New International Version
Leviticus 21:10
10“ ‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes.
Leviticus 21:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
- English Standard Version (ESV)"The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes;
- New Living Translation (NLT)“The high priest has the highest rank of all the priests. The anointing oil has been poured on his head, and he has been ordained to wear the priestly garments. He must never leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothing.
Context of Leviticus 21:10
8Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy. 9“ ‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire. “ ‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. 11He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, 12nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.
Read all of Leviticus 21Leviticus 21:10 word by word
וְהַכֹּהֵן֩ הַגָּד֨וֹל מֵאֶחָ֜יו אֲֽשֶׁר־יוּצַ֥ק עַל־רֹאשׁ֣וֹ׀ שֶׁ֤מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה֙ וּמִלֵּ֣א אֶת־יָד֔וֹ לִלְבֹּ֖שׁ אֶת־הַבְּגָדִ֑ים אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ֙ לֹ֣א יִפְרָ֔ע וּבְגָדָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִפְרֹֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the highגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- among his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
- upon whose headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- the anointingמִשְׁחָהmishchâh moshchâh · anointingH4888
- oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- was pouredיָצַקyâtsaq · to pour: pourH3332
- and that is consecratedיָדyâd · hand: donateH3027
- and that is consecratedמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- to putלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
- on the garmentsבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- shall not uncoverפָּרַעpâra‛ · to neglectH6544
- nor rendפָּרַםpâram · to tearH6533
Cross-references for Leviticus 21:10
- Leviticus 8:12He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.
- Leviticus 10:7Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.
- Leviticus 16:32The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments
- Exodus 29:29“Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.
- Numbers 35:25The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
- Psalms 133:2It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.
- Leviticus 8:7He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also fastened the ephod with a decorative waistband, which he tied around him.
- Exodus 28:2Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.
- Leviticus 10:6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire.
- Leviticus 13:45“Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
- 2 Samuel 15:30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.
- Esther 6:12Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,
- Genesis 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
- Job 1:20At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
- Matthew 26:65Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
Commentaries on Leviticus 21:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10He that is the high priest - This is the first place where this title is introduced; the title is very emphatic, הגדול הכהן haccohen haggadol, that priest, the great one. For the meaning of כהן cohen, see the note on Genesis 14:18. As the chief or high priest was a representative of our blessed Lord, therefore he was required to be especially holy; and he is represented as God's king among the people.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10It was the distinguishing mark of the anointing of the high priest, that the holy oil was poured upon his head like a crown (compare Leviticus 8:12). Uncover his head - Rather, let his hair be disheveled. See the note at Leviticus 10:6.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-15The rules for common priests were more strict than for the high priest, who represented all of Israel, including other priests (Leviticus 21:1–4). The priest must always keep his hair neat and not tear his clothing in mourning. This ensured he was always ready to serve. While a common priest could marry a widow, the high priest could only marry a virgin. This ensured that future high priests and common priests from that union would have a clear lineage…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1510-15. he that is the high priest among his brethren ... shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes--The indulgence in the excepted cases of family bereavement, mentioned above [Le 21:2, 3], which was granted to the common priests, was denied to him; for his absence from the sanctuary for the removal of any contracted defilement could not have been dispensed with, neither could he have acted as intercessor for the people, unless ceremonially clean…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 21:10
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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