Leviticus 21:5
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Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Holiness of the Priests, of the Holy Gifts, and of Sacrifices - Leviticus 21-22 The Sanctification of the Priests. - As the whole nation was to strive after sanctification in all the duties of life, on account of its calling as a nation of God, the priests, whom Jehovah had chosen out of the whole nation to be the custodians of His sanctuary, and had sanctified to that end, were above all to prove themselves the sanctified servants of the Lord in their domestic life and the duties of their calling. (1) They were not to defile themselves by touching the dead or by signs of mourning (Lev 21:1-6 and Lev 21:10-12); (2) they were to contract and maintain a spotless marriage (Lev 21:7-9 and Lev 21:13-15); and (3) those members of the priesthood who had any bodily failings were to keep away from the duties of the priests' office (Lev 21:16-24).
Open source ↗This chapter might borrow its title from Mal 2:1, "And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you." It is a law obliging priests with the utmost care and jealousy to preserve the dignity of their priesthood. I. The inferior priests are here charged both concerning their mourning and concerning their marriages and their children (Lev 21:1-9). II. The high priest is restrained more than any of them (Lev 21:10-15). III. Neither the one nor the other must have any blemish (Lev 21:16, etc.).
Open source ↗21:5 shave . . . trim: See study notes on 10:6; 19:27. • cut their bodies: See study note on 19:28. Self-mutilation was a pagan custom. Just as defects of any kind precluded most animals as offerings (22:19-25), a defect similarly precluded a priest from officiating (see 21:17-23). For example, a eunuch could not serve as a priest (Deut 23:1) because he was not an adequate representative of the people. However, his priestly lineage was recognized as qualifying him to eat his priestly share (see Lev 21:22). On the other hand, uncleanness disqualified any priest from ministry and from eating the priest’s share as long as the condition persisted (22:2-8).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.
“Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.
Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in mourning for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they will go from you into exile.
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.
Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.
I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.