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Easy-to-Read Version

Leviticus 21:1

The Lord said to Moses, "Tell these things to Aaron's sons, the priests: A priest must not make himself unclean by touching a dead person.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Marriage;   Mourning;   Sanctification;   Uncleanness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Defilement-Cleansing;   Leaders;   Pollutions;   Priests;   Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Priests;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;   Defilement;   High Priest, the;   Priests;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mourning;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Priest;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Clean, Unclean;   Priest, Christ as;   Priest, Priesthood;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Purification;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mourning;   Priest;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Birds of Abomination;   Clean, Cleanness;   Leviticus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Leviticus;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corpse;   Defile;   Holiness;   Leviticus;   Nazirite;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Commandments, the 613;   Priest;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to Moshe, Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say to them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
King James Version
And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Lexham English Bible
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, Aaron's sons, and say to them, ‘One must not make himself unclean for a dead person among his own people,
New Century Version
The Lord said to Moses, "Tell these things to Aaron's sons, the priests: ‘A priest must not make himself unclean by touching a dead person.
New English Translation
The Lord said to Moses: "Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron—say to them, ‘For a dead person no priest is to defile himself among his people,
Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself [that is, become ceremonially unclean] for the dead among his people [by touching a corpse or assisting in preparing it for burial],
New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lorde said vnto Moses, Speake vnto the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron, and say vnto them, Let none be defiled by the dead among his people,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,
Contemporary English Version
The Lord gave Moses these instructions for Aaron's sons, the priests: Touching a dead body will make you unclean. So don't go near a dead relative,
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said to Moshe, "Speak to the cohanim, the sons of Aharon; tell them: ‘No cohen is to make himself unclean for any of his people who dies,
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none make himself unclean for a dead person among his peoples,
English Standard Version
And the Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people,
George Lamsa Translation
THE LORD said to Moses, Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron and say to them, There shall none of you defile himself by mourning for the dead among his people,
Good News Translation
The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Aaronite priests, "No priest is to make himself ritually unclean by taking part in the funeral ceremonies when a relative dies,
Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them: A priest is not to make himself ceremonially unclean for a dead person among his relatives,
Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak to the priests, Aaron's sons, and you shall say to them, None shall be defiled for the dead among his people.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE sayde vnto Moses: Speake to ye prestes ye sonnes of Aaron, & saye vnto the: A prest shal defyle him self vpo no soule of his people,
American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, Let no man make himself unclean for the dead among his people;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses, Speake vnto the priestes the sonnes of Aaron, & say vnto them: Let none be defiled by a corse among his people:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto Moses: Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them: There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto Moses; Speake vnto the Priests the sonnes of Aaron, and say vnto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and thou shalt tell them that they shall not defile themselves in their nation for the dead,
English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron's sons, the priests, and tell them: 'A priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide to Moyses, Speke thou to preestis, the sones of Aaron, and thou schalt seie to hem, A preest be not defoulid in the deed men of hise citeseyns,
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Speak unto the priests, sons of Aaron, and thou hast said unto them, For [any] person [a priest] is not defiled among his people,
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, None shall defile himself for the dead among his relatives;
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
World English Bible
Yahweh said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
New King James Version
Ezekiel 44:15-31">[xr] And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: "None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,
New Living Translation
The 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.
New Life Bible
The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the religious leaders, the sons of Aaron, ‘No one should make himself unclean for a dead person among his people,
New Revised Standard
The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his relatives,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh said unto Moses, Say unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, - yea thou shalt say unto them, For a dead person, shall no one make himself unclean among his people:
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord said also to Moses: Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and thou shalt say for them: Let not a priest incur an uncleanness at the death of his citizens.
Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people,
THE MESSAGE
God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron. Tell them, A priest must not ritually contaminate himself by touching the dead, except for close relatives: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband; for these he may make himself ritually unclean, but he must not contaminate himself with the dead who are only related to him by marriage and thus profane himself.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord said to Moses, "Tell these things to Aaron's sons, the priests: A priest must not make himself unclean by touching a dead person. 2 But if the dead person was one of his close relatives, he can touch the dead body. The priest can make himself unclean if the dead person is his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother or 3 his unmarried sister. (This sister is close to him because she has no husband. So the priest may make himself unclean for her if she dies.) 4 But a priest must not make himself unclean if the dead person was only one of his slaves. 5 "Priests must not shave their heads bald. They must not shave off the edges of their beards. They must not make any cuts in their bodies. 6 Priests must be holy for their God. They must show respect for God's name. They offer the bread and special gifts to the Lord , so they must be holy. 7 "A priest serves God in a special way, so he must not marry a woman who has had sexual relations with any other man. He must not marry a prostitute or a divorced woman. 8 A priest serves God in a special way. So you must treat him in a special way, because he carries holy things. He brings the holy bread to me, and I am holy. I am the Lord , and I make you holy. 9 "If a priest's daughter becomes a prostitute, she ruins her reputation and brings shame to her father. She must be burned to death in the fire!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Speak: Hosea 5:1, Malachi 2:1, Malachi 2:4

