Leviticus 21:6-8
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The verse emphasizes that the priests' holiness isn't just about being set apart; it's directly tied to the "bread of their God" they offer. This "bread" represents the sacrifices that sustain the priestly ministry, meaning their purity is essential for God's provision and presence to be honored.
They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage directly follows rules about priests not mourning their dead by cutting themselves or shaving their heads. It explains that priests must remain holy because they offer God's sacrifices, referred to as "food" or "bread" consumed by fire, distinguishing them from everyday meals and demanding their sacredness. Therefore, any action that defiles them would not only make them unfit for service but would also dishonor God's name.
Have you ever felt like your daily tasks have a higher purpose? For ancient priests, their entire lives were meant to be dedicated to God.
The command for priests to be 'holy unto their God' wasn't just about avoiding certain actions; it was about a fundamental state of being. It meant being set apart, devoted entirely to God's service.
Living a Set-Apart Life
Our actions, especially when representing someone or something, can either honor or dishonor them. For priests, this had eternal stakes.
The priests were explicitly told not to 'profane the name of their God.' This wasn't just about their personal sins; it was about how their behavior impacted the perception of God Himself.
The Weight of Representation
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What does it mean for sacrifices to be called 'bread' or 'food' for God? This imagery reveals a deep truth about communion with the Divine.
The verse refers to the 'offerings of the LORD made by fire' as 'the bread of their God.' This wasn't literal food for God's physical sustenance, but symbolic language pointing to several profound ideas:
Understanding God's 'Food'
This sacred 'bread' required the most careful and holy hands to bring it before the Lord.
Understand the original words
qadosh · Hebrew Adjective
To be set apart, consecrated, or dedicated specifically to God's service, distinct from the common or profane. It implies a state of moral purity and ceremonial separation.
chalal · Hebrew Verb
To treat something sacred with common, disrespectful, or impure behavior. In a religious context, it involves violating the holiness of God’s name or His consecrated things.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The proper name of the God of Israel, the self-existent, covenant-keeping Creator who revealed Himself to Moses. It signifies God's personal and faithful relationship with His people.
chalal · Hebrew Adjective
A state of ritual impurity or moral corruption that disqualifies someone or something from being in the presence of a holy God. It can result from physical acts, ceremonial neglect, or moral sin.
qadash · Hebrew Verb
To make holy, set apart, or dedicate to God. It involves both the divine act of declaring someone holy and the human responsibility to maintain that consecrated state.
This passage details the inscription 'Holy to the LORD' on the turban of the high priest, directly linking the concept of holiness and divine service with the priestly garments, echoing Leviticus 21:6's command for holiness.
1 Samuel 2:17This verse condemns the sons of Eli for despising the offerings of the LORD, illustrating the profaning of God's name through disrespect of sacred duties, which Leviticus 21:6 warns priests against.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20Paul applies the concept of being 'bought with a price' and belonging to God to believers' bodies, urging them to glorify God, which parallels the Old Testament call for priests to be holy and not profane God's name because of their sacred role.
1 Peter 2:9This verse describes believers as a 'royal priesthood,' chosen to declare God's praises. This spiritual identity mirrors the Levitical priests' calling to be holy, as they offered sacrifices that represented God's provision and acceptable worship.
pooleLeviticus 21:6: "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."
Holy unto their God; devoted to God’s service, and always prepared and fit for it; and therefore shall keep themselves as far as they can from all defilement, which makes them unmeet for their Master’s use. Not profane the name of their God, which they especially bear; they shall not dispa…
gillLeviticus 21:6: "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."
They shall be holy unto their God,.... Sacred to his service, and wholly given up to it, and not interest themselves in things which hindered from it, or made them unfit for it; and such care becomes the ministers of the word, who should give up themselves to it, and not entangle themselve…
The verse emphasizes that the priests' holiness isn't just about being set apart; it's directly tied to the "bread of their God" they offer. This "bread" represents the sacrifices that sustain the priestly ministry, meaning their purity is essential for God's provision and presence to be honored.
This passage directly follows rules about priests not mourning their dead by cutting themselves or shaving their heads. It explains that priests must remain holy because they offer God's sacrifices, referred to as "food" or "bread" consumed by fire, distinguishing them from everyday meals and demanding their sacredness. Therefore, any action that defiles them would not only make them unfit for service but would also dishonor God's name.
This passage directly follows rules about priests not mourning their dead by cutting themselves or shaving their heads. It explains that priests must remain holy because they offer God's sacrifices, referred to as "food" or "bread" consumed by fire, distinguishing them from everyday meals and demanding their sacredness. Therefore, any action that defiles them would not only make them unfit for service but would also dishonor God's name.
"They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neith…" — The verse emphasizes that the priests' holiness isn't just about being set apart; it's directly tied to the "bread of their God" they offer. This "bread" represents the sacrifices that sustain the pr…
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Last reviewed October 2026
