EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Leviticus 21:7
7A priest must not marry a woman who has left her husband. He must not marry a woman if men have paid her to have sex with her. He must not marry a woman whose husband has sent her away. A priest must be holy.
Leviticus 21:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God.
Context of Leviticus 21:7
5A priest must not cut all the hair from his head. He must not cut the sides of his beard. He must not cut his body. 6A priest must be holy. He must not speak bad words about the Lord. He is the person who sacrifices the people's burnt offerings. A priest must not marry a woman who has left her husband. He must not marry a woman if men have paid her to have sex with her. He must not marry a woman whose husband has sent her away. A priest must be holy. 8A priest is holy because he sacrifices the people's offerings to God. A priest is holy because I, the Lord, am holy. 9A priest's daughter must not have sex with men who pay her. That would make her unclean. She would take away her father's honour. If she does not obey, you must burn her in a fire.
Read all of Leviticus 21Leviticus 21:7 word by word
אִשָּׁ֨ה זֹנָ֤ה וַחֲלָלָה֙ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֔חוּ וְאִשָּׁ֛ה גְּרוּשָׁ֥ה מֵאִישָׁ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑חוּ כִּֽי־קָדֹ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לֵאלֹהָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They shall not takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
- a wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- a whoreזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
- or profaneחָלָלchâlâl · profanedH2491
- put awayגָּרַשׁgârash · to drive out: divorceH1644
- from her husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
- holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- unto his Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Leviticus 21:7
- Leviticus 21:8A priest is holy because he sacrifices the people's offerings to God. A priest is holy because I, the Lord, am holy.
- Ezekiel 44:22Priests must not marry a widow, or a woman whose husband has sent her away. They may only marry Israelite women who have never had sex. Or they may marry a widow whose husband had been a priest.
- 1 Timothy 3:11Deacons' wives must live good lives, so that people respect them. They must not say bad things against people. They must think carefully about how they live. People should know that they are honest in everything they do.
- Deuteronomy 24:1Perhaps a man will marry a woman and then he discovers something that brings shame on her. So she does not please him any more. He must write a letter to say that they are no longer married. He gives the letter to his wife. Then he can send her away from his house.
- Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says to his people: ‘Did I send your mother away, like a man sends away his wife? Where is the paper to say why I have sent her away? Did I sell you to pay people that I was in debt to? Where is the paper that shows the reason for my debt? Listen! I sold you because of your sins. I sent your mother away because you have not obeyed me.
Commentaries on Leviticus 21:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7That is a whore - A prostitute, though even reclaimed. Profane - A heathen, or one who is not a cordial believer in the true God. Put away from her husband - Because this very circumstance might lead to suspicion that the priest and the divorced woman might have been improperly connected before.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Profane - A woman who has been seduced, or one of illegitimate birth. A somewhat stricter rule for the priests‘ marriages was revealed to the prophet in later times, Ezekiel 44:22.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The priest had to set a high standard of conduct for Israel in worship. This applied to his personal life and family leadership. He could not have any connections to pagan practices (for example, prostitution, Leviticus 21:9). His family also had to be above question, so divorce was not allowed. Early church leaders followed similar standards (1 Timothy 3:1–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane--Private individuals might form several connections, which were forbidden as inexpedient or improper in priests. The respectability of their office, and the honor of religion, required unblemished sanctity in their families as well as themselves, and departures from it in their case were visited with severer punishment than in that of others.Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 21:7
In the dictionaries
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
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