Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 21:17
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.
17 . throughout their generations ] See end of introd. note to ch. the bread of his God ] See on Lev 21:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. Whosoever – hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.] Never was a wiser, a more rational, and a more expedient law enacted relative to sacred matters. The man who ministers in holy things, who professes to be the interpreter of the will of God, should have nothing in his person nor in his manner which cannot contribute to render him respectable in the eyes of those to whom he ministers. If, on the contrary, he has any personal defect, any thing that may render him contemptible or despicable, his usefulness will be greatly injured, if not entirely prevented. If however a man have received any damage in the work of God, by persecution or otherwise, his scars are honourable, and will add to his respectability. But if he be received into the ministry with any of the blemishes specified here, he never will and never can have that respect which is essentially necessary to secure his usefulness. Let no man say this is a part of the Mosaic law, and we are not bound by it. It is an eternal law, founded on reason, propriety, common sense, and absolute necessity. The priest, the prophet, the Christian minister, is the representative of Jesus Christ; let nothing in his person, carriage, or doctrine, be unworthy of the personage he represents. A deformed person, though consummate in diplomatic wisdom, would never be employed as an ambassador by any enlightened court, if any fit person, unblemished, could possibly be procured.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whosoever he be of thy seed, whether the high priest or the inferior ones.
In their generations; in all successive ages, as long as your priesthood and policy endures.
Any blemish, i.e. any defect or excess of parts, any notorious deformity, or imperfection in his body. The reason hereof is partly typical, that he might more fully represent Christ, the great High Priest, who was typified both by the priest and sacrifice, and therefore both were to be without blemish; partly moral, to teach all Christians, and especially ministers of holy things, what purity and perfection of heart and life they should labour after, and that notorious blemishes in the mind or conversation render a man unfit for the ministry of the gospel; and partly prudential, because such blemishes were apt to breed contempt of the person, and consequently of his function, and of the holy things wherein he ministered. For which reason, some conceive, that still such persons as have notorious defects or deformities, which render them contemptible, are not fit for the ministry; which may be true in the general, except where there are eminent gifts and graces, which are sufficient to vindicate a man from the contemptibleness of his bodily presence. The particular defects here mentioned I shall not enlarge upon, because some of the Hebrew words are diversely interpreted, and because the use of these things being abolished, the knowledge of them is not very necessary.
The bread; either the shew-bread, one eminent part being named for the whole; or, the food, i.e. all the oblations. See Poole “Lev 21:6“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Speak unto Aaron, saying,…. Who being the high priest, it was incumbent on him, at least at this time, to see that the laws and rules relating to the priesthood were observed; and particularly to examine carefully who were and who were not to be admitted to serve in it:
whosoever [he be] of thy seed in their generations; or, “a man of thy seed” w, for this only respected his male seed, females of his seed had no concern in the following laws; but his sons, in all successive ages and generations, to the coming of the Messiah, had, whether high priests or common priests:
that hath [any] blemish; in any part of his body, particularly such as are after mentioned:
let him not approach to offer the bread of his God; neither go into the holy place, to set the shewbread in order there, nor to offer any sacrifice upon the altar; so Josephus x explains this law; that a priest should be perfect, and if he laboured under any defect, should not ascend the altar, nor enter into the temple: this was imitated by the Heathens: Romulus ordered that such as were weak and feeble in any part of the body should not be made priests y: the Jewish priests were types of Christ, who is holy, harmless, without spot and blemish; and through whose blood and righteousness all who are made priests by him are unblamable, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; and a Gospel minister, bishop, or pastor, ought to be unblemished in his life and conversation, Tit 1:6; and there are some who think that the blemishes of the mind and of the life are rather here meant than those of the body.
w “vir de semine tuo”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c. x Antiqu. l. 3. c. 12. sect. 2. y Pompon. Laet. de Sacerdot. c. 6. de Vestalibus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17. Speak unto Aaron, saying. Priests in whom there was any notable bodily defect are here forbidden from approaching the altar. I will not curiously inquire into the defects which Moses enumerates, since the same rule is here laid down, which is afterwards applied to the sacrifices, whereof none but perfect ones were to be offered. For God rejected whatever was defective or mutilated, in order that the Israelites might know that no victim would suffice for the expiation of sin, except such as possessed complete perfection; and this is justly required in a priest, who cannot be a mediator between God and men unless he is free from every spot. But the analogy must be kept in view between the external figures and the spiritual perfection which existed only in Christ. God could bear no defect in the priests; it follows, then, that a man of angelic purity was to be expected, who should reconcile God to the world. The bodily imperfections, then, which were here enumerated, must be transferred to the soul. The offering of bread comprehends by synecdoche the other offerings, and the whole legal service, which the priests were wont to perform in their course; and this the words of Moses immediately afterwards confirm, wherein he mentions all “the offerings made by fire,” besides the bread. We have seen elsewhere that any of the people wounded in the testicles were prohibited from entering the sanctuary; that they were, not even to set foot in the court; but there was a special reason for this as regarded the priests, lest they should pollute the sanctuary by their defects. Hence it appears how needful for us is the intercession of Christ; for, if his perfect cleanness did not wash away our impurity, no oblation could proceed from us except what would be foul and unsavory. Moreover, it is worthy of observation that the sanctuary of God is polluted by any defect or imperfection; and, consequently, that whatever of their own men obtrude upon God, is condemned as profane, so far are they from conciliating God’s favor by any merit.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) Whosoever he be of thy seed.Better, any man of thy seed throughout their generations; that is, any of the descendants, to all future times, who have not been disqualified for service in the sanctuary by their parents contracting illegal alliances, are yet to be subject to the following regulations.
