Leviticus 22:15

Lev 22:15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;

Ver. 15. Profane.] By suffering the holy things to be eaten of strangers.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 22:15. They — The people; shall not profane them, by eating them: or the priests shall not profane them, that is, suffer the people to profane them, without censure and punishment.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22:15 An Israelite who ate the “most holy” priestly portion as if it were common food would defile it.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel--There is some difficulty felt in determining to whom "they" refers. The subject of the preceding context being occupied about the priests, it is supposed by some that this relates to them also; and the meaning then is that the whole people would incur guilt through the fault of the priests, if they should defile the sacred offerings, which they would have done had they presented them while under any defilement [CALVIN]. According to others, "the children of Israel" is the nominative in the sentence; which thus signifies, the children of Israel shall not profane or defile their offerings, by touching them or reserving any part of them, lest they incur the guilt of eating what is divinely appointed to the priests alone [CALMET].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(15) And they shall not profane.—That is, the priests are not to desecrate the holy gifts of the Israelites by carelessly exposing them, and by not treating them with that sacred regard which is due to their being the bread of God.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the Lord. By causing or suffering strangers to eat of them; so Jarchi, referring the words to the priests, who should be careful that strangers ate not of sacred things; or by the strangers themselves eating them, whereby they were profaned and used as common things.

And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the Lord. By causing or suffering strangers to eat of them; so Jarchi, referring the words to the priests, who should be careful that strangers ate not of sacred things; or by the strangers themselves eating them, whereby they were profaned and used as common things.

Leviticus 22:16

lev 22:16

lev 22:16

lev 22:16Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass,.... The punishment of sin: either the strangers:

when they eat their holy things; the holy things belonging to the priests, which they permitting them to do, suffer them to be liable to the punishment incurred thereby, or else the priests themselves; so the Septuagint version renders the word "themselves"; and in like manner Jarchi interprets it; and then the sense may be, according to the Targums of Jonathan and Onkelos, that the priests shall bear the punishment of their sins,"when they shall eat the holy things in uncleanness,''which is what is forbidden them in the former part of the chapter; but this seems to be too remote; rather the former sense is best:

for I the Lord do sanctify them; both the priests, to whom the holy things belong, and the holy things for their use, and the use of their families, and them only.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

These verses are rather difficult. Their meaning appears to be: “The holy things of the children of Israel which are heaved before Yahweh” (see Lev 7:30) “shall not be profaned; and they shall incur a sin of trespass who eat of their holy things (so as to profane them).”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They; the common people shall not profane, by touching them afterwards, or by retaining any part. (Calmet) --- The priests shall answer for the profanation, if it be committed through their neglect. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Either,

1. The people shall not profane them, by eating them. Or,

2. The priests shall not profane them, i.e. suffer the people to profane them, without censure and punishment. Both come to the same thing; the people shall not do it, nor the priests suffer it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 15, 16. These verses present some difficulties of construction. The rendering of the Authorized Version is as follows: And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the Lord; or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the Lord do sanctify them. If this rendering is accepted, it would mean that the priests are not to profane the holy things by any irregularity on their part as to the eating of them, nor to suffer laymen to incur the guilt of a trespass by eating them. The marginal rendering, which is to be preferred, gives the passage as follows: And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the Lord; or lade themselves with the iniquity of trespass in their eating. According to this translation, the meaning would be that laymen (who had been spoken of in the previous verse) should not profane the holy things, or become guilty of a trespass (as defined in verse 15) by eating them. Technically and literally, David was guilty of this trespass in an aggravated form, when he and his followers ate the shewbread at Nob, (1Sa_21:6) for the shewbread was not only holy, but most holy. But his act is excused by our Lord, on the plea of necessity, (Mat_12:3, Mat_12:4) even though it was done on the sabbath day. (1Sa_21:5, margin)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They - The people shall not profane them, by eating them: or the priests shall not profane them, that is, suffer the people to profane them, without censure and punishment.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

