Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

LEVITICUS 21:23KJV
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Leviticus 21:23 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 21:23 mean?

Leviticus 21:23 says that a priest with a physical blemish is not allowed to enter behind the curtain (the veil) or approach the altar, so that he does not make the holy places unclean, because God has set these places apart as holy. The verse emphasizes that only priests without such blemishes could perform the most sacred duties in the sanctuary.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses for the priests of Israel, specifically about who can serve in the most sacred areas of the tabernacle. The focus is on maintaining the holiness of God’s sanctuary, with physical wholeness being a visible sign of the set-apart nature of those who serve closest to God’s presence.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 21:23

  • "vail" (פָּרֹכֶת, parokhet): This word refers to the inner curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. The restriction means the priest could not enter the innermost, most sacred area.
  • "blemish" (מוּם, mum): This word means a physical imperfection or defect. In this context, it highlights that only those without such marks could serve at the altar or behind the veil, reflecting the idea of wholeness in approaching God.
  • "profane" (חָלַל, chalal): This word means to make something common or to defile it. The concern is that allowing someone with a blemish to serve in the holiest places would diminish the special, set-apart status of God’s sanctuary.
  • "sanctuaries" (מִקְדָּשׁ, miqdash): This word means holy places or sanctuaries. The use of the plural can refer to the different sacred spaces within the tabernacle complex, all of which are to be kept holy.

Why Leviticus 21:23 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the restrictions on priests with blemishes were not about personal worth but about preserving the visible holiness of the sanctuary, which was central to Israel’s worship.
  • The emphasis on not "profaning" the sanctuaries shows how seriously the Israelites were to take the distinction between the holy and the common, especially in their approach to God.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of the broader chapter, which sets apart the priests’ service as something unique and carefully regulated, reflecting God’s holiness to the people.

Where else these words appear

“blemish” Hebrew H3971 · used in 19 verses

  • Leviticus 21:17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
  • Leviticus 24:19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
  • 2 Samuel 14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

“vail” Hebrew H6532 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
  • Exodus 38:27 And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
  • Leviticus 4:17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.

“sanctuaries” Hebrew H4720 · used in 71 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Psalms 68:35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
  • Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

“nigh” Hebrew H5066 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
  • Joshua 3:9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
  • 2 Kings 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.