Leviticus 21:2

_BUT FOR HIS KIN, THAT IS NEAR UNTO HIM, THAT IS, FOR HIS MOTHER, AND FOR HIS FATHER, AND FOR HIS SON, AND FOR HIS DAUGHTER, AND FOR HIS BROTHER,_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

PART III. SECTION IV. THE UNCLEANNESS AND DISQUALIFICATION OF PRIESTS. EXPOSITION The two remaining chapters of this division of the book (Leviticus 21:1, Leviticus 22:1) deal with the ease of defilements attaching to the priesthood, over and above those which affect other men, whether ceremonial (Leviticus 21:1, Leviticus 21:10-3; Leviticus 22:

BUT FOR HIS KIN THAT IS NEAR UNTO HIM,.... For such he might be defiled and mourn, or be where they were, and take care of, and attend their funerals: this clause some take to be general, of which the particulars follow, as Aben Ezra; but others take it to be the first particular excepted, and instanced in, and intends his wife; for it may be rendered, as by some, "for his flesh", or "the rest of him" p, the other part of himself, his wife, which is his other self, and one flesh with him; and so Jarchi and others observe, there is no flesh of his, but his wife; and if she is not intended here, she is not expressed elsewhere, though must be supposed, because it is allowed the priest to defile himself for other relations not so near; and it is plain from the case of Ezekiel, that a priest might mourn for his wife, Ezekiel 24:15; he being forbid it, shows his case to be an extrao

4. LAWS FOR THE PRIESTS CHAPTER 21 _ 1. Laws concerning the person of the priests (Leviticus 21:1)_ 2. Laws concerning their family (Leviticus 21:7) 3. Laws concerning the high priest (Leviticus 21:10) 4. Concerning blemishes (Leviticus 21:16) We come now to the special laws and precepts for the priestly class among the people. The preceding laws concerned the nation as such. The requirements of the priests are the highest in the entire book of Leviticus. Responsibility is always according to relationship. The priests, as we have seen before, typify the church. The grace

RESTRICTIONS FOR THE PRIESTS. To approach a corpse was to suffer defilement (_cf._ Numbers 5:2 * Numbers 19*, Tob_2:8 ff., Sir_34:25); this is, therefore, forbidden to the priest, except in the case of the nearest relations; Ezekiel (Ezekiel 44:26) prescribes a period of seven days-' cleansing even in this latter case. The mourning is looked upon as something needed by the dead or due to their memory; a married sister would ordinarily be mourned by her husband this is probably the meaning of the original text of Leviticus 21:4; if his sister were a widow, the priest might act in place of her husband. Similar restrictions are common elsewhere for priests, as also are the prohibitions of the outward signs of mourning. A

KIN. flesh....

The defilement prohibited in Leviticus 21:1 is allowed for certain near relations....

HOLINESS ON THE PART OF PRIESTS, AND HOLINESS OF THE OFFERINGS 21:122:33 AVOIDANCE OF CONTACT WITH A DEAD BODY 21:1-4 TEXT 21:1-4 1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people; 2 except for his kin, that is near unto him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother. 3 and for his sister a virgin, that is near unto him, that hath had no husband; for her may he defile himself. 4 He shall not defile himself, _being_ a chief man among his people, to profane himself. THOUGHT QUESTIONS 21:1-4 470. What purpose is served by giving regulations concerning the preparation of the dead for burial? 471. What particular distraction would interfere with the priest's duties? 472. Is there anything more than ceremonial defilement

21:2 relation, (d-5) Lit. 'his own flesh.'...

LAWS RELATING TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND SACRIFICE The principle laid down in this and the following chapter is the far reaching one, that whatever comes near or is presented to God must be perfect of its kind: see on Exodus 12:5. Priests, therefore, must be free from physical defects or ceremonial impurity, and sacrifices must be without blemish. That this section is put together from different sources is shown by the interchange of the singular and plural and. of the second and third persons (cp. e.g. Leviticus 21:4; Leviticus 21:8) by the introduction of fresh headings (Leviticus 21:1;...