Leviticus 22 Summary

The LORD instructs Moses to tell Aaron and his sons that any priest who is ceremonially unclean must not eat of the holy things consecrated by the Israelites, or he will be cut off from God's presence; various sources of uncleanness are enumerated, along with the conditions for restoration. Rules are then given regarding who may or may not eat of the holy things, including strangers, hired servants, a priest's married-away daughter, and one who eats holy food unwittingly (who must repay it with an added fifth). The LORD then addresses requirements for acceptable sacrifices, commanding that all burnt offerings, vow offerings, and freewill offerings be without blemish, listing specific defects that render an animal unacceptable, and noting that a newborn animal must remain with its mother seven days before it may be offered. The chapter closes with additional rules about thanksgiving offerings and a call to obey all these commandments so that God's holy name is not profaned, grounding the commands in the LORD's identity as the one who brought Israel out of Egypt.