holy name" See SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH (OT). 22:3 "I am the Lord" This is Israel's God covenant title ‒ YHWH. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. It is repeated in Lev. 22:2, 3, 8, 9, 16, 30, 31,3 2, 33. YHWH's covenant people must keep His commandments (cf. Lev. 22:31; see SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP and SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT. ▣ "uncleanness" This NOUN (BDB 380) is the focus of the chapter. As chapter 21 dealt with the priest's family, this chapter deals with necessity of the "cleanness" of the priest (Lev. 22:4-7) and sacrifices (Lev. 22:8) that are eaten. 22:4-9 Here is a list of what defiles a priest from eating sacrifices. leprosy (cf. Lev. 21:20; and chapter 13) a discharge one who touches something unclean a corpse seminal emission (cf. Lev. 15:1-18) teeming things (cf. Lev. 11:29-31) The unclean priest must remain defiled until evening a bath (i.e., cleaned by water, cf. Lev. 11:24-25,28,32,40) but then he may eat. 22:4 "No man" This is a Hebrew idiom, literally, "man, man" (cf. Lev. 15:2; 17:3; 22:18; and several more). 22:5 "teeming things" NKJV, LXX, Peshitta "creeping things" NRSV, JPSOA "swarming things" "unclean animal" "reptile" "creature" The root (BDB 1056) denotes that which swarms in great numbers (i.e., Gen. 7:21; 8:17). In Leviticus they are all classified as "unclean" (cf. Lev. 11:29-31,41-45,46-47). All of these cause "uncleanness" (BDB 379, KB 375, cf. Lev. 22:5,6,8) by either touching them (Lev. 22:5-6) touching their dead bodies (cf. Lev. 5:2) eating them (cf. Deut. 14:19) 22:8 As Lev. 22:4-7 defined the priest who may eat, 22:8 puts a restriction on the type of sacrifice that may be eaten by priests (i.e., no animal that has died naturally or has been torn by other animals, cf. Lev. 11:39-40; 17:15). 22:9 "keep My charge" This VERB (BDB 1036, KB 1581) and NOUN (BDB 1038) often appear together (cf. Lev. 18:30; Deut. 11:1; Josh. 22:3; Mal. 3:14). YHWH expects obedience! ▣ "die" The VERB "cut off" (BDB 503, KB 500) in Lev. 22:3 is defined as death in 22:9. See full note at Lev. 7:30.
Levítico 22:10-16
22:10-13 This paragraph delineates those people so closely connected to a priest's family that they can also eat of the holy sacrifices. a sojourner living with a priest (see note at Lev. 22:10) a hired person of a priest (possibly non-Israelite) a slave of a priest the slave's children the priest's daughter who has been widowed or divorced (but not if she is married to a non-priest or has children of a non-priest); for a good brief discussion of the place of the widow in ancient Israel, see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 413-414 22:10 "layman" "outsider" NRSV, NJB, JPSOA, REB "lay person" "only a member of a priestly family" LXX, Peshitta "alien" This PARTICIPLE (BDB 266, KB 267) denotes someone not of the tribe of Levi, nor someone of the tribe of Levi but not a priest (cf. Exod. 29:33; 30:33; Lev. 22:10,12,13; Num. 1:51; 3:10; 18:7). It could denote an Israelite of another tribe (cf. Lev. 22:12). 22:14 "unintentionally" See SPECIAL TOPIC: UNINTENTIONAL SINS. Here, it denotes "by accident" (cf. Lev. 5:14-16). But even so, he must add a fifth more and give it back to a priest. This is part of the "guilt offerings" (cf. Lev. 5:16). This verse is also addressing the "layman" or "sojourner." 22:15 "them" In context this must refer to "the priests" (i.e., who offered the sacrifices to YHWH), not the "layman" of 22:14. 22:16 The PRONOUNS of Lev. 22:16 are ambiguous. The context has been addressing two people. priests non-priest Israelites ▣ "I am the Lord who sanctifies them" This is recurrent theme. Israel is holy because their God is holy (cf. Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 20:7,26). These guidelines in Leviticus are meant to maintain that holiness.
Levítico 22:17-25
22:17-25 This deals with freewill/peace offerings connected to the fulfillment of a vow (cf. Leviticus 3). 22:18 Notice two distinct groups are addressed. Israelites non-Israelites living among them (i.e., sojourners, aliens, cf. Lev. 16:29) 22:19 "for you to be accepted" This has no VERB. With the NOUN (BDB 953; NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 1186-1188), it is often hard to know when YHWH accepts a sacrifice on behalf of a person (cf. Lev. 19:5) accepts the person into fellowship (i.e., Lev. 1:4; 7:18) The root is repeated several times in this chapter. the NOUN (cf. Lev. 22:19,20,21,29) the VERB (BDB 953, KB 1980, Niphal IMPERFECT, cf. Lev. 22:23,25,27) 22:22-25 This lists the defects that are not acceptable. They are like the defects that eliminate Levites from being a functioning priest (cf. Lev. 21:16-20). The offering and the offerer, as well as the ones who eat it, are to be "clean," without defect. It was a visible sign of the perfection of YHWH. For the lexical aspect of these defects, see Leviticus 21. 22:23 Notice the exception related to freewill offerings. This shows there were "levels" of "cleanness" or "holiness." The PASSIVE PARTICIPLE, "too long" (BDB 976, KB 1358), occurs only here and in Lev. 21:18. The PASSIVE PARTICIPLE, "too short" (BDB 886, KB 2102), occurs only here. 22:24 This has been understood as outlawing the castration of animals (Targums, Josephus, Antiq. 4.8.40) in Israel. This may be another distinction between Israel and her pagan neighbors. 22:25 "the food of your God" See note at Lev. 21:22.
Levítico 22:26-31
22:26-28 These are further restrictions on acceptable sacrifice. age of young animal, Lev. 22:27 time of death of the sacrifice, Lev. 22:28 There are other texts which call for compassion to animals (i.e., Exod. 23:19; 34:26; Deut. 14:21; and 22:6-7). It may refer to pagan practices. 22:29-30 These are further guidelines on the peace or thanksgiving sacrifice. it must be eaten on the same day none must be left until morning (see Lev. 3:1-17; 7:11-34) This is a change from Lev. 7:17. Again, it seems to denote a further restriction on the priests because they had a greater love of "holiness" than the average Israelite. 22:31 "My commandments" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION. This is parallel to Lev. 22:9. See notes there. ▣ "keep. . .do" Obedience is important to YHWH. admonition (cf. Gen. 17:9; 18:19; Exod. 20:6; Lev. 18:26; Deut. 4:2,40; 6:2; 10:12; 26:17; Josh. 22:5) curses and blessing for obedience (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-28)
Levítico 22:32-33
22:32 "sanctified. . .sanctifies" This is the root kadosh (BDB 872, KB 1073; see SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY). It is used several times in Leviticus 21-22 as a NOUN, an ADJECTIVE, and a VERB. Here are some of the different ways it is translated. holy, most holy sacred sanctify dedicate consecrate hallowed Holiness is "the" key theological concept in Leviticus. Remember, it is the "how to" manual for the Tabernacle. It gives the guidelines on how a holy God can fellowship with an unholy people. Their holiness is mandated and facilitates the fellowship with YHWH. 22:33 This is an allusion to YHWH's great act of promise (cf. Gen. 15:12-22) and mercy (i.e., the exodus). This is covenant language (cf. Lev. 11:45; 19:36; 22:33; 25:38; 26:45). The Feast of Passover was a way to remind and educate future Israelites of YHWH's great act of deliverance!