Leviticus 21:13

Easy-to-Read Version

"The high priest must marry a woman who is a virgin.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He shall take a wife in her virginity.

King James Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Lexham English Bible
"‘And he himself must take a wife in her virginity.

New Century Version
"‘The high priest must marry a woman who is a virgin.

New English Translation
He must take a wife who is a virgin.

Amplified Bible
'He shall take a wife in her virginity.

New American Standard Bible
'He shall take a wife in her virginity.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Also he shall take a maide vnto his wife:

Legacy Standard Bible
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Contemporary English Version
If you are the high priest, you must marry only a virgin

Complete Jewish Bible
"‘He is to marry a virgin;

Darby Translation
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

English Standard Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

George Lamsa Translation
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Good News Translation
He shall marry a virgin,

Christian Standard Bible®
“He is to marry a woman who is a virgin.

Literal Translation
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A virgin shal he take to wife,

American Standard Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Bible in Basic English
And let him take as his wife one who has not had relations with a man.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He shall take a mayde vnto his wife.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

King James Version (1611)
And he shall take a wife in her virginitie.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He shall take for a wife a virgin of his own tribe.

English Revised Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Berean Standard Bible
The woman he marries must be a virgin.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He schal wedde a wijf virgyn;

Young's Literal Translation
`And he taketh a wife in her virginity;

Update Bible Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

World English Bible
He shall take a wife in her virginity.

New King James Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

New Living Translation
"The high priest may marry only a virgin.

New Life Bible
He should take a wife who has never had a man before.

New Revised Standard
He shall marry only a woman who is a virgin.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, he, shall take a woman in her virginity:

Douay-Rheims Bible
He shall take a virgin unto his wife.

Revised Standard Version
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

THE MESSAGE
"He is to marry a young virgin, not a widow, not a divorcee, not a cult prostitute—he is only to marry a virgin from his own people. He must not defile his descendants among his people because I am God who makes him holy."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'He shall take a wife in her virginity.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ "The high priest was chosen from among his brothers. The anointing oil was poured on his head. In this way he was chosen for the special job of being high priest. He was chosen to wear the special clothes, so he must not do things to show his sadness in public. He must not let his hair grow wild. He must not tear his clothes. ¹¹ He must not make himself unclean by touching a dead body. He must not go near a dead body, even if it is his own father or mother. ¹² The high priest must not leave God's holy place, because he might become unclean and then make God's holy place unclean. The anointing oil was poured on the high priest's head. This separated him from the rest of the people. I am the Lord . ¹³ "The high priest must marry a woman who is a virgin. ¹⁴ He must not marry a woman who has had sexual relations with any man. He must not marry a prostitute, a divorced woman, or a widow. The high priest must marry a virgin from his own people. ¹⁵ In this way people will show respect for his children. I, the Lord , have separated the high priest for his special work."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 21:7, Ezekiel 44:22, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 14:4

Reciprocal: Ezra 10:18 - the sons 1 Timothy 3:11 - their Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage

Cross-References

Genesis 16:10
The angel of the Lord also said, "From you will come many people—too many people to count."

Genesis 17:20
"You mentioned Ishmael, and I heard you. I will bless him, and he will have many children. He will be the father of twelve great leaders. His family will become a great nation.

Genesis 21:12
But God said to Abraham, "Don't worry about the boy and the slave woman. Do what Sarah wants. Your descendants will be those who come through Isaac.

Genesis 21:18
Go help the boy. Hold his hand and lead him. I will make him the father of many people."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he shall take a wife in her virginity. One, and not two, or more, as Ben Gersom observes; and so Maimonides says q, an high priest might never take two women together; for it is said, "a wife", or "woman", one, and not two; and so it is explained in the Talmud r; for though polygamy was practised by the Israelites, and even by the common priests, yet these writers suppose it was by no means allowed to an high priest: among the Egyptians, though they took as many wives as they pleased, their priests, married but one s; and so a minister of the New Testament is to be the husband of one wife, 1 Timothy 3:2; and this wife the high priest was to take was to be a "virgin", one that not only had never known a man, but that was never betrothed to any; yea, according to the Talmudists t, who was not quite ripe for marriage, or the time of her puberty not fully completed, which was the age of twelve years; within, or somewhat before that time, the high priest was to marry her, that it might be out of all doubt that she was a pure virgin; since it is said, "in her virginity", within the time of her puberty, before it was quite up; this, by many, is thought to be an emblem of Christ and his church; as he was typified by the high priest, so the church by the virgin he married, which is espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin, 2 Corinthians 11:2.

q Hilchot Issure Biah, c. 17. sect. 13. r T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 59. 1. s Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p. 72. t T. Bab. Yebamot, ibid. Maimon. ut supra. (Cele Hamikdash, c. 5. sect. 5, 6.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 21:13. He 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.