62 Bible Verses about Priests, Function In Ot Times

But let them keep therefore mine ordinance, lest they lade sin upon them and die therein when they have defiled themselves: for I am the LORD which sanctify them.

And take thou unto thee, Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me: both Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

This is the thing that thou shalt do unto them when thou hallowest them to be my priests. Take one ox and two rams that are without blemish,

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Take unto thee sweet spices: stacte, onycha, sweet galbanum and pure frankincense, of each like much:

and the vestments to minister in, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister in,

the ministering garments to minister within holiness, and the holy vestments of Aaron the priest and the vestments of his sons to minister in."

and the ministering vestments to serve in the holy place, and the holy vestments of Aaron the priest and his sons' raiments to minister in.

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron and say unto them, 'A priest shall defile himself at the death of none of his people,

They shall come at no dead person, to defile themselves; except it be father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister that hath had yet no husband: in such they may be defiled.

They shall make them no baldness upon their heads or shave off the locks of their beards, nor make any marks in their flesh.

They shall not shave their heads, nor nourish the bush of their hair, but round their heads only.

"'They shall take no wife that is an whore, or polluted, or put from her husband: for a priest is holy unto his God.

They shall marry no widow, neither one that is put from her husband: but a maiden of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that hath had a priest before.

"Drink no wine nor strong drink - neither thou nor thy sons with thee - when ye go into the tabernacle of witness, lest ye die. And let it be a law forever unto your children after you:

All the priests that go in to the inmost court, shall drink no wine.

"Speak unto Aaron and say, 'No man of thy seed in their generations that hath any deformity upon him, shall preace for to offer the bread of his God:

For none that hath any blemish shall come near: whether he be blind, lame, snoutnosed, or that hath any monstrous member, or broken footed, or broken handed, or crook backed, or perleyed, or goggle eyed, or mangy or skald, or hath his stones broken.read more.
No man that is deformed of the seed of Aaron the priest, shall come nigh to offer the sacrifices of the LORD. If he have a deformity, he shall not preace to offer the bread of his God. Notwithstanding, he shall eat of the bread of his God: even as well of the most holy, as of the holy:

And let the priests see, that they defile not the hallowed things of the children of Israel which they have offered unto the LORD, lest they lade themselves with misdoing and trespass in eating their hallowed things, for I am the LORD which hallow them.'"

And they shall be Aaron's and his sons, and they shall eat them in the holy place. For they are most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD, and shall be a duty forever."

And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under mine hand - but there is hallowed bread, if the young men have abstained only from women."

How he entered into the house of God, and ate the hallowed loaves, which were not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests.

And the LORD spake unto Aaron, "Thou shalt have none inheritance in their land, nor part among them. For I am thy part and thy inheritance among the children of Israel.

They shall have a heritage; yea, I myself will be their heritage: else shall ye give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.

Let them offer nothing that is deformed for they shall get no favour therewith.

In this: that ye offer unclean bread upon mine altar. And if ye will say, 'Wherein have we offered any unclean thing unto thee?' In this that ye say: the altar of the LORD is not to be regarded. If ye offer the blind, is not that evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is not that evil? Yea offer it unto thy prince: shall he be content with thee, or accept thy person, sayeth the LORD of Hosts? And now make your prayer before God, that he may have mercy upon us: for such things have ye done. Shall he regard your persons, think ye, sayeth the LORD of Hosts?

Keep now my commandments and do them, for I am the LORD.

If any discord arise, they shall discern it, and give sentence after my judgments. My solemn feasts, my laws and ordinances shall they keep, and hallow my Sabbaths.

And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons to wait on their priests' office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall die for it."

And when the host removeth, Aaron and his sons shall come and take down the veil, and cover the ark of witness therewith,

And he said unto me, "This chamber on the South side belongeth to the priests, that keep the habitation: and this toward the North, is the priests' that wait upon the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, which of the sons of Levi come near to the LORD, to minister unto him."

They shall go into my Sanctuary, and tread before my table, to do me service, and to wait upon mine ordinances.

Let the priests that minister unto the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and say, "Spare, Lord, thy people: and deliver not thine heritage unto rebuke that the heathen should reign over them. Why should they say among the nations, 'Where is their God?'"

In the tabernacle of witness without the veil which is before the witness, shall Aaron and his sons dress it both even and morning before the LORD: And it shall be a duty for ever unto your generations after you: to be given of the children of Israel."

And Moses wrote this law and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel,

And command thou the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When ye are entered a little into the water of Jordan then stand still in it.'"

And thereto Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood. And there they be, even unto this day.

And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD,

and let him kill the ox before the LORD. And let the priests, Aaron's sons, bring the blood and let them sprinkle it round about upon the altar that is before the door of the tabernacle of witness.

and let them lay the pieces with the head and the fat, upon the wood that is on the fire in the altar.

and shall bring it unto Aaron's sons, the priests. And one of them shall take thereout his handful of the flour, and of the oil with all the frankincense, and burn it for a memorial upon the altar: an offering of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

But certain of the sons of the priests were set to make sweet savours.

The law of truth was in his mouth, and there was no wickedness found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many one away from their sins.

They shall show my people the difference between the holy and unholy, betwixt the clean and unclean.

that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,

and commanded them, saying, "At the end of seven years, in the time of the free year, in the feast of the tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God, in the place which he hath chosen: see that thou read this law before all Israel in their ears. Gather the people together: both men, women and children and the strangers that are in thy cities, that they may hear, learn and fear the LORD your God, and be diligent to keep all the words of this law,read more.
and that their children which know nothing may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it."

This Ezra was a perfect scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel did give. And the king gave him all that he required, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

For the priest's lips should be sure knowledge, that men may seek the law at his mouth, for he is a messenger of the LORD of Hosts.

and go unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and ask, and they shall show thee how to judge.

then let both the men which strive together stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days,

Then let the priests the sons of Levi come forth - for the LORD thy God hath chosen them to minister and to bless in the name of the LORD and therefore at their mouth shall all strife and plague be tried.

Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and of the priests and of the ancient heads of Israel, over the customs of the LORD and causes of strife. And then they returned again to Jerusalem.

And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets and shall have them and it shall be a law unto you forever and among your children after you.

And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. And the seventh day, ye shall compass the city seven times and the priests shall blow with their trumpets.

Moreover, see: God is with us in the forward; and his priests, and the roaring trumpets to cry alarm against you. Ye children of Israel, fight not with the LORD God of your fathers: for it will not prosper with you."

{Mem} Which nevertheless is come to pass for the sins of her prophets, and for the wickedness of her priests that have shed innocents' blood within her.

The priests themselves said not once, 'Where is the LORD?' They that have the law in their hands, know me not: The shepherds offend against me. The Prophets do service unto Baal, and follow such things as shall bring them no profit.

"For from the least unto the most, they hang all upon covetousness: and from the prophet unto the priest, they go all about with falsity and lies.

One mischief and sorrow shall follow another, and one rumor shall come after another: Then shall they seek visions in vain at their Prophets. The law shall be gone from the priests, and wisdom from the elders.

Thy priests break my law, and defile my Sanctuary. They put no difference between the holy and unholy, neither discern between the clean and unclean: they turn their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am unhallowed among them.

My people perish, because they have no knowledge. Seeing then that thou hast refused understanding, therefore will I refuse thee also: so that thou shalt no more be my priest. And forsomuch as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. The more they increased in multitude, the more they sinned against me, therefore will I change their honour into shame. They eat up the sins of my people, and courage them in their wickedness.read more.
Thus the priest is become like the people. Wherefore I will punish them for their wicked ways, and reward them according to their own imaginations.

The multitude of the priests is like a heap of thieves, murderers and bloodthirsty: for they have wrought abomination.

Her prophets are light persons and unfaithful men: her priests unhallow the Sanctuary, and do wrong under the pretence of the law.