Leviticus 21:4

Leviticus 21:4 in other versions

• New International Version (NIV)He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage.

Context of Leviticus 21:4

2But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother, 3And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled. But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. 5They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

Leviticus 21:4 word by word

לֹ֥א יִטַּמָּ֖א בַּ֣עַל בְּעַמָּ֑יו לְהֵ֖חַלּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• he shall not defileטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
• a chief manבַּעַלba‛al · master: husbandH1167
• among his peopleעַם‛am · kinsmanH5971
• to profaneחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490

Cross-references for Leviticus 21:4

• Ezekiel 24:16Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

Commentaries on Leviticus 21:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A chief man among his people - The word בעל baal signifies a master, chief, husband, etc., and is as variously translated here. He being a chief among the people, it would be improper to see him in such a state of humiliation as mourning for the dead necessarily implies. 2. Though a husband he shall not defile himself even for the death of a wife, because the anointing of his God is upon him. But the first sense appears to be the best.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The sense seems to be that, owing to his position in the nation, the priest is not to defile himself in any cases except those named in Leviticus 21:2-3. The Septuagint appear to have followed a different reading of the text which would mean, “he shall not defile himself for a moment.” The explanation in the margin of our version is hardly in keeping with the prohibition to Ezekiel on a special occasion. See Ezekiel 24:16.Read the comment
• 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. 44. But he shall not defile himself--"for any other," as the sense may be fully expressed. "The priest, in discharging his sacred functions, might well be regarded as a chief man among his people, and by these defilements might be said to profane himself" [Bishop Patrick]. The word rendered "chief man" signifies also "a husband"; and the sense according to others is, "But he being a husband, shall not defile himself by the obsequies of a wife" (Eze 44:25).Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 21:4

• Mourning
• Sanctification
• Uncleanness

In the dictionaries

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

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