Topical Bible: Defilement of Priests

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In the Old Testament, the concept of defilement, particularly concerning the priesthood, is a significant aspect of the Levitical laws. The priests, who were set apart to serve in the tabernacle and later in the temple, were required to maintain a state of ritual purity to perform their sacred duties. The laws regarding defilement are primarily found in the books of Leviticus and Numbers, which outline various conditions and actions that could render a priest ceremonially unclean.

Sources of Defilement

1. Contact with the Dead: One of the primary sources of defilement for priests was contact with a dead body. Leviticus 21:1-4 states, "The LORD said to Moses, 'Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, except for a close relative, such as his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband. For her he may make himself unclean.'" This restriction underscores the importance of maintaining purity, as death was considered the ultimate impurity.

2. Physical Blemishes and Diseases: Leviticus 21:16-23 details that priests with physical defects or certain diseases were prohibited from offering sacrifices. "No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed... He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food, yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate My sanctuaries. I am the LORD, who makes them holy."

3. Marital and Sexual Purity: Priests were also required to adhere to strict marital and sexual standards. Leviticus 21:7-9 instructs, "They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God... If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire."

4. Consumption of Unclean Foods: The dietary laws in Leviticus 11 applied to all Israelites, but priests had additional restrictions regarding the consumption of holy offerings. Leviticus 22:3-7 warns, "Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD.'"

Ritual Purification

The process of purification for priests who became defiled involved specific rituals, including washing, sacrifices, and waiting periods. For instance, Numbers 19 describes the use of the ashes of a red heifer mixed with water for purification from contact with a corpse. This ritual underscores the seriousness with which defilement was treated and the necessity of restoring purity before resuming priestly duties.

Theological Significance

The stringent regulations concerning the defilement of priests highlight the holiness required of those who serve in the presence of God. The priesthood was a type of Christ, the ultimate High Priest, who is "holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26). The laws served as a constant reminder of the separation between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean, pointing to the need for a mediator who is perfectly pure.

In summary, the defilement of priests in the Old Testament underscores the importance of holiness and purity in the service of God. These laws were not merely ceremonial but carried deep spiritual significance, foreshadowing the perfect priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Nave's Topical Index

Leviticus 16:26,28
And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
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Numbers 19:7-10
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
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Ezekiel 44:25,26
And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that has had no husband, they may defile themselves.
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Library

Twenty-Fourth Day. Holiness and Cleansing.
... For the discovery of such defilement of spirit, no less than of the sins of ... When
Hezekiah called the priests to sanctify the temple that had been defiled, we ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/twenty-fourth day holiness and cleansing.htm

A Glance at Jerusalem.
... the neighbourhood of the sentinels, for fear of being questioned by them, and of
contracting defilement by answering their questions. The High Priests had sent ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter v a glance at.htm

John Chapter xviii. 28-32.
... by the pretorium of a foreign judge, and had no fear of defilement from the ... is also
that when for the purpose of apprehending Jesus the chief priests did not ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate cxiv john chapter xviii.htm

The Second Cleansing of the Temple
... To facilitate this trade, they had dared to bring the defilement of the cattle market ...
doing He fanned to a mortal heat the hatred of the chief priests and the ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 11 15-19 the second cleansing.htm

"Thou Canst Make Me Clean"
... and teachers; but after His ascension "a great company of the priests were obedient
to the ... But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 27 thou canst make.htm

Whether a Wicked Priest Can Consecrate the Eucharist?
... iii, 4, says: "The priests who perform the Eucharist, and who distribute our Lord's ...
of whom it is said: 'Let not the priest, in whatever defilement he may be ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether a wicked priest can.htm

Thirtieth Lesson. An Holy Priesthood;'
... be in the midst of the perishing millions around them, God's priests, who in ... special
purity and freedom from all contact from death and defilement (Leviticus 11 ...
/.../with christ in the school of prayer/thirtieth lesson an holy priesthood.htm

The King of Heaven at the Bar of Pilate.
... The priests would not go into the Judgment Hall for fear of defilement at the time
of their Feast, so Pilate came out to "The Pavement" and sat down upon the ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xlii the king of.htm

Numbers
... to legislation regulating the duties, relative position and revenues of the priests
and Levites (xviii.) and the manner of purification after defilement (xix ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/numbers.htm

Jerusalem
... of defilement: nor in it do they make chimneys, by reason of the smoke: nor do they
nourish cocks in it for the sake of the holy things: nor do the priests ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 21 jerusalem.htm