What Does Leviticus 22:25 Mean in the King James?

Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

Leviticus 22:25 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The offering is a bringing-near, yet nearness cannot conceal the ruin already within the gift.

THE MEANING

The offering remains unacceptable when corruption and blemish are already within it, even when it arrives from another’s hand. Its source does not change the condition it carries as it is brought near.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The belief that a gift’s source or the act of presenting it can cancel the defect it carries. The verse says that condition remains present at the moment of offering.

THE ROOT

מָשְׁחָתָם

māshḥātām

GROWS FROM

שחת

⁨שחת⁩ (shāḥat): to ruin, spoil, or destroy.

“corruption” in this verse is māshḥātām. The verse says the ruin is in the offering, using language from a root that carries the sense of spoiling or destroying. Its defect is already present as the gift is brought near; the act of offering does not remove it.

ALSO GROWS

shiḥēt: He ruined or corrupted.

שִׁחֵת

This verb from ⁨שחת⁩ makes the verse’s “corruption” part of a wider family of words for damage and ruin.

shaḥat: Pit or destruction.

שַׁחַת

This related form gives the root’s ruin a concrete edge: something spoiled can be associated with destruction or a pit.

תַּקְרִיבוּ

taqrīvū

GROWS FROM

קרב

⁨קרב⁩ (qārab): to approach or draw near.

The Hebrew verb translated “offer” means to bring near. That makes the verse’s boundary especially exact: what is brought near still carries the condition already within it.

ALSO GROWS

qorbān: Offering; something brought near.

קָרְבָּן

This noun makes the approach built into the offering explicit: the gift is what is brought near.

qārēv: Draw near or approach.

קָרֵב

This verb from the same root shows that “offer” belongs to a family of words about nearness, not only the presentation of a gift.

THE PATTERN

What is brought near retains its condition; the act of offering does not erase an existing defect.

But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

Leviticus 22:20 · KJVThe offering is refused because the blemish remains part of what is brought near.

And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:8 · KJVThe offering’s condition remains visible even when the act of presenting it is complete.

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 Peter 1:19 · KJVThe image of an offering without blemish carries the same concern with what the gift itself contains.

THE THREAD

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Psalm 16:10 · KJV

Leviticus uses ⁨מָשְׁחָתָם⁩ (māshḥātām), from ⁨שחת⁩, for corruption within an offering; Psalm 16:10 uses the same root in “see corruption.” The shared word opens a striking contrast: ruin is present in the rejected offering, while the Holy One is not abandoned to it.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us