11 Neither shall he go in H935 to any dead H4191 body, H5315 nor defile H2930 himself for his father, H1 or for his mother; H517
This is the law, H8451 when a man H120 dieth H4191 in a tent: H168 all that come H935 into the tent, H168 and all that is in the tent, H168 shall be unclean H2930 seven H7651 days. H3117
Ye shall not make H5414 any H3793 cuttings H8296 in your flesh H1320 for the dead, H5315 nor print H5414 any marks H7085 upon you: I am the LORD. H3068
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Speak H559 unto the priests H3548 the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 and say H559 unto them, There shall none be defiled H2930 for the dead H5315 among his people: H5971 But for his kin, H7607 that is near H7138 unto him, that is, for his mother, H517 and for his father, H1 and for his son, H1121 and for his daughter, H1323 and for his brother, H251
He shall not make himself unclean H2930 for his father, H1 or for his mother, H517 for his brother, H251 or for his sister, H269 when they die: H4194 because the consecration H5145 of his God H430 is upon his head. H7218
Who said H559 unto his father H1 and to his mother, H517 I have not seen H7200 him; neither did he acknowledge H5234 his brethren, H251 nor knew H3045 his own children: H1121 for they have observed H8104 thy word, H565 and kept H5341 thy covenant. H1285
And G1161 another G2087 of his G846 disciples G3101 said G2036 unto him, G846 Lord, G2962 suffer G2010 me G3427 first G4412 to go G565 and G2532 bury G2290 my G3450 father. G3962 But G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto him, G846 Follow G190 me; G3427 and G2532 let G863 the dead G3498 bury G2290 their G1438 dead. G3498
While G2089 he G846 yet G1161 talked G2980 to the people, G3793 behold, G2400 his mother G3384 and G2532 his G846 brethren G80 stood G2476 without, G1854 desiring G2212 to speak G2980 with him. G846 Then G1161 one G5100 said G2036 unto him, G846 Behold, G2400 thy G4675 mother G3384 and G2532 thy G4675 brethren G80 stand G2476 without, G1854 desiring G2212 to speak G2980 with thee. G4671 But G1161 he answered G611 and said G2036 unto him that told G2036 him, G846 Who G5101 is G2076 my G3450 mother? G3384 and G2532 who G5101 are G1526 my G3450 brethren? G80 And G2532 he stretched forth G1614 his G846 hand G5495 toward G1909 his G846 disciples, G3101 and said, G2036 Behold G2400 my G3450 mother G3384 and G2532 my G3450 brethren! G80 For G1063 whosoever G3748 G302 shall do G4160 the will G2307 of my G3450 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven, G3772 the same G846 is G2076 my G3450 brother, G80 and G2532 sister, G79 and G2532 mother. G3384
And G1161 he said G2036 unto G4314 another, G2087 Follow G190 me. G3427 But G1161 he said, G2036 Lord, G2962 suffer G2010 me G3427 first G4412 to go G565 and bury G2290 my G3450 father. G3962 G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto him, G846 Let G863 the dead G3498 bury G2290 their G1438 dead: G3498 but G1161 go G565 thou G4771 and preach G1229 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316
If any G1536 man come G2064 to G4314 me, G3165 and G2532 hate G3404 not G3756 his G1438 father, G3962 and G2532 mother, G3384 and G2532 wife, G1135 and G2532 children, G5043 and G2532 brethren, G80 and G2532 sisters, G79 yea, G2089 and G1161 his own G1438 life G5590 also, G2532 he cannot G3756 G1410 be G1511 my G3450 disciple. G3101
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 21
Commentary on Leviticus 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Le 21:1-24. Of the Priests' Mourning.
1. 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 inconvenience, the whole order were enjoined to abstain from all approaches to the dead, except at the funerals of relatives, to whom affection or necessity might call them to perform the last offices. Those exceptional cases, which are specified, were strictly confined to the members of their own family, within the nearest degrees of kindred.
4. But he shall not defile himself—"for any other," as the sense may be fully expressed. "The priest, in discharging his sacred functions, might well be regarded as a chief man among his people, and by these defilements might be said to profane himself" [Bishop Patrick]. The word rendered "chief man" signifies also "a husband"; and the sense according to others is, "But he being a husband, shall not defile himself by the obsequies of a wife" (Eze 44:25).
5. They shall not make baldness upon their heads … nor … cuttings in their flesh—The superstitious marks of sorrow, as well as the violent excesses in which the heathen indulged at the death of their friends, were forbidden by a general law to the Hebrew people (Le 19:28). But the priests were to be laid under a special injunction, not only that they might exhibit examples of piety in the moderation of their grief, but also by the restraint of their passions, be the better qualified to administer the consolations of religion to others, and show, by their faith in a blessed resurrection, the reasons for sorrowing not as those who have no hope.
7-9. They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane—Private individuals might form several connections, which were forbidden as inexpedient or improper in priests. The respectability of their office, and the honor of religion, required unblemished sanctity in their families as well as themselves, and departures from it in their case were visited with severer punishment than in that of others.
10-15. 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. Moreover, the high dignity of his office demanded a corresponding superiority in personal holiness, and stringent rules were prescribed for the purpose of upholding the suitable dignity of his station and family. The same rules are extended to the families of Christian ministers (1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:6).
16-24. Whosoever he be … hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God—As visible things exert a strong influence on the minds of men, any physical infirmity or malformation of body in the ministers of religion, which disturbs the associations or excites ridicule, tends to detract from the weight and authority of the sacred office. Priests laboring under any personal defect were not allowed to officiate in the public service; they might be employed in some inferior duties about the sanctuary but could not perform any sacred office. In all these regulations for preserving the unsullied purity of the sacred character and office, there was a typical reference to the priesthood of Christ (Heb 7:26).