Leviticus 21:19

Study note

Setting — God instructs the priestly line through Moses regarding the physical qualifications required for altar service.

The words — שֶׁבֶר (She.ver) translates literally to "a fracture" or "broken bone," appearing twice in the verse to specify a broken foot or hand.

The thread — This clause continues the physical restrictions begun in Leviticus 21:18 and resumes the list in Leviticus 21:20, maintaining a single categorical boundary.

Why it lands — The text explicitly bars any priest with a broken limb from approaching the altar, establishing a concrete physical standard for service.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.