PRIEST

In Chaldee is spelt khn, different dialects supply the vowel to make it kohn, kahn, or kehn.

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One who officiated in the public worship of God, especially in making expiation for sin, being "ordained for men in things pertaining to God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." In the Old Testament, the priesthood was not annexed to a certain family till after the promulgation of the law by Moses. Before that time, the firstborn of each family, the fathers, the princes, the kings, were priests in their own cities and in their own houses. Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Job, Abimelech and Laban, Isaac and Jacob offered personally their own sacrifices. In the solemnity of the covenant made by the Lord with his people, at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses performed the office of mediator, and young men were chosen from among Israel to perform the office of priests, Ex 24:5. But after the Lord had chosen the tribe of Levi to serve him in his tabernacle, and the priesthood was annexed to the family of Aaron, the right of offering sacrifices and oblations to God was reserved to the priests of this family, Nu 16:40. The punishment of Uzziah king of Judah is well known, who having presumed to offer incense to the Lord, was suddenly smitten with a leprosy, 2Ch 26:19. See also the case of Saul, 1Sa 13:7-14. However, it seems that on certain occasions the Hebrew prophets offered sacrifice to the Lord, especially before a constant place of worship was fixed at Jerusalem. See 1Sa 7:9, where Samuel, who was not a priest offered a lamb for a burnt sacrifice to the Lord. See also 1Sa 9:13 16:5 1Ki 18:31,33. The Lord having reserved to himself the firstborn of Israel because he had preserved them from the hand of the destroying angel in Egypt, by way of exchange and compensation, he accepted the tribe of Levi for the service of his tabernacle, Nu 3:41. Thus the whole tribe of Levi was appointed to the sacred ministry, but not all in the same manner; for of the three sons of Levi, Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, the heads of the three great families, the Lord chose the family of Kohath, and out of this family the house of Aaron, to exercise the functions of the priesthood. Al the rest of the family of Kohath, even the children of Moses and their descendants remained among the Levites. The high priest was at the head of all religious affairs, and was the ordinary judge of all difficulties that belonged thereto, and even of the general justice and judgment of the Jewish nation, as being at the head of all the priests by whom this was administered, De 17:8-12 19:17 21:5 33:8,10 Eze 44:24. He only had the privilege of entering the sanctuary once a year, on the day of solemn expiation, to make atonement for the sins of the whole people, Le 16:2, etc. He was to be born of one of his own tribe, whom his father had married a virgin; and was to be exempt from corporal defect, Le 21:13. In general, no priest who had any such defect could offer sacrifice, or enter the holy place to present the showbread. But he was to be maintained by the sacrifices offered at the tabernacle, Le 21:17-22. The high priest also received a tithe from the Levites, Nu 18:28. God also appropriated to the high priest the oracle of his truth; so that when he was habited in the proper ornaments of his dignity, and with the Urim and Thummim, he answered questions proposed to him, and God disclosed to him secret and future things. He was forbidden to mourn for the death of any of his relations, even for his father or mother; or to enter into any place where a dead body lay, that he might not contract or hazard the contraction of uncleanness, Le 21:10-12. The priests served immediately at the altar. They slew and dressed the public sacrifices, or at least it was done by the Levites under their direction. Private offerers slew their own victims, except in the case of turtledoves or young pigeons. But all offerings upon the altar, the sprinkling of blood included, were made by the priests alone. They kept up a perpetual fire on the altar of burnt sacrifices, and in the lamps of the golden candlestick in the sanctuary; they kneaded the loaves of showbread, baked them, offered them on the golden altar in the