Matthew Poole and continuators on Leviticus 21:17

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.

Whether the High-Priest, or the inferiour ones.

In all successive ages, as long as your Priesthood and policy indures.

i. e. Any defect or excess of parts, any notorious deformity or imperfection in his body. The reason hereof is partly typical, that he might more fully represent Christ, the great High-priest, who was typified both by the priest and sacrifice, and therefore both were to be without blemish; partly moral to teach all Christians, and especially Ministers of holy things, what purity and perfection of heart and life they should labour after, and that notorious blemishes in the mind or conversation render a man unfit for the Ministery of the Gospel, and partly prudential, because such blemishes were apt to breed contempt of the person, and consequently, of his function, and of the holy things wherein he ministred. For which reason, some conceive, that still such persons as have notorious defects or deformities which render them contemptible are not fit for the Ministery. Which may be true in the general, except where there are eminent gifts and graces, which are sufficient to vindicate a man from the contemptibleness of his bodily presence. The particular defects here mentioned, I shall not enlarge upon, because some of the Hebrew words are diversly interpreted, and because the use of these things being abolished, the knowledge of them is not very necessary.

Either the shew-bread, one eminent part being named for the whole: or the food, i. e. all the oblations. See before on ver. 8.

Marginal references: Or▪ [illegible: 1 word]