Leviticus 21:13

Leviticus 21:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘The woman he marries must be a virgin.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Context of Leviticus 21:13

11Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; 12Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD. And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people for a wife. 15Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD sanctifieth him.

Leviticus 21:13 word by word

וְה֕וּא אִשָּׁ֥ה בִבְתוּלֶ֖יהָ יִקָּֽח׃Read the interlinear

• takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• virginityבְּתוּלִיםbethûlîym · virginityH1331

Cross-references for Leviticus 21:13

• Leviticus 21:7They shall not take a wife that is an harlot, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy to his God.
• Ezekiel 44:22Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.
• 2 Corinthians 11:2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
• Revelation 14:4These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

Commentaries on Leviticus 21:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13He shall take a wife in her virginity - בתוליה bethuleyha . This is a full proof that בתולה bethulah is the proper Hebrew term for a virgin; from the emphatic root בתל bathal, to separate; because such a person was in her separate state, and had never been in any way united to man.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 21:13

• Marriage
• Minister, Christian
• Priest
• Sanctification
• Uncleanness

In the dictionaries

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

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