sanctuary, and changed them every Sabbath-day. Compare Ex 28:29 Le 8:1-36. Every day, night and morning, a priest appointed by casting of lots at the beginning of the week, brought into the sanctuary a smoking censer of incense, and set it on the golden table, otherwise called the altar of incense, Lu 1:9. The sacred dress of the priests consisted of the following articles: short linen drawers; a close-fitting tunic of fine linen or cotton, of woven work, broidered, reaching to the feet, and furnished with sleeves; a girdle of fine linen. Plain linen ephods are also ascribed to them, 1Sa 22:18; and a bonnet or turban, also of fine linen, in many folds. The priests always officiated with uncovered feet. The high priests were nearly the same dress with the priests, and four articles in addition: an outer tunic, called the robe of the ephod, woven entire, blue, with an ornamented border around the neck, and a fringe at the bottom made up of pomegranates and golden bells: an ephod of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, with golden threads interwoven, covering the body from the neck to the thighs; having shoulder-pieces joined on the shoulders by clasps of gold in which were set onyx-stones graven with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; and also a girdle of fine linen, woven with blue, purple, scarlet, and gold, passed several times round the body: a breastplate, attached at its four corners to the ephod, and likewise bearing the names of the twelve tribes on twelve precious stones; and the miter, a high and ornamented turban having on the front a gold plate with the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord." Neither he nor the priests wore their sacred dresses out of the temple as we infer from Eze 42:14 44:17-19 Ac 23:5. The Lord had given no lands of inheritance to the tribe of Levi, in the Land of Promise. He intended that they should be supported by the tithes, the first fruits, the offerings made in the temple and by their share of the sin offerings and thanksgiving offerings sacrificed in the temple; of which certain parts were appropriated to them. In the peace offerings, they had the shoulder and the breast, Le 7:33,34; in the sin offering, they burnt on the altar the fat that covers the bowels, the liver, and the kidneys; the rest belonged to themselves, Le 7:6,10. The skin or fleece of every sacrifice also belonged to them. When an Israelite sacrificed any animal for his own use, he was to give the priest the shoulder, the stomach, and the jaws, De 18:3. The priest had also a share of the wool when sheep were shorn, De 18:4. Thus, though the priests had no lands or inheritances, their temporal wants were supplied. God provided them houses and accommodations, by appointing forty-eight cities, six were appointed as cities of refuge for those who had committed casual and involuntary manslaughter. The priests had thirteen of these cities; the others belonged to the Levites, Jos 21:10. A principal employment of the priests, next to attending on the sacrifices and the temple service, was the instruction of the people and the deciding of controversies; distinguishing the several sorts of leprosy, divorce causes, the waters of jealousy, vows, causes relating to the law and uncleanness, etc. They publicly blessed the people in the name of the Lord. In time of war their duty was to carry the Ark of the Covenant, to consult the Lord, to sound the holy trumpets, and to encourage the army, Nu 10:8-9 De 20:2. The priesthood of Christ is the substance and truth, of which that of the Jews was but a shadow and figure. Christ, the everlasting priest according to the order of Melchizedek, abides forever, as Paul observes; whereas the priests according to the order of Aaron were mortal, and therefore could not continue long, Heb 7:1-28. The Lord, to express to the Hebrews what great favors he would confer on them, says he would make them kings and priests, Ex 19:6; and Peter repeats this promise to Christians, or rather, he tells them that they are in truth what Moses promised to Israel, 1Pe 2:5,9. See also Re 1:6. In an important sense every Christian offers himself a spiritual sacrifice, "acceptable to God through Jesus Christ;" but in the Christian church, there is no priest to make expiation for sin by a sacrifice but Christ alone, Heb 9:11-26.

