What Does “Priest” Mean in the Bible?
Office or title
The one who offers worship and sacrifices to God in the name of the people.
It can mean
- Among the Jewish people: the one who served in the Temple and offered the sacrifices. Priests were from the tribe of Levi and descendants of Aaron.
- In the Catholic Church: the man who receives the sacrament of Holy Orders. He celebrates Mass, forgives sins in confession, and guides the faithful in the name of Christ.
Where it appears in the Bible
Luke 1:5
What the Bible says
Luke 1:5
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Luke 1:5-9; Exodus 28:1; Catechism 1461, 1539, 1548, 1564, 1566 and 1577