Leviticus 22
12 Aug 2026 - Theology
Honoring God’s Name
The laws for the priests beginning in Leviticus 21 continue in the beginning of this chapter. The chapter opens with a warning not to profane God’s holy name:
Leviticus 22:2 - “and that they [the priests] profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the Lord.”
There were laws about who could eat the sacred gifts (KJV “holy things”) meant for the priests. Some donations had to be eaten by the priests in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle. Most could be taken home for the priests’ families.
The slave who belonged to a priest could also eat the sacred gifts, but not a worker doing chores for a priest. If a priest became unclean, he could not eat the sacred donations until he bathed and waited until evening to be clean again (6-7). If a non-priest accidentally ate some of the sacred donations, he or she had to pay back the amount of money the food would cost, adding a fifth more to the payment (14).
In verses 17 and 18, the audience shifts from just the priests to the priests and the rest of the people. The Lord commanded that every offering must be perfect to be accepted, and without blemish.
Leviticus 22:19-20 - “Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.”
Anything blind, broken, maimed, sick, or scabbed; anything bruised, crushed, or cut, and anything from a strangers hand that was offered was not acceptable. (22-25)
In verse 26, the audience shifts again. This time, the Lord speaks directly and only to Moses. While the rest of the audience isn’t explicitly named, the textual context clarifies that Moses must relay the laws to all the people.
Included here is a law that shows kindness toward animals:
Leviticus 22:27-28 - “When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam [meaning, with its mother]; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord. And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.”
And, just as the chapter opens, so it also closes, with a warning for all the people not to profane God’s holy name:
Leviticus 22:32 - “Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you,”
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)