Bible Verses About Ceremonial Law
This collection includes 39 passages about Ceremonial Law. Copy a verse or open its chapter for context.
This collection is a starting point, not a count of every relevant passage in the Bible.
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Reading context: Establishes holy convocations and work restrictions for Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Scripture Passages
And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
Reading context: Institutes priestly vestments and perpetual statute for Aaron's consecration.
And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
Reading context: Commands seven-day consecration of Aaron and sons according to all God commanded.
For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
Reading context: Requires priests to wash hands and feet at the laver before ministry.
This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
Reading context: Summarizes the law of burnt, meat, sin, trespass, consecration, and peace offerings; central ceremonial law.
This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
Reading context: States the law of the leper's cleansing ritual; central ceremonial law.
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Reading context: Assigns priestly office at altar and within veil; central ceremonial law for priesthood.
As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.
Reading context: Describes altar of whole stones and burnt/peace offerings as Moses commanded; explicit ceremonial-law ritual in setting.
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the Lord:
Reading context: Specifies burnt sacrifices at sabbaths, new moons, and set feasts according to commanded order—central ceremonial ordinances.
Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.
Reading context: Appoints Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings as written in Moses' law, a ceremonial ordinance.
And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.
Reading context: Passover ritual: priests and Levites stand and sprinkle blood according to Moses' law.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
Reading context: Altar rebuilt and burnt offerings offered as written in Moses' law, directly ceremonial.
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
Reading context: In setting, Mary's purification and Jesus' presentation follow Mosaic ceremonial regulations; next verse cites the firstborn law.
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Reading context: Christ abolished the law of commandments in ordinances, central NT text on ceremonial law's removal.
Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Reading context: Explicitly names the first covenant's ordinances of divine service and earthly sanctuary, introducing tabernacle ritual.
And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
Reading context: Regulates seven-day consecration and priestly garments for succeeding priests.
And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,
Reading context: Lists ceremonial cloths and holy garments for priests' service.
Which the Lord commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.
Reading context: Statute forever giving priests their portion from offerings; priestly sacrificial ordinance.
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
Reading context: Priests distinguish holy/unholy and clean/unclean; ceremonial purity regulation.
Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.
Reading context: Separates Israel from uncleanness lest they defile the tabernacle; ceremonial purity regulation.
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
Reading context: Commands sabbath observance and reverence for the sanctuary; ceremonial regulation.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Reading context: Priests must not defile themselves for the dead; priestly ceremonial purity regulation.
But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
Reading context: Chief priest must not defile himself; part of priestly ceremonial purity rules.
And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
Reading context: High priest's anointing, garments, and mourning restrictions; priestly ceremonial regulation.
Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the Lord.
Reading context: Priests must separate from holy things and not profane God's name; ceremonial holiness regulation.
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them.
Reading context: Priestly ordinance about holy things; warns against profaning them, a ceremonial regulation.
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the Lord;
Reading context: Guards the holy offerings from profanation; concerns priestly ceremonial handling of sacred things.
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
Reading context: Commands keeping sabbaths and reverencing the sanctuary, ceremonial ordinances in Israel's law.
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
Reading context: Defines Kohathite service around the most holy things in the tabernacle, a ceremonial duty.
He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.
Reading context: Nazirite purity rule about dead bodies; ceremonial consecration regulation.
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;
Reading context: Eleazar declares purification ordinance after battle, a ceremonial cleansing regulation.
These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the Lord, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.
Reading context: Regulates priestly courses and manner of temple service under Aaron; a ceremonial service ordinance.
And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.
Reading context: Passover preparation: Levites stand in holy place by divisions according to ceremonial order.
And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.
Reading context: Sets priests and Levites in divisions/courses for temple service as written in Moses; ceremonial service.
This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
Reading context: Defines the law and holy bounds of the temple amid ordinances for the house; sanctuary regulation.
And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
Reading context: Priests keep statutes and hallow sabbaths amid purity rules; priestly ceremonial regulation.
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Reading context: Jesus cites ritual washings of pots and cups as human tradition, relevant to ceremonial washings.
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.
Reading context: Within festival regulations; calls Israel to remember Egypt and observe these statutes.
When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.
Reading context: Temple-vision regulation for priests' holy garments and chambers; secondary ceremonial material.
Reference selection. Read each chapter for context. About
These 39 English KJV passages were kept from 120 candidates after each was read with its neighbouring verses and checked for relevance to ceremonial law. Verses that only shared a word, or named a related but different thing, were left out. This is a machine-assisted selection, not every passage on the subject.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I start reading about ceremonial law?
39 KJV passages, each checked with its neighbouring verses for relevance to ceremonial law. Open chapter context, save a verse, or practise with it. Read the surrounding chapter to understand the speaker, audience, and setting before drawing a conclusion.
Does this collection include every relevant passage?
No. Each of these 39 passages was checked against its surrounding verses in a machine-assisted relevance review; verses that only shared a word or a related number were left out. Other passages may also speak to ceremonial law.
Which Bible version is quoted?
The version is shown on each verse card and included when you copy the quotation. Commentary is separate from the Bible text.