서론
无标题
英文原文
This chapter might borrow its title from Mal 2:1, "And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you." It is a law obliging priests with the utmost care and jealousy to preserve the dignity of their priesthood. I. The inferior priests are here charged both concerning their mourning and concerning their marriages and their children, Le 21:1-9. II. The high priest is restrained more than any of them, Le 21:10-15. III. Neither the one nor the other must have any blemish, Le 21:16-24, etc.
1-24
Laws Concerning the Priests (1490 BC)
论祭司的律法（主前1490年）
¹ 耶和华对摩西说：你要告诉亚伦子孙作祭司的，对他们说：祭司不可为民中的死人沾染自己；
² 但至亲除外，就是为他的母亲、为他的父亲、为他的儿子、为他的女儿、为他的弟兄，
³ 以及未出嫁、与他亲近的姐妹；为她他可以沾染自己。
⁴ 但祭司既在民中为首，就不可亵渎自己，自甘污秽。
⁵ 不可使头光秃，不可剃去胡须的周边，也不可在身上割划。
⁶ 要归他们的神为圣，不可亵渎他们神的名；因为他们献耶和华的火祭、作他们神的饼，所以他们要圣洁。
⁷ 不可娶作妓女的、或被玷污的妇人为妻，也不可娶被丈夫休了的妇人为妻；因为他在他神面前是圣洁的。
⁸ 所以你要以他为圣，因为他献你神的饼；他在你眼中要为圣：因为我使你们成圣的耶和华是圣洁的。
⁹ 祭司的女儿若行淫辱没自己，就是辱没她的父亲：必要用火将她焚烧。
先前已经指定，祭司当将神所赐关于洁净与不洁净之分别的律例教训百姓（利10:10,11）。如今这里规定，他们自己也当遵行所要教训百姓的。注意，以教导为职分的人，当以榜样和教训并行（提前4:12）。祭司比任何百姓更亲近神，与圣物更密切相交，所以对他们所要求的，是比别人更要远离一切能玷污人、有损祭司尊荣的事。
I. 他们当谨慎，不可在为死人哀哭的事上贬损自己。凡为死人哀哭的，都当就近尸体，即便不触摸它：犹太人说："走近尸体六尺之内，就使人在礼仪上不洁"；不，经上明说（民19:14），凡进入停放尸体之帐棚的，必不洁七天。所以凡参加丧礼的哀哭者，都难免沾染不洁，以致七日之内不能进入圣所：因此律法规定，1. 祭司不可使自己陷入这种不能进入圣所的境地，除非是为至近的亲属（利21:1-3）。祭司可以为父母、为儿女、为兄弟、为未出嫁的姐妹如此行，所以无疑（虽未明说）也可以为他怀中的妻子如此行；因为以西结作为祭司，若非特别被禁止，本会为妻子哀哭（结24:17）。这一特许是神对天然亲情的尊重，惠允祂的仆人在为至亲死亡而悲伤时，七日之内可免于事奉；但过了这期限，哭泣不可耽误播种，他们对亲人的情也不可妨碍圣所的事奉。除此之外，绝不允许为任何其他人如此行，即便是为民中的首领，如有人所读的（利21:4）。他们不可沾染自己，连为大祭司本人也不可，除非有此亲属关系。虽然有一朋友比弟兄更亲密，但祭司不可对他最好的朋友表示这等敬意，除非他是亲属，免得对一人既允许，旁人也如此期望，他们就屡屡因此被引离本职；这里也暗示，对如此至亲的人，当保留一份特别的亲情；当这样的人被死亡除去时，我们当为之感动，铭记于心，视之为死亡逼近我们自身的预兆，是叫我们预备跟随的警钟。2. 他们在表达哀恸时不可放纵，即便为至亲也不可（利21:5）。他们的哀恸不可（1.）