Leviticus 21:20

_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,_ Any blemish. Since visible things exert a strong influence on the minds of men, any physical infirmity or malformation of body in the ministers of religion, which disturbs the associations or excites ridicule, tends to detract from the weight and authority of the sacred office. Priests labouring under any personal defect were not allowed to officiate in the public service: they might be employed in some inferior duties about the sanctuary, but could not perform any sacred office, (Maimonides, 'More Nevoch.,' ch. 45:) The holiness of the priests was external and relative, for inward impurities are not mentioned as disqualifying them for their office. In all these regulations for preserving the unsullied purity of the sacred character and office there was a typical reference to the priesthood of Christ (Hebrews 7:26)....

Verse Leviticus 21:20. _CROOKED-BACKED_] Hunch-backed or gibbous. A _dwarf_, דק dak, a person too _short_ or too _thin_, so as to be either particularly observable, or ridiculous in his appearance. _A BLEMISH IN HIS EYE_] A protuberance on the eye, observable spots or suffusions. _SCURVY, OR SCABBED_] A bad habit of body, evidenced by scorbutic or scrofulous affections. _STONES BROKEN_] Is ruptured; an infirmity which would render him incapable of fulfilling the duties of his office, which might be often very fatiguing. In the above list of blemishes we meet with some that might render the priest _contemptible_ in the eyes of men, and be the means of leading them, not only to despise the man, but to despise the _ministry_ itself; and we meet with o

He was not treated as an outcast, but enjoyed his privileges as a son of Aaron, except in regard to active duties. Leviticus 21:20 A DWARF - One who is small and wasted, either short, as in the text, or slender, as in the margin. It is hardly likely that dwarfishness would be overlooked in this enumeration. So most critical authorities. SCURRY OR SCABBED - These words most probably include all affected with any skin disease. Leviticus 21:22 See Leviticus 2:3 note; Leviticu

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:

OR CROOKBACKT,.... That has a protuberance, or bunch upon his back, one that we commonly call "hunchbacked"; the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it, "whose eyebrows lying cover his eyes;'' and so Jarchi, interprets it, the hair of whose eyebrows is long and lying; and so other Jewish writers understand it of some deformity about the eyes, the hair of the eyebrows being thick and heavy over them, and so hinder the sight, at least it makes the person not so sightly and graceful; it is said b, he that hath no eyebrows, or but one eyebrow, is the "Gibben" (the word here used) spoken of in the law, Leviticus 21:20: OR A DWARF; one of a small stature, as Aben Ezra, as generally hunchbacked persons are, and so unfit to attend the altar, being scarce able to reach up to it, and do the business of it, as well as must make a

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

LIST OF BODILY DEFECTS which prevent a priest from actually joining in the priestly rites, though he is still supported by the dues. The presence of a deformed or mutilated priest at the altar would destroy the holiness with which Yahweh has dowered it. Blemish in a priest, as in a victim, may have been regarded originally as the sign of the presence of a demon; but the æ sthetic repulsion is very deep-seated. Ritual mutilations were allowed and encouraged in other cults; _cf._ especially the worship of the Phrygian Cybele (Frazer's _Adonis_,_ Attis_,_ Osiris)._...

BLEMISH IN HIS EYE. defective vision, or cataract....

_Physical disqualifications for a priest_...

PRIESTS WITH BLEMISHES 21:16-24 TEXT 21:16-24 16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or anything superfluous, 19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, 20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or is scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; 21 no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. 22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy: 23 only he shall not go in unto the v...