Leviticus 22:11-16

THE RIGHTS OF THE PRIEST'S FAMILY TO THE HOLY THINGS 22:11-16
TEXT 22:11-16

11

But if a priest buy any soul, the purchase of his money, he shall eat of it; and such as are born in his house, they shall eat of his bread.

12

And if a priest's daughter be married unto a stranger, she shall not eat of the heave-offering of the holy things.

13

But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and be returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's bread: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

14

And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give unto the priest the holy thing.

15

And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto Jehovah,

16

and so cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt, when they eat their holy things: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth them.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 22:11-16

498.

What difference is there in the slave of Leviticus 22:11 and the servant of Leviticus 22:10? Why give to one and refuse the other?

499.

Could his wife and children and slaves eat even when the priest couldn-'t?

500.

The priest's daughter could marry out of the Aaronic family, but she lost some rights. What were they?

501.

The daughter could return to the table of her father. How?

502.

Suppose her husband had a brother. Wasn-'t he obligated to marry the widow: Cf. Leviticus 18:16. Discuss.

503.

A kind provision is made for those who act in sincere ignorance. (Cf. Leviticus 4:2; Leviticus 4:22; Leviticus 4:27; Leviticus 5:15; Leviticus 5:18) What was it?

504.

However, ignorance was not overlooked. What penalty was paid: (Cf. Leviticus 5:16)

505.

How is the word profane used here?

506.

The priest has a responsibility in developing the proper attitude among the worshippers. Is this the meaning of Leviticus 22:16?

PARAPHRASE 22:11-16

However, there is one exceptionif the priest buys a slave with his own money, that slave may eat it, and any slave children born in his household may eat it. If a priest's daughter is married outside the tribe, she may not eat the sacred offerings. But if she is a widow or divorced and has no son to support her, and has returned home to her father's household, she may eat of her father's food again. But otherwise, no one who is not in the priestly families may eat this food. If someone should eat of the holy sacrifices without realizing it, he shall return to the priest the amount he has used, with twenty per cent added; for the holy sacrifices brought by the people of Israel must not be defiled by being eaten by unauthorized persons, for these sacrifices have been offered to the Lord. Anyone who violates this law is guilty and is in great danger because he has eaten the sacred offerings; for I am Jehovah who sanctifies the offerings.

COMMENT 22:11-16

Leviticus 22:11 Slaves were treated as part of the family who owned them. They were admitted to the Jewish family by circumcision and were given all the privileges of the Israelites. The children of such slaves were treated in the same manner as the salves (Cf. Genesis 17:12-13). Thus slaves and their children ate the same food as the rest of the family of the preist.

Leviticus 22:12-13 We have discussed the daughter of the priest earlier. We now note she can disqualify herself from eating of the holy food by marrying a Hebrew of non-Aaronic descent. She has chosen to eat at the table of her husband. However, if her husband were to die, or she was divorced, and there were no children, she could return and share in the priest's home as before her marriage. Traditionally such a woman could not eat of the first class of the offerings, i.e. the wave-breast and heave-shoulder. She could eat the heave-offering.

Leviticus 22:14 Supposing someone ate of the holy portion and didn-'t know it was sanctified? Provision was made for such a mistake. He would not be put to death. Judgment is made by motive as well as action. He is to obtain a similar piece of meat and what amounts to twenty per cent of its total value and return both the principal and interest to the priest.

Leviticus 22:15-16 Keil believes these verses form a conclusion to the immediately preceding verses, i.e. 10 through 14. We believe he presents a convincing argument. He says: In the concluding exhortation in Leviticus 22:15-16, the subject -to profane-' and -bear-' is indefinite, and the passage to be rendered thus: -They are not to profane the sanctified gifts of the children of Israel, what they heave for the Lord. (Namely, by letting laymen eat of them), and are to cause them (the laymen) who do this unawares to bear a trespass sin (by imposing the compensation mentioned in Leviticus 22:14), if they eat their (the priests-') sanctified gifts. Understood in this way, both verses furnish a fitting conclusion to the section of Leviticus 22:10-14. On the other hand, according to traditional interpretation of these verses, the priesthood is regarded as the subject of the first verb, and a negative supplied before the second. Both of these are arbitrary and quite indefensible, because Leviticus 22:10-14 do not refer to the priests, but to laymen.

FACT QUESTIONS 22:11-16

510.

The whole subject of slavery as described in the Bible should be studied by those who are serious about God's word as related to life. The INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA, p. 2815 would be a good place to begin.

511.

Provision and protection are made for the daughter whose marriage did not succeed. Discuss.

512.

Someone ate of the holy meat and did not know it. Who is at fault? What is to be done?

513.

Do you agree with Keil's use of Leviticus 22:15-16?