^21:18Certainly²⁹ no man who has a physical flaw is to approach: a blind man, or one who is lame, or one with a slit nose,³⁰ or a limb too long, ^21:19or a man who has had a broken leg or arm,³¹^21:20or a hunchback, or a dwarf,³² or one with a spot in his eye,³³ or a festering eruption, or a feverish rash,³⁴ or a crushed testicle. ^21:21No man from the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a physical flaw may step forward³⁵ to present the Lord’s gifts; he has a physical flaw, so he must not step forward to present the food of his God.

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Footnotes

29 The particle כִּי (ki) in this context is asseverative, indicating absolutely certainty ( §159.ee).
30 Lexically, the Hebrew term חָרֻם (kharum) seems to refer to a split nose or perhaps any number of other facial defects ( II חרם qal; cf. G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [], , n. 7); cf. , “a flat nose”; “a disfigured face.” The translation is “a limb too short” as a balance to the following term which means “extended, raised,” and apparently refers to “a limb too long” (see the explanation in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ).
31 Heb “who there is in him a broken leg or a broken arm,” or perhaps “broken foot or broken hand.” The Hebrew term רֶגֶל (regel) is commonly rendered “foot,” but it can also refer to the “leg,” and the Hebrew יָד (yad) is most often translated “hand,” but can also refer to the “[fore]arm” (as opposed to כַּף, kaf, “palm of the hand” or “hand”). See יָד and רֶגֶל respectively (cf. the translation). In this context, these terms probably apply to any part of the limb that was broken, including hand and the foot. B. A. Levine (Leviticus [], ) points out that such injuries often did not heal properly in antiquity because they were not properly set and, therefore, remained a “physical flaw” permanently.
32 Heb “thin”; cf. “weakly.” This could refer to either an exceptionally small (i.e., dwarfed) man (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ) or perhaps one with a “withered limb” (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], , ).
33 The term rendered “spot” derives from a root meaning “mixed” or “confused” (cf. “walleyed”). It apparently refers to any kind of marked flaw in the eye that can be seen by others. , , ., and . have plural “his eyes.”
34 The exact meaning and medical reference of the terms rendered “festering eruption” and “feverish rash” is unknown, but see the translations and remarks in B. A. Levine, Leviticus (), ; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (), , , ; and R. K. Harrison, 1: and 2:.
35 Or “shall approach” (see נגשׁ).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the Lord’s food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

No man who has any defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed; no man who has a broken foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle. No descendant of the priest Aaron who has a defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect and is not to come near to present the food of his God.

NLTNew Living Translation

No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, or has a broken foot or arm, or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Indeed, any man in whom is a physical defect shall not come near: a blind man or lame or disfigured or deformed, or a man in whom is a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf, or a spot in his eye or a skin disorder or a skin eruption or a crushed testicle. Any man from Aaron the priest’s offspring in whom is a physical defect shall not come near to present offerings made by fire to Yahweh; a physical defect is in him; he shall not come near to present his God’s food.

KJV 1900King James Version

For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

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