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Priest. Priest
The Heb. kohen, Gr. hierus, Lat. sacerdos, always denote one who offers sacrifices.

At first every man was his own priest, and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards that office devolved on the head of the family, as in the cases of Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (12:7; 13:4), Isaac (26:25), Jacob (31:54), and Job (Job 1:5).

The name first occurs as applied to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18). Under the Levitical arrangements the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and to only one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. Certain laws respecting the qualifications of priests are given in Lev. 21:16-23. There are ordinances also regarding the priests’ dress (Ex. 28:40-43) and the manner of their consecration to the office (29:1-37).

Their duties were manifold (Ex. 27:20, 21; 29:38-44; Lev. 6:12; 10:11; 24:8; Num. 10:1-10; Deut. 17:8-13; 33:10; Mal. 2:7). They represented the people before God, and offered the various sacrifices prescribed in the law.

In the time of David the priests were divided into twenty-four courses or classes (1 Chr. 24:7-18). This number was retained after the Captivity (Ezra 2:36-39; Neh. 7:39-42).

“The priests were not distributed over the country, but lived together in certain cities [forty-eight in number, of which six were cities of refuge, q.v.], which had been assigned to their use. From thence they went up by turns to minister in the temple at Jerusalem. Thus the religious instruction of the people in the country generally was left to the heads of families, until the establishment of synagogues, an event which did not take place till the return from the Captivity, and which was the main source of the freedom from idolatry that became as marked a feature of the Jewish people thenceforward as its practice had been hitherto their great national sin.”

The whole priestly system of the Jews was typical. It was a shadow of which the body is Christ. The priests all prefigured the great Priest who offered “one sacrifice for sins” “once for all” (Heb. 10:10, 12). There is now no human priesthood. (See Epistle to the Hebrews throughout.) The term “priest” is indeed applied to believers (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6), but in these cases it implies no sacerdotal functions. All true believers are now “kings and priests unto God.” As priests they have free access into the holiest of all, and offer up the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, and the sacrifices of grateful service from day to day.

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PRIEST. → BEFORE MOSES
* Melchizedek Ge 14:18; Heb 5:6,10,11; 6:20; 7:1-21
* Jethro Ex 2:16
* Priests in Israel before the giving of the law Ex 19:22,24
* Called angel, Ec 5:6

→ THE TIME OF MOSES Ex 28:1-4; 29:9,44; Nu 3:10; 18:7; 1Ch 23:13
* Hereditary, descent of office Ex 27:21; 28:43; 29:9
* Consecration of Ex 29:1-9,19-35; 40:12-16; Le 6:20-23; 8:6-35; Heb 7:21
* Is holy Le 21:6,7; 22:9,16
* Ablutions of Ex 40:30-32; Le 16:24
* See CONSECRATION OF, above
* Must be without blemish Le 21:17-23
* Vestments of Ex 28:2-43; 39:1-29; Le 6:10,11; 8:13; Eze 44:17-19
* Don vestments in the temple area Eze 42:14; 44:19
* Atonement for Le 16:6,24; Eze 44:27
* Defilement and purification of Eze 44:25,26
* Marriage of Le 21:7-15; Eze 44:22
* Chambers for, in the temple area Eze 40:45,46
* Exempt from tax Ezr 7:24
* Armed and organized for war at the time of the disaffection toward Saul 1Ch 12:27,28
* Beard and hair of Eze 44:20
* Twenty-four divisions (shifts) of 1Ch 24:1-19; 28:13,21; 2Ch 8:14; 31:2; 35:4,5; Ezr 2:36-39; Ne 13:30
* Chosen by lot Lu 1:8,9,23
* Usurpations of office of Nu 3:10; 16; 18:7; 2Ch 26:18
* Priests who were not from the sons of Levi were appointed by Jeroboam 1Ki 12:31; 13:33
* See LEVITES
* See MINISTERS

→ DUTIES OF
* To offer sacrifices Le 1:4-17; 2:2,16; 3:5,11,13,16; 4:5-12,17,25,26,30-35; 1Ch 16:40; 2Ch 13:11; 29:34; 35:11-14; Ezr 6:20; Heb 10:11
* See OFFERINGS
* To offer the firstfruits Le 23:10,11; De 26:3,4
* Pronounce benedictions Nu 6:22-27; De 21:5; 2Ch 30:27
* Teach the law Le 10:11; De 24:8; 27:14; 31:9-13; 33:10; Jer 2:8; Mal 2:7
* Light the lamps in the tabernacle Ex 27:20,21; 2Ch 13:11; Le 24:3,4
* Keep the sacred fire always burning Le 6:12,13
* To furnish a quota of wood for the sanctuary Ne 10:34
* Responsible for the sanctuary Nu 4:5-15; 18:1,5,7
* To act as scribes Ezr 7:1-6; Ne 8:9
* Be present at and supervise the tithing Ne 10:38
* Sound the trumpet in summoning assemblies and in battle Nu 10:2-10; 31:6; Jos 6; 2Ch 13:12
* Examine lepers
* See LEPROSY
* Purify the unclean Le 15:31
* See DEFILEMENT
* Valuate things devoted Le 27:8,12
* Officiate in the Holy Place Heb 9:6
* Chiefs of Levites Nu 3:9,32; 4:19,28,33; 1Ch 9:20
* To act as magistrates Nu 5:14-31; De 17:8-13; 19:17; 21:5; 2Ch 19:8; Eze 44:23,24
* To encourage the army on the eve of battle De 20:2-4
* Carry the ark of the covenant
* Through the Jordan River Jos 3; 4:15-18
* In battle 1Sa 4:3-5

→ BENEFITS OF
* No part of the land of Canaan allowed to Nu 18:20; De 10:9; 14:27; 18:1,2; Jos 13:14,33; 14:3; 18:7; Eze 44:28
* Provided with cities and suburbs Le 25:32-34; Nu 35:2-8; Jos 21:1-4,13-19,41,42; 1Ch 6:57-60; Ne 11:11,20; Eze 45:1-6; 48:8-20
* Own lands sanctified to the Lord Le 27:21
* Tithes of the tithes Nu 18:8-18,26-32; Ne 10:38
* Part of the plunder of war, including captives Nu 31:25-29
* Firstfruits Le 23:20; 24:9; Nu 18:12,13,17,18; De 18:3-5; Ne 10:36
* Redemption money Le 27:23
* Of the firstborn Nu 3:46-51; 18:15,16
* Things devoted Le 27:21; Nu 5:9,10; 18:14
* Fines Le 5:16; 22:14; Nu 5:8
* Trespass money and other trepass offerings Le 5:15,18; Nu 18:9; 2Ki 12:16
* The shewbread Ex 25:30; Le 24:5-9; 2Ch 2:4; 13:11; Ne 10:33; Mt 12:4; Heb 9:2
* Portions of sacrifices and offerings Ex 29:27-34; Le 2:2,3,9,10; 5:12,13,16; 6:15-18,26; 7:6-10,31-34; 10:12-14; 14:12,13; Nu 6:19,20; 18:8-19; De 18:3-5; 1Sa 2:13,14; Eze 44:28-31; 45:1-4; 1Co 9:13
* Regulations by Hezekiah concerning benefits to the priests 2Ch 31:4-19
* Portion of land allotted to, in redistribution in Ezekiel' s vision Eze 48:8-14
* For the sustenance of their families Le 22:11-13; Nu 18:11,19

→ FIGURATIVE Ex 19:6; Isa 61:6; 1Pe 2:9; Re 1:6; 5:10; 20:6 → HIGH PRIEST → (Moses did not denominate Aaron chief or high priest) → (The function he served was superior to that of other priests)
* The title appears after the institution of the office Le 21:10-15; Nu 3:32
* For qualifications, consecration, etc
* See under the general topic above, PRIEST, MOSAIC INSTITUTION OF
* Vestments of Ex 28:2-43; 39:1-31; Le 8:7-9
* Respect due to Ac 23:5
* DUTIES OF
* Had charge of the sanctuary and altar Nu 18:2,5,7
* To offer sacrifices Heb 5:1; 8:3
* To designate subordinate priests for duty Nu 4:19; 1Sa 2:36
* To officiate in consecrations of Levites Nu 8:11-21
* To have charge of the treasury 2Ki 12:10; 22:4; 2Ch 24:6-14; 34:9
* To light the lamps of the tabernacle Ex 27:20,21; 30:8; Le 24:3,4; Nu 8:3
* To burn incense Ex 30:7,8; 1Sa 2:28; 1Ch 23:13
* To place shewbread on the table every Sabbath Le 24:8
* To offer for his own sins of ignorance Le 4:3-12
* On the Day of Atonement Ex 30:10; Le 16; Heb 5:3; 9:7,22,23
* Judicial Nu 5:15; De 17:8-13; 1Sa 4:18; Ho 4:4; Mt 26:3,50,57,62; Ac 5:21-28; 23:1-5
* To count the people Nu 1:3
* Officiate at the choice of a ruler Nu 27:18,19,21
* Distribute the plunder of war Nu 31:26-29
* Benefits of
* See PRIEST, BENEFITS OF, above
* A second priest, under the high priest Nu 3:32; 4:16; 31:6; 1Ch 9:20; 2Sa 15:24; 2Ki 25:18; Lu 3:2

