Bible Strands
Leviticus 22:4
If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Moses and Aaron, establishing regulations for Aaron’s descendants as they prepare to approach the sacred offerings consecrated to the LORD.
The words — The text specifies צָר֙וּעַ֙ (tza.Ru.a'), meaning [is] having a serious skin disease, and זָ֔ב (Zav), meaning [is] discharging, as conditions that prohibit participation in holy rites.
The thread — This restriction on eating sacred offerings while unclean aligns with the defilement rules in Leviticus 11:39 regarding carcass contact and the discharge regulations in Leviticus 15:2 and 15:13 that mandate a seven-day cleansing period.
Why it lands — The text requires priests to abstain from sacred food until ritual cleansing is complete, drawing a clear line between physical impurity and access to consecrated provisions.
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.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
Cross-references
- Leviticus 11:39 If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening.
- Leviticus 15:2 “Say to the Israelites, ‘When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean.
- Leviticus 15:13 When the man has been cleansed from his discharge, he must count off seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe himself in fresh water, and he shall be clean.
- Leviticus 2:3 The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.
- Leviticus 2:10 But the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.
- Leviticus 6:25 “Tell Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, the sin offering shall be slaughtered before the LORD; it is most holy.
- Leviticus 11:24 These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
- Leviticus 13:2 “When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that may be an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.
- Leviticus 13:44 the man is diseased; he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean because of the infection on his head.
- Leviticus 14:1 Then the LORD said to Moses,