Leviticus 21:2

Leviticus 21:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But 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,
• New International Version (NIV)except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,
• English Standard Version (ESV)except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,
• New King James Version (NKJV)except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

Context of Leviticus 21:2

1The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. “A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative. The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother, 3or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband. 4But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage.

Leviticus 21:2 word by word

כִּ֚י אִם־לִשְׁאֵר֔וֹ הַקָּרֹ֖ב אֵלָ֑יו לְאִמּ֣וֹ וּלְאָבִ֔יו וְלִבְנ֥וֹ וּלְבִתּ֖וֹ וּלְאָחִֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But for his kinשְׁאֵרshe'êr · fleshH7607
• that is nearקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
• for his motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
• and for his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• and for his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and for his daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• and for his brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251

Cross-references for Leviticus 21:2

• Leviticus 18:6“You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

Commentaries on Leviticus 21:2

• 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 21:2

• Mourning
• Sanctification
• Uncleanness

In the dictionaries

• Corner
• Hair
• Profane
• Purification
• Shave
• Corpse
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Holiness
• Kinsman; Kinswoman

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