Leviticus 21 Summary

The LORD instructs Moses to convey to the Aaronic priests specific laws governing ritual purity, forbidding them from defiling themselves for the dead except for their closest relatives, and prohibiting mourning rites such as shaving or cutting the flesh. Priests are also restricted in their choice of wife, being forbidden to marry a harlot, a profane woman, or a divorcée, while the high priest is held to a stricter standard still — he must not defile himself even for his own parents, must not uncover his head or rend his clothes, and may only marry a virgin of his own people. The LORD then addresses the matter of physical blemishes among Aaron's descendants, declaring that any priest with a bodily defect is barred from approaching the altar to offer sacrifices, though he may still eat of the holy portions. Moses faithfully relays all these commandments to Aaron, his sons, and all the children of Israel.