The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 358

priest allowed to fake part in mourning tho.t he shall not defile himself, being a ohie/ ('eremonics for her or not? It is thought by man among his people, to 'J,'Tofane himself, Eome tbnt her case is met by ver. 4, But refers to the kind of me.me.ge which the he shall not defile himaelf, being a ohief me.n priest is to mo.ke, but the interposition or e.mong his people, to profe.ne himself. 1'he vers. 5 and 6 forbid this explanation or Ji tC'ral translation of this verse is, He shall ver. 4. not be defiled, a lord (baal) among his people. Vera. 10-15.-The high priest, upon The word baal, or /,ord, is commonly used in whose heo.d the anointing oil was poured, the sense of husband. The clause, therefore, and tho.t is oonseoro.ted to put on the gar- may be understood to forbid the priest to ments, symbolizing in hie person tbe Holy mourn for his wife, being rendered, He shall One in a more speoie.l manner than the 7,of defile himsdf as an husband (i.e. for his other priests, he.a to aim so muoh the more 1oife) among his people. This, however, at symbolical holiness. He mo.y not, there- is something of a forced rendering. The fore, incur legal uncleanness by to.king po.rt words are better understood to mean, He shall in the funeral rites, even of his father or not defile himself as a master of a house among mother, not being permitted to absent him- lds people ; that is, he may not take po.rt in self from the so.nctuary, which he would the funeral rites of slo.ves or other members have to do if he ho.d thus ceremonially de- of the household, which ordinarily brought filed himself. Nor is it enough tho.t he defilement on the master of a house. Then should a.bate.in from ta.king e.n immoral or a is the priest forbidden to mourn for his divorced wife; he may only wed e. virgin and wife? This we can hardly believe, when of his own people, whereas the other priests he might mourn for fo.tber and mother, son might marry widows and the daughters of and daughter, brother and sister. Nor is it strangers dwelling among the Israelites. necessary to take this view. For the case In the ordinances for priests given in Ezek. of the wife is covered by the words. For his xliv., the ordinary priests, e.s well as the kin, that is near unto him, . . . he may be high priest, e.re forbidden to mo.rry widows, defiled. The wife, being so closely o.ttached unless they be the widows of priests (Ezek. to the husband, is not specifically named, :xliv. 22). because that was not necessary, but is Vera. 16-24.~Perfection of the body included nuder the expression, his kin, that being typical of perfection of the mind is near unto him, just as daughter, grand- and of the whole mo.n, and symbolical mother, niece, and wife's sister, are covered perfection being required of the priest of by the phrase, " near of kin," without being God, none may be admitted to the priest- specifically named in eh. xvili (see note on hood with bodily defects, or excrescences, eh. xviii. 18). Even when mourning is per- or grievous blemishes. The translation mitted, the priest is to use no excessive forrna dwarf, in ver. 20, is better than the mo.r- of it, still less any that have been used by gine.l rendering " too slender," or withered. idolaters. They shall not mo.ke be.ldneas upon Being the descendants of Ae.ron, these their head, neither shall they shave 011' the priests, blemished as they were, were to be corner of their beard (see eh. xix. 27), nor supported as the other priests were sup- make any outtings in their :lleeh (see eh. ported. He shall ee.t the bread of hia God, xix. 28). .And the reason why they are to botb of the most holy, and of the holy; that avoid ceremonial uncleanness in some co.sea, is, the priests' portions of the meat offerings and to act with sobriety and gravity in all, (chs. ii. 8, 10; vi. 17), of the sin offerings is that they e.re dedicated to God, to off'er (eh. vi. 29), of the trespass offerings ( eh. the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the vii. 1), of the shewbread (eh. xxiv. 9), which brea.d of their God; that is, the sacrifice& were most holy, and of the heave offerings, which e.re consumed by the fire of the e.ltar wave offerings, firstfruit offerings, firstlings, symbolizing the action of God (see note on and things devoted (Numb. xi. 11-19), eh. iii. 11). which were holy. They were also ap- Vers. 7-9.-Mora.l uncleanness or de- parently employed in the leas formal e.nd filement passes to the husband and fo.ther conspicuous duties of the priests, enoh aa from an immoral wife or daughter, and examining lepers, and any other functions therefore the priest is to be specially careful which did not bring them nigh unto the in the selection of his wife; and his a.lta.r. But tbey were not to profane God'• daughter, if she leads a licentious life, is to 1anotuarie1, by which is meo.nt tbe holy of be stoned to death, and then burnt with fire, holies, •• holy place, and the oourt in b8cause she profe.neth her father (of. 1 Sam. which the altar stood. To none or these is ii. 17). In a simile.r spirit, St. Paul gives the blemished priest to be admitted for the directions as to the families of those to whom purpose of ofllc1ating, though he might enter the miniBtry of the Spirit is assigned (1 Tim. the court and probably the holy plo.ce for iii. 11 ; Titus i. 6). Keil would unite other purposes, and might eat the offerings ver. 4 in sense with Tell!. 7-91 e.ni argues of the priests in the acoustomed place. OH, llL 1-24-,] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS.