Lev 6:18 | NETfull | STEP | Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. It is a perpetual allotted portion throughout your generations from the gifts of the Lord . Anyone who touches these gifts must be holy.’”

Leviticus 6:18

18 Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. It is a perpetual allotted portion ^{▼▼ Or “a perpetual regulation”; cf. NASB “a permanent ordinance”; NRSV “as their perpetual due.”} throughout your generations ^{▼▼ Heb “for your generations”; cf. NIV “for the generations to come.”} from the gifts of the Lord. Anyone who touches these gifts ^{▼▼ Heb “touches them”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In this context “them” must refer to the “gifts” of the Lord.} must be holy.’” ^{▼▼ Or “anyone/anything that touches them shall become holy” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:443–56). The question is whether this refers to the contagious nature of holy objects (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or whether it simply sets forth a demand that anyone who touches the holy gifts of the Lord must be a holy person (cf. CEV). See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:900–902.}