Leviticus 21:3

Leviticus 21:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
• New International Version (NIV)or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean.
• English Standard Version (ESV)or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean).
• New King James Version (NKJV)also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself.

Context of Leviticus 21:3

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘No one shall defile himself [that is, become ceremonially unclean] for the dead among his people [by touching a corpse or assisting in preparing it for burial], 2except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother, also his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may become unclean. 4He shall not become unclean as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself. 5The priests shall not shave their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their body.

Leviticus 21:3 word by word

וְלַאֲחֹת֤וֹ הַבְּתוּלָה֙ הַקְּרוֹבָ֣ה אֵלָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הָיְתָ֖ה לְאִ֑ישׁ לָ֖הּ יִטַּמָּֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And for his sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• a virginבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
• that is nighקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
• unto him, which hath had no husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
• for her may he be defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930

Commentaries on Leviticus 21:3

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Touching a dead body made a person ceremonially unclean for seven days. A priest needed to be ready to handle holy things at all times. So, he could not touch a dead body, even if it was a relative's. Otherwise, he might be unable to serve when needed. The only exceptions were his closest relatives, as there might be no one else to bury them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-241. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people--The obvious design of the regulations contained in this chapter was to keep inviolate the purity and dignity of the sacred office. Contact with a corpse, or even contiguity to the place where it lay, entailing ceremonial defilement (Nu 19:14), all mourners were debarred from the tabernacle for a week; and as the exclusion of a priest during that period would have been attended with great…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 21:3

• Mourning
• Sanctification
• Uncleanness

In the dictionaries

• Corner
• Hair
• Profane
• Purification
• Shave
• Corpse
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Holiness
• Law in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Leviticus 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings