Leviticus 21

You may think some of my phrasing is amusing, but not much beats the flat nose of the KJV in this chapter. (Unless of course this is translation reflecting a racial profile.) Rather than this, let's remember Song 4.

In projecting the ideal physique onto Yahweh's priest and ergo onto the one who sanctifies, i.e. God, this passage does not reflect the character of one who takes on all our disfigurements (Isaiah 53). Nor does it reflect the character of Yahweh. The character of Yahweh is thoroughly worked out in the battle between the spirit of David and the spirit of the Holy in the Psalms. (See particularly Psalm 146 for the summary of Yahweh's character).

Nonetheless, the recognition of the human desire for 'perfection' is a recognition that we are disfigured. No one is without spot or blemish except the lover and the beloved. The Song of Songs describes that bodily love and it is reflected here (in a stretch) in the phrase בַּ֣עַל בְּעַמָּ֑יו, the husband among his people. בעל occurs only once in the Song in chapter 8. Since it is not a song about a married couple, Solomon as paradigm lover is tossed away in this passage. (Too much influence of money.) Give yourself an antidote to this passage in Leviticus.

Leviticus 21		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו	1		And Yahweh said to Moses, Say to the priests, the children of Aaron, and say to them, for a cadaver he will not defile himself among his people.	3e	4C	20 16
כִּ֚י אִם־לִשְׁאֵר֔וֹ הַקָּרֹ֖ב אֵלָ֑יו לְאִמּ֣וֹ וּלְאָבִ֔יו וְלִבְנ֥וֹ וּלְבִתּ֖וֹ וּלְאָחִֽיו	2	C	In contrast, for his relation near to him, for his mother, or his father, or his son, or his daughter, or his brother,	3e	4C	10 15
וְלַאֲחֹת֤וֹ הַבְּתוּלָה֙ הַקְּרוֹבָ֣ה אֵלָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הָיְתָ֖ה לְאִ֑ישׁ לָ֖הּ יִטַּמָּֽא	3		Or for his maiden sister near to him, who has no man, for her he may defile himself.	3e	4C	20 4
לֹ֥א יִטַּמָּ֖א בַּ֣עַל בְּעַמָּ֑יו לְהֵ֖חַלּֽוֹ	4	f	He will not defile himself as husband among his people, to profane himself.	3e	4B	9 4
לֹֽא־יִקְרְח֤וּ קָרְחָה֙ בְּרֹאשָׁ֔ם וּפְאַ֥ת זְקָנָ֖ם לֹ֣א יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ וּבִ֨בְשָׂרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יִשְׂרְט֖וּ שָׂרָֽטֶת	5		They will not make baldness, baldness on their head, and the quarter of their beard they will not shave, and in their flesh they will not lacerate with lacerations.	3e	4C	19 11
קְדֹשִׁ֤ים יִהְיוּ֙ לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א יְחַלְּל֔וּ שֵׁ֖ם אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם כִּי֩ אֶת־אִשֵּׁ֨י יְהוָ֜ה לֶ֧חֶם אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם הֵ֥ם מַקְרִיבִ֖ם וְהָ֥יוּ קֹֽדֶשׁ	6		Holy they will be to their God, and they will not profane the name of their God, because the offerings by fire of Yahweh, the bread of their God, they are bringing near, and they will be holy.	3c	4C	19 21
אִשָּׁ֨ה זֹנָ֤ה וַחֲלָלָה֙ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֔חוּ וְאִשָּׁ֛ה גְּרוּשָׁ֥ה מֵאִישָׁ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑חוּ כִּֽי־קָדֹ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לֵאלֹהָֽיו	7		A wife in prostitution or profane they will not take, or a wife divorced from her man, they will not take, for holy he is to his God.	3d	4C	25 6
וְקִדַּשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־אֶת־לֶ֥חֶם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ ה֣וּא מַקְרִ֑יב קָדֹשׁ֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֔ךְ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם	8		So you will sanctify him, because the bread of your God he brings near. Holy he is for you, because I, Yahweh, am holy who sanctifies you.	3e	4B	14 16
וּבַת֙ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּהֵ֔ן כִּ֥י תֵחֵ֖ל לִזְנ֑וֹת אֶת־אָבִ֙יהָ֙ הִ֣יא מְחַלֶּ֔לֶת בָּאֵ֖שׁ תִּשָּׂרֵֽף	9		And the daughter of a man, a priest, that profanes herself to play the harlot, she profanes her father. In the fire she will be incinerated.	3e	4B	10 14
