Mourning Rules for Priests
Study note
Ordinary priests were only allowed to become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body for their closest relatives: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or unmarried sister. They were not to shave their heads, trim the edges of their beards, or cut their bodies as part of mourning. These were pagan mourning practices. The priests had to remain holy because they handled the sacred offerings and represented God's holiness to the people.
1 The Lord told Moses, "Give these rules to the priests, Aaron's sons. A priest must not make himself unclean by touching a dead body." And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
2 "unless it is a close family member: his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother." 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,
3 "He may become unclean for an unmarried sister. She has no husband to care for her. She depends on him." And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
4 "A priest must not make himself unclean in ways that would dishonor his role among his people." But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
5 "Priests must not shave any part of their heads bald, trim the edges of their beards, or slash their skin as mourning rituals." They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 "They must live as holy people dedicated to their God and must not bring dishonor to God's name. Since they are the ones who present the Lord's fire offerings -- the food of their God -- they must be holy." They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
Marriage Rules for Priests
Study note
A priest could not marry a woman who had been a prostitute, had been dishonored, or had been divorced. The priest's family life had to reflect the holiness of his calling. If a priest's daughter became a prostitute, she was to be burned with fire because her behavior brought shame on her father's sacred position.
7 "A priest must not marry a woman who has been a prostitute or who has been dishonored. He must not marry a divorced woman either, because priests are set apart as holy to their God." They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
8 "Regard the priests as holy, because they are the ones who present food offerings to your God. Consider them sacred, because I the Lord am holy -- and I am the one who makes you holy." Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.
9 "If a priest's daughter disgraces herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father. She must be burned with fire." And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Special Rules for the High Priest
Study note
The high priest had even stricter rules. He could not let his hair hang loose or tear his clothes in mourning. He could not go near any dead body at all, not even for his own mother or father. He could not leave the Tabernacle for mourning. He could only marry a virgin from his own people, not a widow, divorced woman, or foreigner. These strict requirements ensured that the high priest's focus remained entirely on his sacred duties.
10 "The high priest is the one who had the anointing oil poured on his head. He was put in charge and dressed in the priestly clothing. He must never let his hair hang loose. He must never tear his clothes to show grief." And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
11 "He must not go near any dead body at all. He must not make himself unclean even for his own father or mother." Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
12 "He must not leave the sacred area or treat God's sanctuary with disrespect, because he has been set apart by his God's anointing oil. I am the Lord." Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
13 "The woman the high priest marries must be a virgin." And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 "He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, a dishonored woman, or a prostitute. He may only marry a virgin from his own people." A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
15 "He must not do anything that would bring dishonor on his children among his people. I am the Lord, the one who makes him holy." Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.
Physical Requirements for Priests
Study note
A descendant of Aaron who had any physical defect was not allowed to approach the altar to offer sacrifices. This included blindness, lameness, facial disfigurement, or other conditions. However, these men could still eat the sacred food that was the priests' share. They were not rejected from the priesthood entirely. These rules were not about the value of the person but about the symbolic perfection required in the sacrificial system, which pointed to the perfect sacrifice that would come later.
16 Then the Lord gave Moses these instructions: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 "Tell Aaron this. In every age to come, your children with a body flaw must stay back. They must not come near the altar. They must not present food gifts to God." Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 "No man with any physical defect may come near: no one who is blind, lame, disfigured, or has a deformed body," 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 any thing superfluous,
19 "no one with a crippled foot or a crippled hand," Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
20 "no one who has a hunched back or is very short, no one with a bad eye, a skin disease, or a damaged body." Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
21 "No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a physical defect may step forward to present the Lord's fire offerings. Because of his defect, he must not approach to offer God's food." No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
22 "He is still allowed to eat the food of his God, both the most sacred portions and the regular sacred portions." He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
23 "But because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. He must not treat my sacred places with disrespect. I am the Lord, the one who makes them holy." Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
24 Moses told all of this to Aaron, his sons, and all the people of Israel. And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.