Leviticus 22:15
New International Version
The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the LORD

New Living Translation
The priests must not let the Israelites defile the sacred offerings brought to the LORD

English Standard Version
They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the LORD,

Berean Standard Bible
The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD

King James Bible
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;

New King James Version
They shall not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,

New American Standard Bible
And they shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,

NASB 1995
They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they offer to the LORD,

NASB 1977
‘And they shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they offer to the LORD,

Legacy Standard Bible
They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they raise up to Yahweh,

Amplified Bible
The priests shall not profane the holy things the Israelites offer to the LORD,

Christian Standard Bible
The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the LORD

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the LORD

American Standard Version
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto Jehovah,

Contemporary English Version
I warn you not to treat lightly the offerings that are brought by the people of Israel.

English Revised Version
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Priests must not dishonor the holy offerings that the Israelites contribute to the LORD.

Good News Translation
The priests shall not profane the sacred offerings

International Standard Version
They are not to defile the sacred things of the Israelis that they have offered to the LORD,

Majority Standard Bible
The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD

NET Bible
They must not profane the holy offerings which the Israelites contribute to the LORD,

New Heart English Bible
The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,

Webster's Bible Translation
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which they offer to the LORD;

World English Bible
The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they do not defile the holy things of the sons of Israel—that which they lift up to YHWH,

Young's Literal Translation
and they do not pollute the holy things of the sons of Israel -- that which they lift up to Jehovah,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they shall not profane the holies of the sons of Israel which they shall lift up to Jehovah;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they shall not profane the sanctified things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the Lord:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they shall not contaminate what has been sanctified from the sons of Israel, which they offer to the Lord,

New American Bible
The priests shall not allow the sacred offerings which the Israelites contribute to the LORD to be profaned

New Revised Standard Version
No one shall profane the sacred donations of the people of Israel, which they offer to the LORD,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the children of Israel shall not profane the holy things which they offer to the LORD;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the children of Israel shall not pollute the holy things that they offer to LORD JEHOVAH;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they set apart unto the LORD;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Restrictions Against the Unclean
14If anyone eats a sacred offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the sacred offering to the priest. 15The priests must not profane the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD 16by allowing the people to eat the sacred offerings and thus to bear the punishment for guilt. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”…

Cross References
Numbers 18:32
Once you have presented the best part of it, you will not incur guilt because of it. But you must not defile the sacred offerings of the Israelites, or else you will die.’”

Numbers 18:11-13
And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it. / I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits. / The firstfruits of everything in their land that they bring to the LORD will belong to you. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat them.

Deuteronomy 18:3-5
This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. / You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock. / For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.

Exodus 29:33
They must eat those things by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no outsider may eat them, because these things are sacred.

Nehemiah 13:29
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Malachi 1:12-13
“But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is contemptible.’ / You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:12-17
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD / or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling / and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. ...

Ezekiel 44:7-9
In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant. / And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’ / This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.

Ezekiel 22:26
Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Isaiah 56:6-7
And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast to My covenant— / I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

Matthew 7:6
Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

1 Corinthians 9:13
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

Hebrews 13:10
We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

Romans 15:16
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the LORD;

Leviticus 22:9
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

Leviticus 19:8
Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Numbers 18:32
And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

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Apart Children Common Desecrate Gifts Holy Israel Israelites Lift Offer Offerings Pollute Present Priests Profane Sacred
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Apart Children Common Desecrate Gifts Holy Israel Israelites Lift Offer Offerings Pollute Present Priests Profane Sacred
Leviticus 22
1. The priests in their uncleanness must abstain from the holy things
6. How they shall be cleansed
10. Who of the priest's house may eat of the holy things
17. The sacrifices must be without blemish
26. The age of the sacrifice
29. The law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving














The priests
The Hebrew word for "priests" is "kohen," which refers to those set apart for the service of God in the tabernacle and later the temple. The role of the priest was crucial in maintaining the holiness and purity of the worship practices of Israel. They acted as mediators between God and the people, and their conduct was to reflect the sanctity of their office. Historically, the priesthood was established through Aaron and his descendants, emphasizing a lineage of holiness and dedication to God's service.

must not profane
The term "profane" comes from the Hebrew root "chalal," which means to defile or treat something sacred as common. In the context of Leviticus, profaning the sacred offerings would mean treating them with disrespect or failing to adhere to the strict guidelines God set for their handling. This command underscores the importance of reverence and the recognition of God's holiness in all aspects of worship. The priests were to uphold the sanctity of the offerings, ensuring that they were presented in a manner worthy of the Lord.

the sacred offerings
The Hebrew word for "sacred offerings" is "qodesh," which signifies something set apart for a holy purpose. These offerings were not merely ritualistic but were expressions of devotion, thanksgiving, and atonement. They symbolized the Israelites' relationship with God and their acknowledgment of His sovereignty. The offerings included various sacrifices, such as burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings, each with specific instructions and significance.

the Israelites present
The phrase "the Israelites present" highlights the communal aspect of worship in ancient Israel. The offerings were brought by the people, representing their collective faith and obedience to God's commandments. This act of presenting offerings was a tangible expression of their covenant relationship with God, acknowledging His provision and seeking His favor. It also served as a reminder of their identity as God's chosen people, set apart to live according to His statutes.

to the LORD
The name "LORD" in this context is the translation of the Hebrew "YHWH," the personal and covenantal name of God. It signifies His eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. The offerings were directed to YHWH, emphasizing that worship was to be God-centered, focused on His glory and holiness. This phrase reminds believers of the ultimate purpose of worship: to honor and glorify God, recognizing His supreme authority and grace.

(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.

Verses 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 (1 Samuel 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 (Matthew 12:3, 4), even though it was done on the sabbath day (1 Samuel 21:5, margin).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The priests must not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

profane
יְחַלְּל֔וּ (yə·ḥal·lə·lū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

the sacred offerings
קָדְשֵׁ֖י (qā·ḏə·šê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

present
יָרִ֖ימוּ (yā·rî·mū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

to the LORD
לַיהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Leviticus 22:15 The priests shall not profane the holy (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 22:14
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