וְהַכֹּהֵן֩ הַגָּד֨וֹל מֵאֶחָ֜יו אֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־יוּצַ֥ק עַל־רֹאשׁ֣וֹ ׀ שֶׁ֤מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה֙ וּמִלֵּ֣א אֶת־יָד֔וֹ לִלְבֹּ֖שׁ אֶת־הַבְּגָדִ֑ים אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ֙ לֹ֣א יִפְרָ֔ע וּבְגָדָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִפְרֹֽם	10		And the great priest over his kin, on whose head was infused the anointing oil, filled his hand to be clothed with the garments. His head he will not neglect, and his garments he will not wrest.	3e	4C	33 12
וְעַ֛ל כָּל־נַפְשֹׁ֥ת מֵ֖ת לֹ֣א יָבֹ֑א לְאָבִ֥יו וּלְאִמּ֖וֹ לֹ֥א יִטַּמָּֽא	11		And over all dead cadavers, he will not come. For his father or for his mother, he will not defile himself.	3d	4B	9 10
וּמִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ לֹ֣א יֵצֵ֔א וְלֹ֣א יְחַלֵּ֔ל אֵ֖ת מִקְדַּ֣שׁ אֱלֹהָ֑יו כִּ֡י נֵ֠זֶר שֶׁ֣מֶן מִשְׁחַ֧ת אֱלֹהָ֛יו עָלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה	12		And from the sanctuary he will not emerge and he will not profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is over him. I am Yahweh.	3c	4B	19 16
וְה֕וּא אִשָּׁ֥ה בִבְתוּלֶ֖יהָ יִקָּֽח	13		And he, a wife in her virginity, will take.	3e	3g	10
אַלְמָנָ֤ה וּגְרוּשָׁה֙ וַחֲלָלָ֣ה זֹנָ֔ה אֶת־אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑ח כִּ֛י אִם־בְּתוּלָ֥ה מֵעַמָּ֖יו יִקַּ֥ח אִשָּֽׁה	14		A widow, or divorced, or profaned, a prostitute, these he will not take. In contrast, a virgin from his people, he will take as a wife.	3d	4C	18 12
וְלֹֽא־יְחַלֵּ֥ל זַרְע֖וֹ בְּעַמָּ֑יו כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדְּשֽׁוֹ	15		And he will not profane his seed among his people, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.	3d	4A	10 8
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר	16		And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,	3e	3g	10
דַּבֵּ֥ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֞ לְדֹרֹתָ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בוֹ֙ מ֔וּם לֹ֣א יִקְרַ֔ב לְהַקְרִ֖יב לֶ֥חֶם אֱלֹהָֽיו	17		Speak to Aaron, saying, A man from your seed for their generations, in whom there is a spot, he will not approach to bring near the bread of his God.	3e	4B	8 26
כִּ֥י כָל־אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ מ֖וּם לֹ֣א יִקְרָ֑ב אִ֤ישׁ עִוֵּר֙ א֣וֹ פִסֵּ֔חַ א֥וֹ חָרֻ֖ם א֥וֹ שָׂרֽוּעַ	18	f	For any man that has in him a spot will not approach, a blind man, or one that is lame, or mutilated, or with anything superfluous,	3d	4C	10 14
א֣וֹ אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶ֥ה ב֖וֹ שֶׁ֣בֶר רָ֑גֶל א֖וֹ שֶׁ֥בֶר יָֽד	19	B	Or a man who has broken a foot, or broken a hand.	3e	4B	11 4
אֽוֹ־גִבֵּ֣ן אוֹ־דַ֔ק א֖וֹ תְּבַלֻּ֣ל בְּעֵינ֑וֹ א֤וֹ גָרָב֙ א֣וֹ יַלֶּ֔פֶת א֖וֹ מְר֥וֹחַ אָֽשֶׁךְ	20		Or hump-backed or a dwarf or mangled in his eyes, or scabbed or mangy or of marred scrotum.	3e	4C	11 13
כָּל־אִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֣וֹ מ֗וּם מִזֶּ֙רַע֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֔ן לֹ֣א יִגַּ֔שׁ לְהַקְרִ֖יב אֶת־אִשֵּׁ֣י יְהוָ֑ה מ֣וּם בּ֔וֹ אֵ֚ת לֶ֣חֶם אֱלֹהָ֔יו לֹ֥א יִגַּ֖שׁ לְהַקְרִֽיב	21		Anyone that has a spot from the seed of Aaron the priest will not make overture to bring near the offerings by fire of Yahweh. A spot is in him. He will not make overture to bring near the bread of his God.	3e	4C	26 14
לֶ֣חֶם אֱלֹהָ֔יו מִקָּדְשֵׁ֖י הַקֳּדָשִׁ֑ים וּמִן־הַקֳּדָשִׁ֖ים יֹאכֵֽל	22	B	The bread of his God from the holy of holy things, or from the holy things, he will eat.	3e	4B	12 8
אַ֣ךְ אֶל־הַפָּרֹ֜כֶת לֹ֣א יָבֹ֗א וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ לֹ֥א יִגַּ֖שׁ כִּֽי־מ֣וּם בּ֑וֹ וְלֹ֤א יְחַלֵּל֙ אֶת־מִקְדָּשַׁ֔י כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדְּשָֽׁם	23	B	But toward the veil he will not come and to the altar he will not make overture, for a spot is in him, so he will not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.	3d	4C	21 17
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְאֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וְאֶֽל־כָּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל	24		And Moses spoke to Aaron and to his children, and to all the children of Israel.	3e	4B	13 8