To offer the bread of his God.That is, shall not officiate at the sacrifices. (See Lev. 21:6 –Lev. 3:2.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
PERSONAL DISABILITIES FOR THE PRIESTHOOD, Lev 21:17-24.
The arduous labours demanded of the priests required that they should be able-bodied men. Moreover, it was necessary that there should be a correspondence between the perfect physique of the priests and the unblemished victims offered to the perfect God. The incongruity of a blind man, a dwarf, or a cripple, figuring in the solemn and majestic ritual of the altar, would have exposed the service to ridicule. Since the service of the altar was minutely prescribed, neither genius nor high intellectual qualities were requisite, but an unblemished form with mind enough to follow the directions of the law. Thus it is found that ceremonial religions always repress genius, while those forms of religion which depend more upon the inculcation and intellectual and spiritual apprehension of the truth give scope to the development of mental power in the office of the prophet, the teacher, and the preacher.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 21:17. Speak unto Aaron, saying, &c. Still further to provide for the dignity of the priesthood, and especially to guard it from that contempt which bodily defects and blemishes are too apt to raise in the mind; it is here enjoined, that none of the family of Aaron should be admitted to this sacred office, with any such personal defects or blemishes. Any thing superfluous, in the next verse, is said by the Hebrew doctors to mean any inequality in those members which are pairs; as when one of a man’s eyes or legs was bigger than the other, dak, rendered dwarf, in the 20th verse, Dr. Beaumont observes, is, in general, that which is small, or thin; and, by the Hebrews, is referred to any imperfection in the eye; by others, to the small or thin stature of the body; as, to be a dwarf. There was a law similar so this among the ancient Romans, Sacerdos integer sit; that a priest should be entire in all his parts; which Seneca mentioning, Controv. Lev 4:2 explains by the example of Metellus, who, losing his eye, by venturing to snatch the palladium out of the flames, when the temple of Vesta was on fire, was denied the priesthood; for though he had done great service, whereby he had acquired high honour; yet their opinion was, that a priest who was defective in any member of his body, was to be avoided as a thing of an ill omen. There was a law too among the Athenians to the same purpose, as well as among many other of the heathens: Regulations, which, though probably made, because men are very apt to despise those who labour under bodily deformity; yet, in the divine law, doubtless, had a further and a moral import: we find that perfection was required as indispensable in all the sacrifices; see the next chapter, Lev 21:21-23, &c. in which was figured out not only the perfection of the Great Sacrifice, but the purity of mind expected in those who offered: so the high-priest and his brethren were not only required to be perfect, as types of our great High-Priest, and of the Christian priesthood, but as immediate ministers of God; of whom it is required, under every dispensation, that they should be distinguished by great purity of life; that their families should be well regulated; and that they should do and be nothing which might expose themselves and their religion to contempt.
Note; If natural defects disqualified men for the ancient priesthood, how much more should moral turpitude disqualify for the Gospel-ministry? A minister spiritually blind, or halting in his opinions, or perverse in his walk, or vicious in his temper, ought to be banished from God’s altar.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lev 21:17 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.
Ver. 17. That hath any blemish. ] Christ was without blemish: so should all the saints be, but especially ministers, of whom it should be said as of Absalom, that from top to toe there was no blemish in him. 2Sa 14:25
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
generations = posterity.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
blemish: Lev 22:20-25, 1Th 2:10, 1Ti 3:2, Heb 7:26
let him: Lev 21:21, Lev 10:3, Num 16:5, Psa 65:4
bread: or, food, Lev 3:11, Lev 3:16
Reciprocal: Deu 23:1 – wounded 2Ch 30:19 – though he be not Eze 44:7 – when Hos 9:4 – their bread
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 21:17. Of thy seed Whether the high-priest, or the inferior ones. That hath In all successive ages, any defect or excess of parts, any notorious deformity or imperfection in his body. The reason hereof is partly typical, that he might more fully represent Christ, the great High-Priest, who was typified both by the priest and sacrifice, and therefore both were to be without blemish; partly moral, to teach all Christians, and especially ministers of holy things, what purity and perfection of heart and life they should labour after, and that notorious blemishes in the mind or conversation render a man unfit for the ministry of the gospel; and partly prudential, because such blemishes were apt to breed contempt of the person; and consequently of his function, and of the holy things wherein he ministered. For which reason, such persons as have notorious defects or deformities, are still unfit for the ministry, except where there are eminent gifts and graces, which vindicate a man from the contemptibleness of his bodily presence.