There: Leviticus 21:11, Leviticus 10:6, Leviticus 10:7, Numbers 19:14, Numbers 19:16, Ezekiel 44:25

Reciprocal: Leviticus 22:4 - unclean Numbers 5:2 - and whosoever Numbers 6:7 - unclean Numbers 19:11 - toucheth the dead Deuteronomy 26:14 - eaten 1 Chronicles 6:49 - Aaron Nehemiah 13:29 - because they have defiled

Cross-References

Genesis 17:16
I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her."
Genesis 17:19
God said, "No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.
Genesis 17:21
But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year."
Genesis 18:10
Then one of them said, "I will come again in the spring. At that time your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening in the tent and heard these things.
Genesis 18:14
But is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 21:17
God heard the boy crying, and God's angel called to Hagar from heaven. He said, "What is wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God has heard the boy crying there.
Genesis 21:20
God continued to be with the boy while he grew up. Ishmael lived in the desert and became a hunter. He learned to shoot a bow very well.
Genesis 50:24
When Joseph was near death, he said to his brothers, "My time to die is almost here. But I know that God will take care of you and lead you out of this country. God will lead you to the land he promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Exodus 3:16
"Now go and call together the elders of the people. Tell them that Yahweh , the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—appeared to you. Give them this message from me: ‘I have been watching over you and have seen what people in Egypt have done to you.
Exodus 4:31
and they believed what they had heard. Then the Israelites understood that the Lord had seen their troubles and had come to help them. So they bowed down and worshiped God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto Moses,.... According to some Jewish writers this was said on the day the tabernacle was set up; no doubt it was delivered at the same time the above laws were given; and as care was taken for the purity and holiness of the Israelites in general, it was necessary that the priests that were concerned in a more especial manner in the service and worship of God should be holy also, and have some instructions given them to take care and keep themselves from all defilements; and particularly the Jewish writers observe, that this paragraph or section concerning the priests follows upon, and is in connection with the law concerning such as have familiar spirits, and wizards, to teach men, that in matters of doubt and difficulty they should not have recourse to such persons, but to the priests of the Lord:

speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron; the priests, whether elder or younger, whether fit for service, and whether having blemishes, or not; for there are some things which concern them, and these are sons, male children of Aaron, as the Targum of Jonathan, and not daughters, as Jarchi and others observe; for they were not obliged to regard the laws and rules here given:

and say unto them, there shall none be defiled for the dead among his people; by entering into a tent or house where a dead body lay, by touching it, or by hearing it, or attending it to the grave, or by any expressions of mourning for it, see Numbers 19:11; that is, for any person in common that were of his people, that were not nearly related to him, as in the cases after excepted; so it was a custom with the Romans, as we are told n, that such as were polluted by funerals might not sacrifice, which shows that priests were not allowed to attend funerals, which perhaps might be taken from hence; and so Porphyry says o, that sacred persons and inspectors of holy things should abstain from funerals or graves, and from every filthy and mournful sight.

n Servius in Virgil. Aeneid. l. xi. ver. 3. o De Abstinentia, l. 2. c. 50.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXI

The priests shall not mourn for the dead, except for near

relatives, such as mother, father, son, daughter, and sister

if a virgin, 1-4.

They shall not shave their heads nor beards, nor make any

cuttings in the flesh, because they are holy unto God, 5, 6.

A priest shall not marry a woman who is a whore, profane, or

divorced from her husband, 7, 8.

Of the priest's daughter who profanes herself, 9.

The high priest shall not uncover his head, or rend his clothes,

10;

nor go in unto a dead body, 11;

nor go out of the sanctuary, 12.

Of his marriage and off-spring, 13-15.

No person shall be made a priest that has any blemish nor

shall any person with any of the blemishes mentioned here be

permitted to officiate in the worship of God, 16-24.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXI

Verse Leviticus 21:1. There shall none be defiled for the dead — No priest shall assist in laying out a dead body, or preparing it for interment. Any contact with the dead was supposed to be of a defiling nature, probably because putrefaction had then taken place; and animal putrefaction was ever held in detestation by all men.


 
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