Leviticus 21: Hebrew, Septuagint and orthodox reading

The Holiness of the Priests: Mourning, Marriage, Integrity — Lev 21:1-24

Levitico 21,1-24·MT (OSHB) + LXX·11/16

Hebrew (MT)

Septuagint (LXX)

Orthodox Reading

ויאמר יהוה אל משה אמר אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אלהם לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו

Καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων Εἰπὸν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ααρων καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς Ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς οὐ μιανθήσονται ἐν τῷ ἔθνει αὐτῶν

And the Tetragrammaton said to Mosheh: Speak to the priestsⓘ, sons of Aharòn, and say to them: For a dead person none shall make himself impureⓘ among his people;

כי אם לשארו הקרב אליו לאמו ולאביו ולבנו ולבתו ולאחיו

ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐν τῷ οἰκείῳ τῷ ἔγγιστα αὐτῶν, ἐπὶ πατρὶ καὶ μητρὶ καὶ υἱοῖς καὶ θυγατράσιν, ἐπ’ ἀδελφῷ

except for his nearest kin to himⓘ, for his mother and for his father, for his son and for his daughter and for his brother;

ולאחתו הבתולה הקרובה אליו אשר לא היתה לאיש לה יטמא

καὶ ἐπ’ ἀδελφῇ παρθένῳ τῇ ἐγγιζούσῃ αὐτῷ τῇ μὴ ἐκδεδομένῃ ἀνδρί, ἐπὶ τούτοις μιανθήσεται.

and for his virgin sisterⓘ near to him, who has not belonged to any manⓘ: for her he may make himself impure.

לא יטמא בעל בעמיו להחלו

οὐ μιανθήσεται ἐξάπινα ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ εἰς βεβήλωσιν αὐτοῦ.

—— Septuagint (LXX) ——Let him not make himself impure suddenlyⓘ among his people, profaning himself in his priestly state.—— Masoretic (MT) ——Let him not make himself impure as a husbandⓘ among his people, profaning himselfⓘ.

לא יקרחה יקרחו קרחה בראשם ופאת זקנם לא יגלחו ובבשרם לא ישרטו שרטת

καὶ φαλάκρωμα οὐ ξυρηθήσεσθε τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ νεκρῷ καὶ τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ πώγωνος οὐ ξυρήσονται καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς σάρκας αὐτῶν οὐ κατατεμοῦσιν ἐντομίδας.

—— Septuagint (LXX) ——Let them not shave the head making baldness for a dead oneⓘ, let them not shave the edges of the beard, let them not make incisions in their flesh, like the pagan rites of mourning.—— Masoretic (MT) ——Let them not make a tonsureⓘ on their head, and the edge of their beardⓘ let them not shave, and in their flesh let them not make incisionsⓘ.

קדשים יהיו לאלהיהם ולא יחללו שם אלהיהם כי את אשי יהוה לחם אלהיהם הם מקריבם והיו קדש

ἅγιοι ἔσονται τῷ θεῷ αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν· τὰς γὰρ θυσίας κυρίου δῶρα τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν αὐτοὶ προσφέρουσιν καὶ ἔσονται ἅγιοι.

Holy let them beⓘ to their God, and let them not profane the Name of their Godⓘ, since they present the fire-offerings of the Tetragrammatonⓘ, the bread of their God: therefore let them be holy.

אשה זנה וחללה לא יקחו ואשה גרושה מאישה לא יקחו כי קדש הוא לאלהיו

γυναῖκα πόρνην καὶ βεβηλωμένην οὐ λήμψονται καὶ γυναῖκα ἐκβεβλημένην ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς· ἅγιός ἐστιν τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ αὐτοῦ.

A prostitute or profaned womanⓘ let them not take, and a woman repudiated by her husbandⓘ let them not take, since he is holyⓘ to his God.

וקדשתו כי את לחם אלהיך הוא מקריב קדש יהיה לך כי קדוש אני יהוה מקדשכם

καὶ ἁγιάσει αὐτόν, τὰ δῶρα κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν οὗτος προσφέρει· ἅγιος ἔσται, ὅτι ἅγιος ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ ἁγιάζων αὐτούς.

