Bible Strands
Leviticus 6:18
Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the food offerings to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will become holy.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD speaks to Moses, delivering regulations for the grain offering during the ongoing priestly consecration rites. This instruction establishes the permanent distribution of the offering’s portion to the Aaronic line.
The words — The text specifies חָק עוֹלָם (chok olam), literally a prescribed portion in perpetuity, defining the priestly allotment as a statutory entitlement. It also uses זָכָר (zakar), meaning male, to restrict consumption to adult men of Aaron’s descendants.
The thread — This allocation pattern recurs in Leviticus 6:29 and Numbers 18:10, where the same restriction to male priests is reiterated for most holy offerings. The principle of consecration through contact also echoes Exodus 29:37 regarding the altar’s sanctification.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that access to sacred provisions is strictly limited by lineage and gender, and that physical proximity to holy food transfers a state of consecration. It demands strict adherence to the prescribed boundaries without assuming universal access.
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
All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 6:29 Any male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy.
- Numbers 18:10 You are to eat it as a most holy offering, and every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy.
- Exodus 29:37 For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will become most holy; whatever touches the altar will be holy.
- Leviticus 3:17 This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
- Leviticus 6:27 Anything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place.
- Leviticus 21:21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the food offerings to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.
- Leviticus 22:3 Tell them that for the generations to come, if any of their descendants in a state of uncleanness approaches the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD.
- Haggai 2:12 If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’” “No,” replied the priests.
- Zechariah 14:20 On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling bowls before the altar.
- 1 Peter 1:16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”