Leviticus 21:1-7

Regulations concerning Priests

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: '1 No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,
2 2except * for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother and his father and his son and his daughter and his brother,
3 also for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
4 'He shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself.
5 '3They shall not make any baldness * on their heads, 4nor shave off the edges of their beards, 5nor make any cuts in their flesh.
6 'They shall be holy to their God and 6not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the LORD, 7the food of their God; so they shall be holy.
7 '8They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.

Leviticus 21:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 21

This chapter respects the priests, the sons of Aaron, and forbids their mourning for the dead, unless in some cases, Le 21:1-6; or their marriage with an whore or a divorced woman, Le 21:7,8; and the daughters of any of them to commit fornication, which is made punishable with death, Le 21:9; and it contains particular laws for the high priest to observe, who was not to mourn for any, even for his parents, Le 21:10,11; nor to go out of the sanctuary, Le 21:12; nor to marry any woman but a virgin, Le 21:13-15; and it also directs, that none of the priests having any blemish in them should be employed in divine service, though they might eat of the holy things, Le 21:16-24.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Leviticus 19:28; Ezekiel 44:25
  • 2. Leviticus 21:11
  • 3. Deuteronomy 14:1; Ezekiel 44:20
  • 4. Leviticus 19:27
  • 5. Deuteronomy 14:1
  • 6. Leviticus 18:21
  • 7. Leviticus 3:11
  • 8. Leviticus 21:13, 14

Footnotes 3

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