Leviticus 21:8

Verse

You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.

American Standard Version (1901)

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee; for I Jehovah, who sanctify you, am holy.

Bible in Basic English

And he is to be holy in your eyes, for by him the bread of your God is offered; he is to be holy in your eyes, for I the Lord, who make you holy, am holy.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And offer the leaves of proposition. Let them therefore be holy, because I also am holy, the Lord, who sanctify them.

Free Bible Version

You shall consider him holy because he presents the food offerings to your God. He shall be holy to you, because I am holy. I am the Lord, and I chose you as my special people.

Geneva Bible 1599

Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy vnto thee: for I the Lord, which sanctifie you, am holy.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I Adonai , who sanctify you, am holy.

Translation for Translators

You must consider that you are holy, because you offer food to me, your God. Consider yourselves to be holy because I, Yahweh, the one who caused you to be priests and the one who enables you to be holy, am holy.

Unlocked Literal Bible

You will set him apart, for he is the one who offers bread to your God. He must be holy to you, because I, Yahweh who makes you holy, am holy.

Noah Webster Bible

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy to thee: for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

World English Bible

Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.

Young's Literal Translation

and thou hast sanctified him, for the bread of thy God he is bringing near; he is holy to thee; for holy [am] I, Jehovah, sanctifying you.

Context

Holiness Required of Priests

⁷A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.⁸You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.⁹If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.

Summary

This verse outlines the high standard that God set for the priests of Israel, emphasizing their consecration and separation for holy service. It prohibits them from marrying women who are considered profane or have been divorced, highlighting the importance of purity and sanctity in their roles. By maintaining these standards, the priests were to reflect God's holiness and set an example for the people. This verse underscores the principle of living a life dedicated to God and upholding His standards of righteousness.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore,.... In thought and word, as Aben Ezra, by thinking and speaking well of him; should esteem and reckon him a holy person, being in a sacred office, and honour him as such; and do all that can be done to preserve him from unholiness and impurity, and particularly from marrying with improper and unsuitable persons, such as would bring a scandal on him and his sacred office: this seems to be spoken to Moses, and so to the civil magistrate in succession, who were not to suffer such marriages to take place in the priesthood; and were not only to persuade from it, but to exercise their authority, and oblige them to put away such wives, and if they refused, to use severity; so Jarchi,""thou shalt sanctify him", whether he will or not; if he will not put her away, beat him and chastise him until he does put "her away",''see Ezr 2:62, for he offereth the bread of the Lord; meaning not the shewbread he set in order before the Lord every week, but the various gift and sacrifices which were offered to God by him, and were acceptable to him as his food; and therefore he ought to be holy that drew nigh to God, and was employed in such service, see Lev 21:6, he shall be holy unto thee; in thy account and estimation, and for thy service to offer holy sacrifices, and therefore should be careful of his holiness to preserve it: for I the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy; in his nature, works, and ways, and who had separated them from all other people to be a holy people to him, and therefore they that ministered in holy things for them should be holy likewise.