Study Desk

The LORD said to Moses,

"Say to Aaron: 'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God.

No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed;

no man with a crippled foot or hand,

or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.

No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the LORD by fire. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.

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 sanctuary. I am the LORD , who makes them holy. ' "

So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.