→ MISCELLANEOUS FACTS CONCERNING
* Loyal to Rehoboam at the time of the revolt of the ten tribes 2Ch 11:13
* Zeal of, in purging the temple 2Ch 29:4-17
* Wickedness of 2Ch 36:14
* Taken with the captivity to Babylon Jer 29:1
* Return from the captivity Ezr 1:5; 2:36-39,61,70; 3:8; 7:7; 8:24-30; Ne 7:39-42,63-73; 10:1-8; 12:1-7
* Polluted by marrying idolatrous wives Ezr 9:1,2; 10:5,18,19; Ne 10:28
* Restore the altar, and offer sacrifices Ezr 3:1-7
* Supervise the building of the new temple Ezr 3:8-13
* Inquire of John the Baptist to see if he might be the Messiah Joh 1:19
* Conspire to destroy Jesus Mt 26:3-5,14,15,47,51; Mr 14:10,11,43-47,53-66; 15:1; Lu 22:2-6,50,54,66-71; 23:1,2; Joh 11:47; 19:15,16,18
* Put on trial and condemn Jesus Mt 26:57-68; 27:1,2; Mr 14:53-65; Lu 22:54-71; 23:13-24; Joh 18:15-32
* Incite the people to ask that Barabbas be released and Jesus be destroyed Mt 27:20; Mr 15:11; Lu 23:18
* Persecute the disciples Ac 22:5
* Reprove and threaten Peter and John Ac 4:6-21; 5:17-41
* Put on trial, condemn, and stone Stephen Ac 6:12-15; 7
* Paul brought before Ac 22:30; 23:1-5
* Corrupt Jer 23:11,12; Eze 22:26; Lu 10:31
* Instances of
* Eli' s sons 1Sa 2:12-17,22
* Of the captivity Ezr 9:1,2; 10:18-22; Ne 13:4-9,13,28,29
* Zealous 1Ch 9:10-13
* Priestly office performed by prophets 1Sa 16:5

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priest. Priest, n. a person who officiates at the altar

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Priest (?), n. [[OE. prest, preost, AS. preóst, fr. L. presbyter, Gr. � elder, older, n., an elder, compar. of � an old man, the first syllable of which is probably akin to L. pristinus. Cf. Pristine, Presbyter.]] 1. 1. (Christian Church) A presbyter elder; a minister; specifically: (a) (R. C. Ch. & Gr. Ch.) One who is authorized to consecrate the host and to say Mass; but especially, one of the lowest order possessing this power. Murdock. (b) (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.) A presbyter; one who belongs to the intermediate order between bishop and deacon. He is authorized to perform all ministerial services except those of ordination and confirmation.
2. 2. One who officiates at the altar, or performs the rites of sacrifice; one who acts as a mediator between men and the divinity or the gods in any form of religion; as, Buddhist priests. “The priests of Dagon.” 1 Sam. v. 5.
Then the priest of Jupiter . . . brought oxen and garlands . . . and would have done sacrifice with the people. Acts xiv. 13. Every priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Heb. v. 1. ☞ In the New Testament presbyters are not called priests; but Christ is designated as a priest, and as a high priest, and all Christians are designated priests.