Leviticus 21:1 - Forerunner Commentary

Leviticus 21:1

Regulations for Conduct of Priests

1 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ^a‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,

2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

3 also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself.

4 Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a¹ chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5 ^a‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

6 They shall be ^aholy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the ^bbread of their God; ^ctherefore they shall be holy.

7 ^aThey shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman ^bdivorced from her husband; for¹ the priest is holy to his God.

8 Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for ^aI the Lord, who ^bsanctify you, am holy.

9 The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be ^aburned with fire.

10 ‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was ^apoured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not ^buncover his head nor tear his clothes;

11 nor shall he go ^anear any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother;

12 ^anor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the ^bconsecration 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 a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife.

15 Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the Lord sanctify him.’ ”

16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

17 “Speak to Aaron, saying: ‘No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God.

Verse Comparison: Leviticus 21:1

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Leviticus 21:2 >>

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;

Amplified® Bible
THE LORD said to Moses, Speak to the priests [exclusive of the high priest], the sons of Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people [by touching a corpse or assisting in preparing it for burial],

Contemporary English Version
The LORD gave Moses these instructions for Aaron's sons, the priests: Touching a dead body will make you unclean. So don't go near a dead relative,

Darby English Version
And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none make himself unclean for a dead person among his peoples,

Good News Bible
The LORD commanded Moses to tell the Aaronite priests, "No priest is to make himself ritually unclean by taking part in the funeral ceremonies when a relative dies,

King James Version
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:

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: `No one shall defile himself for a {dead} person among his people,

New International Version
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,

New King James Version
And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ' No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Speak unto the priests, sons of Aaron, and thou hast said unto them, For `any' person `a priest' is not defiled among his people,

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Regulations for Conduct of Priests

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning