or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles.
Parallel translations
- KJV Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
- BSB or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.
- NKJV or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch.
- NASB or a contorted back, or one who is a dwarf, or has a spot in his eye, or a festering rash or scabs, or crushed testicles.
- NLT or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Various physical conditions, from a hunched back to damaged organs, also excluded a priest from offering sacrifices. The list emphasizes the standard of wholeness for sacred service.
Overview
This comprehensive enumeration underscores that the priest who approached the altar was to be a fitting symbol of completeness before a holy God. None of these conditions implied sin or lesser dignity. The thoroughness of the requirement heightens the contrast with our perfect High Priest, Jesus, who alone meets every standard and ministers without defect.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 21:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.