'‎ולא יחוללו וגו‎‎ AND THEY SHALL NOT PROFANE [THE HOLY THINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — by giving them to non-priests to eat of them.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND THEY SHALL NOT PROFANE THE HOLY THINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — “by giving them to non-priests to be eaten.” 16. AND SO CAUSE ‘OTHAM’ (THEM) TO BEAR THE INIQUITY THAT BRINGETH GUILT. “[The word otham here means] ‘themselves,’ meaning that they [the priests) cause themselves to bear iniquity when they [the non-priests] eat the holy things which have been set aside as the heave-offering, and have become sanctified as such, and forbidden to them [the non-priests]. And Onkelos who rendered the verse: ‘when they [the priests] eat them in impurity’ has translated it so unnecessarily.” (Verse 4; Makkoth 14 b). Thus far is the language of Rashi, of blessed memory.But I did not understand Rashi’s opinion. For it would appear from his words that this negative commandment constitutes a prohibition to the priests, that they are not to give the heave-offering to non-priests to eat of it. And if so, it would be fitting to explain [the word ‘otham’ in the phrase] and so cause ‘otham’ (them), as a pronoun for “Israel,” meaning that the priests will thereby burden the Israelites with the iniquity that beareth guilt, when they [the Israelites] eat the holy things! Why then did Rabbi Yishmael find it necessary to interpret the word otham [as a reflexive form], meaning “themselves” [as Rashi mentioned]? Besides, this negative commandment is not mentioned [specifically] in the Talmud, but instead the priest is forbidden to do so as is the case with all other prohibitions [where we are forbidden to help or cause another person to commit a transgression]. Rather, the explanation of the phrase the children of Israel [in Verse 15] is that it refers back to the beginning [part of that verse, thus making it as follows]: “and the children of Israel shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which they set apart unto the Eternal,” the verse thus constituting a second admonition. to the non-priest that he is not to eat of the holy things, [and the reason why it is repeated is] because He wanted to mention the punishment for the transgression thereof, stating and they will cause themselves to bear the iniquity etc. when they [the non-priests] will eat their holy things.Now our Rabbis explained [that the reason for] the repetition of this admonition was to forbid the eating of tevel. is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. Thus they have said: “Whence do we know that one who eats tevel is liable to death [by the hand of Heaven]? From the verse, And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which ‘yarimu’ (they shall set apart) unto the Eternal. Now the verse refers to that which is yet to be offered [namely, the verse refers to the holy things — the heave-offering and the tithes — which are not yet set apart from the produce, so that it is all tevel]; is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. and then an identity of law is learned from the use of ‘profanation’ here and in the case of the heave-offering:. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II pp. 143-145, where this whole subject is discussed at length. [just as there the penalty is death by the hand of Heaven, so here too].”However, in the Torath Kohanim I have found this text: 6:8-10. “And they shall not profane. This includes one who anoints himself with or drinks [oil of heave-offering]. The holy things of the children of Israel. For the things [declared] holy by the children of Israel, [a non-priest who eats of them by mistake] is liable to pay the priest their value and the added fifth [in fruits], but for the things [declared] holy by non-Jews, he [a non-priest] is not liable to repay [the priest] their value and the added fifth. 6:8-10, the reading is as follows: “For the holy things of the children of Israel, [a non-priest who eats of them by mistake] is liable to add a fifth [to the original value], but for the holy things of non-Jews, he is not obliged to pay the added fifth.” The original value he must of course repay, since they were not his. I might think that he is liable [to pay a fifth] for the heave-offering that is in the tevel is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. [as will be explained further on]; Scripture therefore states, that which ‘yarimu’ (they will set apart) unto the Eternal. For that which has been set apart they are liable to pay [an added fifth], but they are not liable to pay [an added fifth] for the heave-offering in the tevel [which has not yet been set apart]. And so they will cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt. This teaches us that for eating tevel is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. one is also punishable by death [by the hand of Heaven].” Now this [Beraitha of the Torath Kohanim] is not in accord with the way of the Gemara [mentioned above]. etc. as referring to that which is yet to be offered [as explained above in the text], and the Torath Kohanim explained it to include anointing oneself with or drinking oil of heave-offering. (b) In the Gemara the Rabbis derived from the Scriptural use of the word yarimu (they shall set apart) in the future, that this establishes the prohibition against eating tevel [as explained in the text], while the Torath Kohanim interpreted it to teach that for the heave-offering in the tevel he does not pay a fifth, if he ate it in error. But I say that the inclusion of anointing and drinking [in the prohibition of our verse] is only a Scriptural support for a Rabbinic ordinance, since drinking is included in the term eating [and just as a non-priest is Scripturally forbidden to eat the heave-offering, so too he is Scripturally forbidden to drink it, without the necessity for a special inclusionary phrase], whilst anointing oneself with it is [only] prohibited by Rabbinic ordinance. It is so clearly explained in the Yerushalmi. And since He stated with reference to tevel, is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, because they are going to set aside a part thereof for the Eternal [as the future tense in the word yarimu — “they will set apart” — indicates], the Rabbis deduced from this that [only] the portion which is set apart [as the heave-offering] is called “holy”, and not the tevel. And if so, [eating tevel] is not included in the terms of the law, And if a man eat of ‘the holy’ thing through error, then he shall add its fifth to it, so that he be liable to pay the additional fifth. contains the heave-offering which will be set apart for the priest, a non-priest who eats it by mistake should therefore make restitution to the priest by giving him its value and an added fifth, just as if he had eaten separately heave-offering which has already been removed from the produce. To preclude us from such reasoning, Scripture states here that he does not have to pay the additional fifth. However, the Divine punishment for eating tevel is the same as for eating the heave-offering, as Ramban continues. It is for this reason that He teaches again, and so cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt, thereby teaching that eating tevel is also punishable by death [by the hand of Heaven], for it is the heave-offering in the tevel that is mentioned here. In brief, this verse speak of tevel and warns with reference to that which is yet to be offered in the future, according to the interpretation of our Rabbis.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.