Leviticus 21:13

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Leviticus 21:13 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 21:13

And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
] One, and not two, or more, as Ben Gersom observes; and so Maimonides says F17, an high priest might never take two women together; for it is said, "a wife", or "woman", one, and not two; and so it is explained in the Talmud F18; for though polygamy was practised by the Israelites, and even by the common priests, yet these writers suppose it was by no means allowed to an high priest: among the Egyptians, though they took as many wives as they pleased, their priests, married but one F19; and so a minister of the New Testament is to be the husband of one wife, ( 1 Timothy 3:2 ) ; and this wife the high priest was to take was to be a "virgin", one that not only had never known a man, but that was never betrothed to any; yea, according to the Talmudists F20, who was not quite ripe for marriage, or the time of her puberty not fully completed, which was the age of twelve years; within, or somewhat before that time, the high priest was to marry her, that it might be out of all doubt that she was a pure virgin; since it is said, "in her virginity", within the time of her puberty, before it was quite up; this, by many, is thought to be an emblem of Christ and his church; as he was typified by the high priest, so the church by the virgin he married, which is espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin, ( 2 Corinthians 11:2 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F17 Hilchot Issure Biah, c. 17. sect. 13.
F18 T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 59. 1.
F19 Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p. 72.
F20 T. Bab. Yebamot, ibid. Maimon. ut supra. (Cele Hamikdash, c. 5. sect. 5, 6.)

Leviticus 21:13 In-Context

11 Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.
The King James Version is in the public domain.