The message of ch. 21 is for the priests and their families. They must keep from defilement of every kind. The people were permitted to do certain things that were forbidden to the priests. In turn, the common priests were allowed more liberties than the high priest. There was a graduated scale of conduct that became more strict according to the person’s rank. The rules that applied to the head of the household applied in some instances to their families also, with the effect thatthe misconduct of a son or a daughter might reflect on the father.