VERSE STUDY • KJV

Leviticus 21:16-23

¹⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁷ Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever [he be] of thy seed in their generations that hath [any] blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For whatsoever man [he be] that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, ¹⁹ Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, ²⁰ Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; ²¹ No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. ²² He shall eat the bread of his God, [both] of the most holy, and of the holy. ²³ Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁷ Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever [he be] of thy seed in their generations that hath [any] blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For whatsoever man [he be] that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, ¹⁹ Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, ²⁰ Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; ²¹ No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. ²² He shall eat the bread of his God, [both] of the most holy, and of the holy. ²³ Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹⁶ Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁷ “Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God. ¹⁸ No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; ¹⁹ no man who has a broken foot or hand, ²⁰ or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle. 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. ²² He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food, ²³ but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”

WEB World English Bible

¹⁶ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁷ “Say to Aaron, ‘None of your seed throughout their generations who has a blemish, may approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For whatever man he is that has a blemish, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity, ¹⁹ or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand, ²⁰ or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles; ²¹ no man of the seed of Aaron the priest who has a blemish, shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. ²² He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. ²³ He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a blemish; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’”

ASV American Standard Version

¹⁶ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁷ Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or anything superfluous, ¹⁹ or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, ²⁰ or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or is scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; ²¹ no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. ²² He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy: ²³ only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I am Jehovah who sanctifieth them.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹⁶ And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, ¹⁷ ‘Speak unto Aaron, saying, No man of thy seed to their generations in whom there is blemish doth draw near to bring near the bread of his God, ¹⁸ for no man in whom is blemish doth draw near—a man blind, or lame or dwarfed, or enlarged, ¹⁹ or a man in whom there is a breach in the foot, or a breach in the hand, ²⁰ or hump-backed, or a dwarf, or with a mixture in his eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled. ²¹ No man in whom is blemish (of the seed of Aaron the priest) doth come nigh to bring near the fire-offerings of Jehovah; blemish is in him; the bread of his God he doth not come nigh to bring near. ²² ‘Bread of his God—of the most holy things, and of the holy things—he doth eat; ²³ only, unto the vail he doth not enter, and unto the altar he doth not draw nigh; for blemish is in him; and he doth not pollute My sanctuaries; for I am Jehovah, sanctifying them.’

Surrounding context — Leviticus 21

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, [or] an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever [he be] of thy seed in their generations that hath [any] blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

18 For whatsoever man [he be] that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

22 He shall eat the bread of his God, [both] of the most holy, and of the holy.

23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

24 And Moses told [it] unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

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