—— Septuagint (LXX) ——And he shall sanctify him: this one offers the gifts of the Tetragrammaton, your God; he shall be holy, since holy am I, the Tetragrammaton, who sanctify them, who consecrate them.—— Masoretic (MT) ——You shall hold him as holyⓘ, since he presents the bread of your God; holy shall he be to you, since holy am I, the Tetragrammatonⓘ who sanctify you.

ובת איש כהן כי תחל לזנות את אביה היא מחללת באש תשרף

καὶ θυγάτηρ ἀνθρώπου ἱερέως ἐὰν βεβηλωθῇ τοῦ ἐκπορνεῦσαι, τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς αὐτὴ βεβηλοῖ· ἐπὶ πυρὸς κατακαυθήσεται.

And the daughter of a priestly manⓘ, if she profanes herself by prostituting herselfⓘ, profanes her father: on the fire she shall be burnedⓘ.

והכהן הגדול מאחיו אשר יוצק על ראשו שמן המשחה ומלא את ידו ללבש את הבגדים את ראשו לא יפרע ובגדיו לא יפרם

Καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἐπικεχυμένου ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ ἐλαίου τοῦ χριστοῦ καὶ τετελειωμένου ἐνδύσασθαι τὰ ἱμάτια, τὴν κεφαλὴν οὐκ ἀποκιδαρώσει καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια οὐ διαρρήξει

And the great priestⓘ among his brothers, on whose head was poured the oil of anointingⓘ and who was filled in the handⓘ to put on the vestments, let him not dishevel his headⓘ nor tear his vestmentsⓘ.

ועל כל נפשת מת לא יבא לאביו ולאמו לא יטמא

καὶ ἐπὶ πάσῃ ψυχῇ τετελευτηκυίᾳ οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται, ἐπὶ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἐπὶ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ οὐ μιανθήσεται·

And by any corpseⓘ let him not enter; for his father and for his mother let him not make himself impure.

ומן המקדש לא יצא ולא יחלל את מקדש אלהיו כי נזר שמן משחת אלהיו עליו אני יהוה

καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ἡγιασμένον τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαιον τὸ χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ· ἐγὼ κύριος.

And from the sanctuaryⓘ let him not go out, and let him not profane the sanctuary of his God, since upon him is the consecration of the oil of anointing of his Godⓘ: I, the Tetragrammaton.

והוא אשה בבתוליה יקח

οὗτος γυναῖκα παρθένον ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτοῦ λήμψεται·

And he shall take a woman in her virginityⓘ.

אלמנה וגרושה וחללה זנה את אלה לא יקח כי אם בתולה מעמיו יקח אשה

χήραν δὲ καὶ ἐκβεβλημένην καὶ βεβηλωμένην καὶ πόρνην, ταύτας οὐ λήμψεται, ἀλλ’ ἢ παρθένον ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτοῦ λήμψεται γυναῖκα·

A widow and a repudiated and a profaned and a prostituteⓘ, these he shall not take; but a virgin from his peopleⓘ he shall take as wife.

ולא יחלל זרעו בעמיו כי אני יהוה מקדשו

καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ· ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ ἁγιάζων αὐτόν.

And let him not profane his offspringⓘ among his people, since I, the Tetragrammaton, sanctify himⓘ.

וידבר יהוה אל משה לאמר

Καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων

And the Tetragrammaton spokeⓘ to Mosheh, saying:

דבר אל אהרן לאמר איש מזרעך לדרתם אשר יהיה בו מום לא יקרב להקריב לחם אלהיו

Εἰπὸν Ααρων Ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ γένους σου εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν, τίνι ἐὰν ᾖ ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος, οὐ προσελεύσεται προσφέρειν τὰ δῶρα τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ.

Speak to Aharòn, saying: A man of your offspring, throughout their generationsⓘ, in whom there is a defectⓘ, let him not approach to present the bread of his Godⓘ.

כי כל איש אשר בו מום לא יקרב איש עור או פסח או חרם או שרוע

πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, ᾧ ἂν ᾖ ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος, οὐ προσελεύσεται, ἄνθρωπος χωλὸς ἢ τυφλὸς ἢ κολοβόρριν ἢ ὠτότμητος

For every man in whom there is a defectⓘ let him not approach: a man blind or lameⓘ, or maimed or deformedⓘ;

או איש אשר יהיה בו שבר רגל או שבר יד

ἢ ἄνθρωπος, ᾧ ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ σύντριμμα χειρὸς ἢ σύντριμμα ποδός,

or a man in whom there is a fracture of foot or a fracture of handⓘ;

או גבן או דק או תבלל בעינו או גרב או ילפת או מרוח אשך

ἢ κυρτὸς ἢ ἔφηλος ἢ πτίλος τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἢ ἄνθρωπος, ᾧ ἂν ᾖ ἐν αὐτῷ ψώρα ἀγρία ἢ λιχήν, ἢ μόνορχις,

—— Septuagint (LXX) ——or hunchbacked, or freckledⓘ, or without eyelashesⓘ, or the man who has upon himself a malignant scab or lichen, or else monorchidⓘ,—— Masoretic (MT) ——or hunchbacked or rachiticⓘ, or with a spot in the eyeⓘ, or afflicted by scab or by ringwormⓘ, or with a crushed testicleⓘ.

כל איש אשר בו מום מזרע אהרן הכהן לא יגש להקריב את אשי יהוה מום בו את לחם אלהיו לא יגש להקריב

πᾶς, ᾧ ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος, ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος Ααρων τοῦ ἱερέως, οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τοῦ προσενεγκεῖν τὰς θυσίας τῷ θεῷ σου· ὅτι μῶμος ἐν αὐτῷ, τὰ δῶρα τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ προσελεύσεται προσενεγκεῖν.

Every man in whom there is a defect, of the offspring of Aharòn the priest, let him not approach to presentⓘ the fire-offerings of the Tetragrammaton: there is in him a defect; to the bread of his God let him not draw near to present it.

לחם אלהיו מקדשי הקדשים ומן הקדשים יאכל

τὰ δῶρα τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων φάγεται·

The bread of his Godⓘ, of the most holy thingsⓘ and of the holy things, he may eatⓘ.

אך אל הפרכת לא יבא ואל המזבח לא יגש כי מום בו ולא יחלל את מקדשי כי אני יהוה מקדשם

πλὴν πρὸς τὸ καταπέτασμα οὐ προσελεύσεται καὶ πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ, ὅτι μῶμον ἔχει· καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ ἁγιάζων αὐτούς.

Nevertheless, by the veilⓘ let him not enter, and to the altarⓘ let him not draw near, since there is in him a defect, and let him not profane my sanctuariesⓘ, since I, the Tetragrammaton, sanctify them.

וידבר משה אל אהרן ואל בניו ואל כל בני ישראל

καὶ ἐλάλησεν Μωϋσῆς πρὸς Ααρων καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς πάντας υἱοὺς Ισραηλ.

And Mosheh spokeⓘ to Aharòn and to his sons and to all the children of Israelⓘ.

Old Testament

Leviticus 1 — the ʿolàh, the semikhàt yadàyim, "a pleasing aroma"

Leviticus 8 — the milluìm: the consecration of Aharòn (and the functional "anointed")

The dietary laws: clean and unclean

Leviticus 12 — the yoledèt: ritual purity, not sin; the offering of the poor woman

Leviticus 13 — The tzaràʿat: ritual impurity, not leprosy

Leviticus 14 — the torà of the metzoràʿ: ritual purity, not moral guilt

Leviticus 15 — the impurities of discharges: ritual tumʾàh, not guilt or shame

The rite of Yom Kippùr: the two goats and the atonement

Leviticus 18 — the ʿarayòt, "he shall live by them" and the ethics of the land

The Code of Holiness: «be holy» and the love of neighbor

The holiness of the priests: mourning, marriage, integrity

Leviticus 22 — The qodashìm, the defect of the offering and the holy Name

The calendar of the feasts: the moʿadìm

Leviticus 24 — ner tamìd, lèchem ha-panìm, the blasphemer and "an eye for an eye"

Leviticus 25 — Shmità, Jubilee and «the land is mine»

Leviticus 26 — the tochechàh, the sabbath of the land, the indefectible covenant

The Holiness of the Priests: Mourning, Marriage, Integrity — Lev 21:1-24