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Leviticus 21:8
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you,am holy.

Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses said unto Aaron, Thisis it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

Exodus 28:36
And thou shalt make a plateof pure gold, and grave upon it,like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

profane

Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass throughthe fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: Iam the LORD.

Leviticus 19:12
And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: Iam the LORD.

Malachi 1:6,11,12
A son honourethhis father, and a servant his master: if then Ibe a father, whereis mine honour? and if Ibe a master, whereis my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? …

bread

Leviticus 3:11
And the priest shall burn it upon the altar:it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Ezekiel 44:7
In that ye have broughtinto my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it,even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.

Malachi 1:7
Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORDis contemptible.

therefore

Isaiah 52:11
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no uncleanthing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

and not profane the name of their God.
To profane means to treat something sacred with irreverence or disrespect. The priests were warned against actions that would dishonor God's name, as they represented Him to the people. This reflects the Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7) and highlights the seriousness of maintaining God's reputation. The concept of God's name being profaned is also addressed by the prophets, such as inEzekiel 36:20-23, where Israel's actions among the nations brought dishonor to God's name.

Because they present to the LORD the food offerings,
The priests were responsible for offering sacrifices, which were central to Israel's worship and covenant relationship with God. These offerings, described in Leviticus chapters 1-7, included burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. Each had specific purposes and regulations, symbolizing atonement, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God. The priests' role in these offerings required them to be ritually pure and spiritually prepared.

the food of their God,
The term "food of their God" refers to the offerings made by fire, which were considered God's portion. While God does not need physical sustenance, these offerings symbolized the people's devotion and reliance on Him. The imagery of food highlights the relational aspect of the covenant, where God "consumes" the offerings as a sign of acceptance and favor. This concept is fulfilled in Christ, who is the ultimate offering and sustenance for believers (John 6:51).

they must be holy.
The repetition of the call to holiness emphasizes its critical importance. The priests' holiness was not only for their own sake but for the sake of the entire community, as they facilitated the people's access to God. This anticipates the New Testament teaching that all believers are a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), called to live holy lives as representatives of Christ in the world. The ultimate fulfillment of holiness is found in Jesus, the perfect High Priest, who sanctifies His people (Hebrews 7:26-28).

Leviticus 21 focuses on the priests, men already set apart by birth and calling. Yet God says again, “They must be holy.”

• Holiness is not optional for those who draw near to Him; it is the ground rule (Exodus 19:6;1 Peter 2:9).

• Holiness is relational: “to their God.” The priests’ identity, purpose, and daily choices flow out of belonging to Him.

• Holiness is practical. It touches everything from their marriages to their mourning (Leviticus 21:1-5). God does not separate “spiritual” from “everyday.”

To profane means to treat as common what God calls sacred.

•Leviticus 22:2 warns, “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the holy offerings… so they do not profane My holy name.”

•Malachi 1:6-7 shows how careless worship drags God’s reputation through the mud.

•Ezekiel 36:20-23 reveals that Israel’s sinful behavior caused the nations to “profane My holy name,” and God acts to restore His honor.

Avoiding profanity of the Name is more than speech; it is lifestyle. When priests lived casually, the watching people concluded God Himself was casual.

Israel’s offerings fed no human appetite; they symbolized fellowship with the Almighty.

• Grain, fellowship, and burnt offerings (Leviticus 2 & 3) went “up in smoke” as “a pleasing aroma to the LORD.”

• Priests stood in the place of the people, handling what Scripture calls “the bread of their God” (Leviticus 21:8).

•Hebrews 5:1 reminds us every high priest “is appointed… to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins,” highlighting the gravity of the task.

Because priests touched the very symbols of reconciliation, their own purity had to reflect the purity of the God they served.

God closes the verse with the same command He opened with, driving it home.

• Repetition is emphasis: holiness is non-negotiable (Leviticus 11:44).

• The New Testament echoes this call: “For God did not call us to impurity, but to holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

• Holiness is also pursuit: “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

For priests, and for all in Christ today, holiness remains both identity and ongoing responsibility.

Leviticus 21:6 teaches that those who serve God directly must reflect His character. Priests are to be holy, vigilant not to drag God’s name through careless living, because they handle the sacred offerings that symbolize fellowship and forgiveness. The verse begins and ends with holiness, anchoring every task and every moment of a priest’s life—and ours—in wholehearted devotion to the Holy One.

The offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God.--Better,the offerings of the Lord made by fire, being the food of God.As the altar was the table, the sacrifice burnt on it was called His food. (SeeLeviticus 3:11.)

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