Leviticus 21:7

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

5“You should never mourn by shaving bald spots on your heads, shaving the edges of your beards, or slashing your bodies. 6“Be God’s holy men, and don’t dishonor the name of your God. Be holy because you bring sacrifices by fire to the Lord. It is the food of your God. You should never marry prostitutes, those who have lost their virginity, or divorced women because a priest is God’s holy man. 8Be holy because you offer the food of your God. Be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I set you apart as holy. 9When a priest’s daughter dishonors herself by becoming a prostitute, she dishonors her father. She must be burned.

Leviticus 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 21:8Be holy because you offer the food of your God. Be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I set you apart as holy.
• Ezekiel 44:22They must not marry widows or women who have been divorced. They may marry only virgins from the nation of Israel or widows of priests.
• 1 Timothy 3:11Their wives must also be of good character. They must not be gossips, but they must control their tempers and be trustworthy in every way.
• Deuteronomy 24:1This is what you must do if a husband writes out a certificate of divorce, gives it to his wife, and makes her leave his house. (He divorced her because he found out something indecent about her and she no longer pleased him.)
• Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: Where are your mother’s divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.

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

• Marriage
• Minister, Christian
• Mourning
• Priest
• Sanctification
• Uncleanness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Corner
• Hair
• Profane
• Shave
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Harlot
• Holiness

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