New King James Version
Leviticus 21:10
10‘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;
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;
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘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.
- 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 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
8Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the Lord, who sanctify you, am holy. 9The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire. ‘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; 11nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother; 12nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: 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 8:12And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.
- Leviticus 10:7You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.
- Leviticus 16:32And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;
- Exodus 29:29“And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them.
- Numbers 35:25So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
- Psalms 133:2It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
- Leviticus 8:7And he put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod, and with it tied the ephod on him.
- Exodus 28:2And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
- Leviticus 10:6And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled.
- Leviticus 13:45“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
- 2 Samuel 15:30So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.
- Esther 6:12Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.
- Genesis 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- Job 1:20Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
- Matthew 26:65Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries