Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 21:23
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.
23. my sanctuaries ] The plural may have reference to the sacred building and its surroundings, as in Jer 51:51.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 23. He shall not go in unto the veil] The priest with a blemish was not permitted to enter into the holy of holies, nor to burn incense, nor to offer the shew-bread, nor to light the golden candlestick, c. In short, he was not permitted to perform any essential function of the priesthood.
1. THE great perfection required in the Jewish high priest was intended principally to point out the perfection of that priesthood of which the Jewish was only the type. And yet, as the apostle assures us, that law made nothing perfect, but pointed out that most perfect priesthood and sacrifice by which we draw near to God.
2. As none who had a blemish could enter into the holy of holies, and this holy of holies was a type of the kingdom of God, so nothing that is defiled can enter into heaven for he gave himself for his Church that he might purify it to himself, and present it at last before the presence of the Divine glory having neither spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing, Eph 5:27; a passage which evidently refers to the directions in the preceding verse. Reader, art thou become a king and priest unto God and the Lamb? and hast thou obtained, or art thou earnestly seeking, that holiness without which thou canst not see the kingdom of heaven?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In unto the veil i.e. to the second veil, which was between the holy and the most holy place, Exo 26:13,36, to burn incense, to order the shew-bread, and to dress the lamps, which were nigh unto that veil, though without.
Nor come nigh unto the altar, i.e. the altar of burnt-offering, which was without the sanctuary. The sense is, He shall not execute the priests office, which was to be done in those two places. My sanctuary, Heb. my sanctuaries, in the plural number, as it is also Lev 26:31; Jer 51:51; Eze 28:18; for though the sanctuary was but one, yet there were divers parts, to wit, the court, the holy place, and the most holy, each of which was in a large sense a sanctuary, or a holy place set apart for Gods worship.
I the Lord do sanctify them, i.e. do set them apart for high and holy uses, to manifest my presence and grace, and to receive my worship and service in them. And therefore I will not have them polluted or disparaged by the admission of defiled or deformed priests to minister therein.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Only he shall not go in unto the vail,…. So far as to the vail, which divided between the holy and the holy of holies; that is, he shall not go into the holy place which was before the vail; not to set the shewbread upon the table there, nor to light and him the lamps in the candlestick, nor to offer incense on the altar of incense, which stood in it: some render it “within the vail” h, where only the high priest might enter once a year; but if he had any blemish on him he might not, nor might such an one be an high priest; Aben Ezra seems to have some respect to this in his note,
“to the vail he shall not come, that he may be an high priest:”
nor come nigh unto the altar; as not to the altar of incense in the holy place, so neither to the altar of burnt offering in the court of the tabernacle, that is, so as to officiate there: but though they might not be employed in such sacred service, the Jews in later times have found business for them to employ them in, and that was worming the wood, or searching the wood for worms, which was used in the burning of the sacrifices; for we are told i, that at the northeast corner (of the court of the women) was the wood room, where the priests that had blemishes wormed the wood; and whatsoever wood in which a worm was found, was rejected from being laid upon the altar: the reason why he might not go into either place before mentioned is repeated,
because he hath a blemish; either fixed or transient; one of those particularly expressed, or any other; for the Jews suppose there are others implied besides those expressed, which disqualified for service:
that he profane not my sanctuaries; if an high priest, the holy of holies, if a common priest, the holy place, and the court of the tabernacle:
for I the Lord do sanctify them; the vail, to which blemished priests might not go: and the altar, to which they might not come nigh: or rather, the sanctuaries or holy places, where they might not officiate, which God had separated and devoted for sacred uses, and were not to be defiled by any; though Ben Gersom observes, that this has no respect to the sanctuary, for if it had it would have been said, “I am the Lord, that sanctify it”; but since a plural word is used before, I see not but that with great propriety it is expressed, and with reference thereunto, “sanctify them”; which he would have understood of holy things, but what he means is not easy to say, unless the holy things such persons might eat of, Le 21:22, which is fetched.
h “intra velum”, V. L. i Misn. Middot, c. 2. sect. 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(23) Only he shall not go in unto the vail.That is, into the holy place which was before the vail.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 21:23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
Ver. 23. For I the Lord do sanctify them. ] By my presence, and services there performed.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
go in: Exo 30:6-8, Exo 40:26, Exo 40:27, Eze 44:9-14
profane: Lev 21:12, Lev 15:31
for I the Lord: Lev 21:8
Reciprocal: Exo 19:6 – and an 2Ch 31:16 – his daily Eze 20:12 – I am Mat 27:51 – the veil Heb 10:20 – through
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 21:23. To the veil To the second veil, which was between the holy and the most holy place, to burn incense, to order the show-bread, and to dress the lamps, which were nigh unto that veil, though without. My altar The altar of burnt-offering, which was without the sanctuary. The sense is, he shall not execute the priests office, which was to be done in those two places.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21:23 Only he shall not go in unto the {s} vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
(s) Into the sanctuary.