Leviticus 22:10 - “‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

Generated Verse: Leviticus 22:10

What does "Leviticus 22:10" mean?


Leviticus 22:10 outlines who is forbidden from eating the "holy thing" (also translated as "sacred offering"). The verse specifies two categories of people:

"No stranger shall eat of the holy thing": This refers to someone who is not a member of the priestly family and is not part of the Israelite community. This person would not have been entitled to any share of the sacrifices designated for the priests and their households.
"a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing": This refers to individuals who, while living with or working for the priests, are not members of the priestly family or considered part of their household in a way that would entitle them to partake in the sacred offerings. They are outsiders in terms of the religious significance.

In simpler terms: Only those who are part of the priestly family (or their legitimate dependents) and are Israelites are allowed to eat the portion of sacrifices designated for the priests. Outsiders, even if they live with or work for the priests, are excluded.

The purpose of this rule is to:

Maintain the holiness of the offerings: By restricting access to the consecrated food, the Israelites emphasized its special, sacred nature.
Protect the purity of the priesthood: Limiting who could partake in the offerings helped to maintain the integrity and distinctiveness of the priestly class.
Reinforce the covenant relationship: Eating of the holy things was a privilege connected to being part of the covenant community. Those outside the covenant (strangers, non-Israelites) or not fully integrated into the priestly household were excluded.

Essentially, the verse is about who is considered worthy and eligible to partake in the special offerings that were reserved for the priests and their immediate families, highlighting the importance of lineage, covenant membership, and the sacred nature of the food.

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