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

1The Lord said to Moses: “Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron – say to them, ‘For a dead person no priest is to defile himself among his people, 2except for his close relative who is near to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, and his virgin sister who is near to him, who has no husband; he may defile himself for her. 4He must not defile himself as a husband among his people so as to profane himself. 5Priests must not have a bald spot shaved on their head, they must not shave the corner of their beard, and they must not cut slashes 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