出于迷信，效法异教的风俗——他们剪去头发、放出鲜血，为尊荣那（如他们所想）掌管死者聚会的假神，好求这些神祇对他们亡故的亲友施恩。即便古时丧礼中所行的迷信仪式，也表明了古人对灵魂不灭、并在分离状态中存在的古老信仰；虽然这些仪式本身因献给假神而为神的律法所禁，但天然所教导的、律法所允许对亡者遗骸当尽的合宜敬意，表明我们不可把他们看作已经丧失。他们的哀恸也不可（2.）失控或过度。注意，神的仆人当在受苦时——尤其是触到极柔嫩之处、即近亲死亡之时——作众人忍耐的榜样。他们理当比别人更明白不要像那些没有指望的人那样忧伤（帖前4:13）的理由，所以他们当格外地平静安稳，好叫他们能用以自己蒙神安慰的同样安慰去安慰别人。百姓已被禁止以迷信仪式为死人哀哭（利19:27,28），对他们不合法的事，对祭司就更不合法。这里给出他们为何当特别谨慎不沾染自己的理由（利21:6）：因为他们献他们神的饼，就是耶和华的火祭，那是神家、神桌上的供应。他们既蒙大尊荣，就不可作自己情欲的奴仆来玷污这尊荣；他们既不断从事圣事奉，就不可被引离、也不可变得不适于所蒙召的事奉。他们若污秽自己，就是亵渎他们所事奉之耶和华的名：仆人若粗鲁无礼，就是对主人的羞辱，仿佛他持家散漫失序。注意，凡献上或吃我们神之饼的人，都当在一切品行上圣洁，否则就是亵渎他们声称要分别为圣的那名。
II. 他们在婚姻上不可有失身份（利21:7）。祭司不可娶名声败坏的妇人为妻，无论是确已犯了不洁之罪的，还是被怀疑犯过这罪的。他不仅不可娶妓女——即便她已为从前的淫乱深痛悔改——他也不可娶"被玷污"的人，即举止轻浮、行为不端的女人。不仅如此，他也不可娶被休的妇人，因为既被休，就有理由认为是因某种过失而休的。禁止祭司这样贬损自己的婚姻——这些婚姻对别人是允许的——是为了：1. 免得当下就给自己的职事带来羞辱，使不敬虔之人更加刚硬，使敬畏之人的心忧伤：新约对牧者之妻也有要求（提前3:11），当端庄、自守，使职事不被毁谤。2. 免得将羞辱延及子孙；因为祭司的职分和尊荣要作为产业传给后代。不设法为后代谋益的人，就是没有尽到当尽的责任，要留心娶名誉良好、品格端正的人。凡愿寻求敬虔的后裔（如玛2:15所说）的，必先寻求敬虔的妻子，当心血统的败坏。这里还加上（利21:8）：你要以他为圣，他在你眼中要为圣。"不仅你，摩西啊，要留心使这些律法得遵守；而且你，以色列啊，当尽一切可能维护祭司职分的声誉，而祭司自己也不可作任何使之失名丧荣的事。他在他神面前为圣（利21:7），所以他在你眼中要为圣。"注意，我们当尊重神所尊重的人。按此法则，福音的使者当因他们所作的工，用爱心格外尊重他们（帖前5:13），每一个基督徒都当看自己是维护他们尊荣的守护者。
III. 他们的儿女当惧怕作任何使父母蒙羞的事（利21:9）：祭司的女儿若行淫，她的罪就大；她不仅玷污自己，更是辱没自己：别的妇人没有她所要丧失的那等尊荣——她既是祭司家中的人，曾吃圣物，又是被认为受了比别人更好教养的人。不仅如此，她辱没她的父亲；他便受连累，众人都要问："他为什么不更好地教导她呢？"锡安中的罪人也要讥诮说："看哪，这就是你们祭司的女儿。"她的刑罚因此也当与众不同：必要用火将她焚烧，叫一切祭司的女儿都惧怕。注意，牧者的儿女比众人更当谨慎不作任何招致丑闻的事，因为在他们身上这丑闻是双重的，也必被那名为嫉妒者的按此加倍追讨。
¹⁰ 在他弟兄中作大祭司的，头上倒了膏油、又受圣职穿戴圣衣的，不可蓬头散发，也不可撕裂衣服；
¹¹ 不可挨近死尸，也不可为父母沾染自己；
¹² 不可出圣所，也不可亵渎他神的圣所；因为他神膏油的冠冕在他身上：我是耶和华。
¹³ 他要娶处女为妻。
¹⁴ 寡妇、被休的妇人、被玷污的或妓女，他不可娶；只可娶本民中的处女为妻。
¹⁵ 也不可在民中辱没他的后裔；因为我耶和华是使他为圣的。
对祭司所期望的多于对常人所期望的，对大祭司所期望的又多于对一般祭司所期望的，因为在他头上倒了膏油，又受圣职穿戴圣衣（利21:10）——这两样都预表主耶稣受圣灵一切恩赐恩典之膏抹装扮，祂所领受的是没有限量的。这被称为他神膏油的冠冕（利21:12）；因为圣灵的膏抹对一切得着的人，都是荣耀的冠冕、华美的冕旒。大祭司既如此尊贵，
I. 他绝不可为死人沾染自己，连为至亲——他的父亲或他的母亲——也不可，更遑论儿女或兄弟（利21:11）。1. 他在那些场合不可使用寻常表达悲伤的方式，如蓬头散发、撕裂衣服（利21:10），他当在这今生一切顺逆之中显出完全超然的态度：连他的天然亲情也当被吞没在对无知之人的怜悯、对他们软弱感同身受、以及对他受命管理的神之家的柔细关切之中。他既是受托乌陵和土明的圣者，就当不认父母（申33:8,9）。2. 他不可挨近任何死尸（利21:11）。若是一般祭司沾染了礼仪上的不洁，还有别的祭司可以代职；但大祭司若不洁，缺了他就更严重。禁止他去往任何丧家、参加任何丧礼，也是向百姓显明他所升任之尊位的崇高。我们的主耶稣——我们信仰的大祭司——摸了睚鲁女儿的死尸、寡妇独子的抬床、拉撒路的坟墓，为要表明祂来是要改变死亡的性质，要借着败坏死亡的权势来除去它的恐怖。如今死亡既不能毁灭，也就不能玷污。3. 他不可出圣所（利21:12）；即每当他在圣所中事奉或供职——他通常整日在自己的居所中——就不可为任何缘故出去，也不可缩短对永生神的事奉，即便是为垂危的亲属尽最后的礼节也不可。在他本分所在的圣所，因这种缘故离开，就是亵渎圣所；因为他如此行，就是把别的事置于神的事奉和他职分的本务之上，而他本当使万事都为此让路。这样，我们的主耶稣不肯停止讲道去与母亲和弟兄说话（太12:48）。
II. 他不可娶寡妇（其他祭司可以），更不可娶被休的妇人和妓女（利21:13,14）。这样规定，是为在这事上把他与别的祭司分别出来；并且（如有人提出）使他作为基督的预表——教会将被献给基督作贞洁的童女（林后11:2）。见结44:22。基督当得我们的初恋、我们的纯爱、我们的全爱；因此童女都爱慕你（歌1:3），唯独这样的人配跟随羔羊（启14:4）。
III. 他不可在民中辱没自己的后裔（利21:15）。有人将其理解为禁止他与身份低微的人通婚，那会使他的家族蒙羞。耶何耶大诚然在自己支派中婚娶，但那是娶入王室（代下22:11）。这不是要教导他骄傲，而是要教导他纯洁，不作任何与他职分和他所称呼的至尊之名不相称的事。或者，这也是对他处置儿女的警戒：他不可因婚配不当而辱没自己的后裔。牧者的儿女若与不信的人同负一轭，就是被辱没了。
¹⁶ 耶和华对摩西说：
¹⁷ 你告诉亚伦说：你世世代代的后裔中，凡有任何残疾的，不可近前来献他神的饼。
¹⁸ 因为凡有残疾的人，都不可近前来：瞎眼的、瘸腿的、塌鼻子的、肢体有余的，
¹⁹ 或折脚折手的，
²⁰ 或驼背、矮矬、眼睛有斑疾、长癣、长疥、或是损坏肾子的，
²¹ 祭司亚伦的后裔中，凡有残疾的，都不可近前来献耶和华的火祭：他有残疾；不可近前来献他神的饼。
²² 神的饼，无论是至圣的、是圣的，他都可以吃。
²³ 但不可进到幔子前，也不可就近坛前，因为他有残疾；免得他亵渎我的圣所：因为我耶和华是使他们分别为圣的。
²⁴ 于是摩西把这话告诉亚伦和他的儿子，并一切以色列人。
祭司职分既限于一个特定的家族，又作为产业传给那家族中历代一切男丁，在后世极有可能有些人生来就是祭司，却带有天然的残疾和畸形：祭司的尊荣并不能使他们免于人所共有的那些灾祸。这里列举了多种残疾；有些通常是终生的，如瞎眼；有些可能是暂时的，如癣、疥，待病愈之后，残废便止。如今，
I. 关于有残疾之祭司的律法是，1. 他们可以靠坛而活（利21:22）：他可以与其他祭司同吃祭物，甚至至圣之物，如陈设饼和赎罪祭，以及圣物，如十分之一、初熟之物和祭司当得的平安祭份。这些残疾是他们无能为力的，所以他们虽不能事奉，却不可挨饿。注意，不可因人的天然软弱而苛待他们。即便是家中残疾的孩子，也当得他作为孩子的一份。2. 但他们不可在坛前事奉，两个坛都不可，也不可被准入协助其他祭司献祭或烧香（利21:17,21,23）。伟人喜以仪表堂堂的仆人相随，大神在当时既愿意以外在的荣光彰显自己的荣耀，祂的殿中理当有这样的仆人。但挑选相貌端正之人从事圣事奉，尤其为百姓的缘故是必要的，因为百姓易于凭外貌判断，若事奉者形容卑陋或动作笨拙，他们就看轻这事奉，无论这事奉因神的设立多么尊荣。神如此安排，为要维护祂祭坛的声誉，使之不至于在任何时候被人轻看。圣所的体面要求：凡天然或意外而容貌残毁的人，都不可在那里供职。
II. 在福音之下，1. 那些身患这等残疾的人，当感谢神——他们并未因此被拒于向神献上属灵祭物之外；若其他方面合格，也未被拒于传道职分之外。有许多健康美丽的灵魂，正住在残破畸形的身体之中。然而，2. 我们当由此推论：那些心思被任何辖制之恶习所玷污、所毁坏的人，是何等不能蒙悦纳地事奉神。那些在属灵上瞎眼、瘸腿、歪曲的人，他们的罪使他们成为可耻、可憎的人，以至主的祭物因他们的缘故被厌恶——这样的人不配称为基督徒，不配担任牧职。何弗尼和非尼哈的畸形，比这里所提的任何残疾都更严重。所以，凡公然行恶的，当作为污秽之人被逐出祭司职分；愿一切被我们神立为属灵祭司的人，在祂面前圣洁无瑕疵，并以这话自勉：虽然在今生这不完全的状态中，他们有神儿女之斑点，但不久他们必在神的宝座前显现，毫无斑点、皱纹等类的病。
英文原文
Laws Concerning the Priests (1490 BC)
¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
² But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
³ And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
⁴ But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
⁵ They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
⁶ They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
⁷ They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
⁸ Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.
⁹ And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
It was before appointed that the priests should teach the people the statutes God had given concerning the difference between clean and unclean, Le 10:10,11. Now here it is provided that they should themselves observe what they were to teach the people. Note, Those whose office it is to instruct must do it by example as well as precept, 1Ti 4:12. The priests were to draw nearer to God than any of the people, and to be more intimately conversant with sacred things, and therefore it was required of them that they should keep at a greater distance than others from every thing that was defiling and might diminish the honour of their priesthood.
I. They must take care not to disparage themselves in their mourning for the dead. All that mourned for the dead were supposed to come near the body, if not to touch it: and the Jews say, "It made a man ceremonially unclean to come within six feet of a dead corpse;" nay, it is declared (Nu 19:14) that all who come into the tent where the dead body lies shall be unclean seven days. Therefore all the mourners that attended the funeral could not but defile themselves, so as not to be fit to come into the sanctuary for seven days: for this reason it is ordered, 1. That the priests should never put themselves under this incapacity of coming into the sanctuary, unless it were for one of their nearest relations, Le 21:1-3. A priest was permitted to do it for a parent or a child, for a brother or an unmarried sister, and therefore, no doubt (though this is not mentioned) for the wife of his bosom; for Ezekiel, a priest, would have mourned for his wife if he had not been particularly prohibited, Eze 24:17. By this allowance God put an honour upon natural affection, and favoured it so far as to dispense with the attendance of his servants for seven days, while they indulged themselves in their sorrow for the death of their dear relations; but, beyond this period, weeping must not hinder sowing, nor their affection to their relations take them off from the service of the sanctuary. Nor was it at all allowed for the death of any other, no, not of a chief man among the people, as some read it, Le 21:4. They must not defile themselves, no, nor for the high priest himself, unless thus akin to them. Though there is a friend that is nearer than a brother, yet the priests must not pay this respect to the best friend they had, except he were a relation, lest, if it were allowed for one, others should expect it, and so they should be frequently taken off from their work: and it is hereby intimated that there is a particular affection to be reserved for those that are thus near akin to us; and, when any such are removed by death, we ought to be affected with it, and lay it to heart, as the near approach of death to ourselves, and an alarm to us to prepare to follow. 2. That they must not be extravagant in the expressions of their mourning, no, not for their dearest relations, Le 21:5. Their mourning must not be either, (1.) Superstitious, according to the manner of the heathen, who cut off their hair, and let out their blood, in honour of the imaginary deities which presided (as they thought) in the congregation of the dead, that they might engage them to be propitious to their departed friends. Even the superstitious rites used of old at funerals are an indication of the ancient belief of the immortality of the soul, and its existence in a separate state: and though the rites themselves were forbidden by the divine law, because they were performed to false gods, yet the decent respect which nature teaches and which the law allows to be paid to the remains of our deceased friends, shows that we are not to look upon them as lost. Nor, (2.) Must it be passionate or immoderate. Note, God's ministers must be examples to others of patience under affliction, particularly that which touches in a very tender part, the death of their near relations. They are supposed to know more than others of the reasons why we must not sorrow as those that have no hope (1Th 4:13), and therefore they ought to be eminently calm and composed, that they may be able to comfort others with the same comforts wherewith they are themselves comforted of God. The people were forbidden to mourn for the dead with superstitious rites (Le 19:27,28), and what was unlawful to them was much more unlawful to the priest. The reason given for their peculiar care not to defile themselves we have (Le 21:6): Because they offered the bread of their God, even the offerings of the Lord made by fire, which were the provisions of God's house and table. They are highly honoured, and therefore must not stain their honour by making themselves slaves to their passions; they are continually employed in sacred service, and therefore must not be either diverted from or disfitted for the services they were called to. If they pollute themselves, they profane the name of their God on whom they attend: if the servants are rude and of ill behaviour, it is a reflection upon the master, as if he kept a loose and disorderly house. Note, All that either offer or eat the bread of our God must be holy in all manner of conversation, or else they profane that name which they pretend to sanctify.
II. They must take care not to degrade themselves in their marriage, Le 21:7. A priest must not marry a woman of ill fame, that either had been guilty or was suspected to have been guilty of uncleanness. He must not only not marry a harlot, though ever so great a penitent for her former whoredoms, but he must not marry one that was profane, that is, of a light carriage or indecent behaviour. Nay, he must not marry one that was divorced, because there was reason to think it was for some fault she was divorced. The priests were forbidden to undervalue themselves by such marriages as these, which were allowed to others, 1. Lest it should bring a present reproach upon their ministry, harden the profane in their profaneness, and grieve the hearts of serious people: the New Testament gives laws to ministers' wives (1Ti 3:11), that they be grave and sober, that the ministry be not blamed. 2. Lest it should entail a reproach upon their families; for the work and honour of the priesthood were to descend as an inheritance to their children after them. Those do not consult the good of their posterity as they ought who do not take care to marry such as are of good report and character. He that would seek a godly seed (as the expression is, Mal 2:15) must first seek a godly wife, and take heed of a corruption of blood. It is added here (Le 21:8), Thou shalt sanctify him, and he shall be holy unto thee. "Not only thou, O Moses, by taking care that these laws be observed, but thou, O Israel, by all endeavours possible to keep up the reputation of the priesthood, which the priests themselves must do nothing to expose or forfeit. He is holy to his God (Le 21:7), therefore he shall be holy unto thee." Note, We must honour those whom our God puts honour upon. Gospel ministers by this rule are to be esteemed very highly in love for their works' sake (1Th 5:13), and every Christian must look upon himself as concerned to be the guardian of their honour.
III. Their children must be afraid of doing any thing to disparage them (Le 21:9): If the daughter of any priest play the whore, her crime is great; she not only polluteth but profaneth herself: other women have not that honour to lose that she has, who, as one of a priest's family, has eaten of the holy things, and is supposed to have been better educated than others. Nay, she profaneth her father; he is reflected upon, and everybody will be ready to ask, "Why did not he teach her better?" And the sinners in Zion will insult and say, "Here is your priest's daughter." Her punishment there must be peculiar: She shall be burnt with fire, for a terror to all priests' daughters. Note, The children of ministers ought, of all others, to take heed of doing any thing that is scandalous, because in them it is doubly scandalous, and will be punished accordingly by him whose name is Jealous.
¹⁰ And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
¹¹ Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
¹² Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
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.
More was expected from a priest than from other people, but more from the high priest than from other priests, because upon his head the anointing oil was poured, and he was consecrated to put on the garments (Le 21:10), both which were typical of the anointing and adorning of the Lord Jesus, with all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, which he received without measure. It is called the crown of the anointing oil of his God (Le 21:12); for the anointing of the Spirit is, to all that have it, a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty. The high priest being thus dignified,
I. He must not defile himself at all for the dead, no, nor for his nearest relations, his father or his mother, much less his child or brother, Le 21:11. 1. He must not use the common expressions of sorrow on those occasions, such as uncovering his head, and rending his clothes (Le 21:10), so perfectly unconcerned must he show himself in all the crosses and comforts of this life: even his natural affection must be swallowed up in compassion to the ignorant, and a feeling of their infirmities, and a tender concern for the household of God, which he was made the ruler of. Thus being the holy one that was entrusted with the thummim and the urim he must not know father or mother, De 33:8,9. 2. He must not go in to any dead body, Le 21:11. If any of the inferior priests were under a ceremonial pollution, there were other priests that might supply their places; but, if the high priest were defiled, there would be a greater want of him. And the forbidding of him to go to any house of mourning, or attend any funeral, would be an indication to the people of the greatness of that dignity to which he was advanced. Our Lord Jesus, the great high priest of our profession, touched the dead body of Jairus's daughter, the bier of the widow's son, and the grave of Lazarus, to show that he came to altar the property of death, and to take off the terror of it, by breaking the power of it. Now that it cannot destroy it does not defile. 3. He must not go out of the sanctuary (Le 21:12); that is, whenever he was attending or officiating in the sanctuary, where usually he tarried in his own apartment all day, he must not go out upon any occasion whatsoever, nor cut short his attendance on the living God, no, not to pay his last respects to a dying relation. It was a profanation of the sanctuary to leave it, while his presence was requisite there, upon any such occasion; for thereby he preferred some other business before the service of God and the business of his profession, to which he ought to make every thing else give place. Thus our Lord Jesus would not leave off preaching to speak with his mother and brethren, Mt 12:48.
II. He might not marry a widow (as other priests might), much less one divorced, or a harlot, Le 21:13,14. The reason of this was to put a difference between him and other priests in this matter; and (as some suggest) that he might be a type of Christ, to whom the church was to be presented a chaste virgin, 2Co 11:2. See Eze 44:22. Christ must have our first love, our pure love, our entire love; thus the virgins love thee (So 1:3), and such only are fit to follow the Lamb, Re 14:4.
III. He might not profane his seed among his people, Le 21:15. Some understand it as forbidding him to marry any of an inferior rank, which would be a disparagement to his family. Jehoiada indeed married of his own tribe, but then it was into the royal family, 2Ch 22:11. This was not to teach him to be proud, but to teach him to be pure, and to do nothing unbecoming his office and the worthy name by which he was called. Or it may be a caution to him in disposing of his children; he must not profane his seed by marrying them unsuitably. Ministers' children are profaned if they be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
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.
The priesthood being confined to one particular family, and entailed upon all the male issue of that family throughout their generations, it was very likely that some or other in after-ages that were born to the priesthood would have natural blemishes and deformities: the honour of the priesthood would not secure them from any of those calamities which are common to men. Divers blemishes are here specified; some that were ordinarily for life, as blindness; others that might be for a time, as a scurf or scab, and, when they were gone, the disability ceased. Now,
I. The law concerning priests that had blemishes was, 1. That they might live upon the altar (Le 21:22): He shall eat of the sacrifices with the other priests, even the most holy things, such as the show-bread and the sin-offerings, as well as the holy things, such as the tithes and first-fruits, and the priests' share of the peace-offerings. The blemishes were such as they could not help, and therefore, though they might not work, they must not starve. Note, None must be abused for their natural infirmities. Even the deformed child in the family must have its child's part. 2. Yet they must not serve at the altar, at either of the altars, nor be admitted to attend or assist the other priests in offering sacrifice or burning incense, Le 21:17,21,23. Great men choose to have such servants about them as are sightly, and it was fit that the great God should have such in his house then, when he was pleased to manifest his glory in external indications of it. But it was especially requisite that comely men should be chosen to minister about holy things, for the sake of the people, who were apt to judge according to outward appearance, and to think meanly of the service, how honourable soever it was made by the divine institution, of those that performed it looked despicably or went about it awkwardly. This provision God made for the preserving of the reputation of his altar, that it might not at any time fall under contempt. It was for the credit of the sanctuary that none should appear there who were any way disfigured, either by nature or accident.
II. Under the gospel, 1. Those that labour under any such blemishes as these have reason to thank God that they are not thereby excluded from offering spiritual sacrifices to God; nor, if otherwise qualified for it, from the office of the ministry. There is many a healthful beautiful soul lodged in a crazy deformed body. Yet, 2. We ought to infer hence how incapable those are to serve God acceptably whose minds are blemished and deformed by any reigning vice. Those are unworthy to be called Christians, and unfit to be employed as ministers, that are spiritually blind, and lame, and crooked, whose sins render them scandalous and deformed, so as that the offerings of the Lord are abhorred for their sakes. The deformities of Hophni and Phinehas were worse than any of the blemishes here mentioned. Let such therefore as are openly vicious be put out of the priesthood as polluted persons; and let all that are made to our God spiritual priests be before him holy and without blemish, and comfort themselves with this, that, though in this imperfect state they have spots that are the spots of God's children, yet they shall shortly appear before the throne of God without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.
本章的题目，可借自《玛拉基书》2:1——“众祭司啊，这诫命是传给你们的”。这是一条律例，要祭司以极大的谨慎与约束，持守他们祭司职分的尊严。I. 此处对寻常祭司有所嘱咐，关乎他们的居丧、婚姻并儿女（利21:1-9）。II. 大祭司所受的约束，比他们任何一位都更严（利21:10-15）。III. 他们两者都不可有甚么残缺（利21:16-24等）。