Leviticus 21:11
in Leviticus 21He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
KJV
Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
⋯
This verse in Leviticus 21
Commentary
5 notes on this verseIf any of the inferior priests were under a ceremonial pollution, there were other priests that might supply their places; but, if the high priest were defiled, there would be a greater want of him. And the forbidding of him to go to any house of mourning, or attend any funeral, would be an indication to the people of the greatness of that dignity to which he was advanced.
This site's exposition
The priest who is highest among his brothers
on Leviticus 21:10-12
What Moses forbade Aaron when his sons died at 10:6, loose hair and torn garments, is fixed on the office for good. Verse 11 closes to him the funerals of his father and mother, which an ordinary priest may attend.
This site's exposition
He must not go near any dead body
Matthew Henry notes that other priests could replace a defiled priest of lower rank, and a defiled high priest would be missed more. His absence from every house of mourning also showed the people the dignity of his office. The exception of verse 2 stops short of him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Neither shall he go in to any dead body,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
HE SHALL NOT LET THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD GO LOOSE etc. NEITHER SHALL HE GO IN TO ANY DEAD BODY.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
“He does not follow the bier [of a near relative]. Our Rabbis have further derived from this verse [the principle] that the High Priest may perform [the Divine Service] when he is an onen (a mourner), 28 See above, Seder Shemini, Note.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַ֛ל | veal | and to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נַפְשֹׁ֥ת | nafshot | corpses of | H5315 → | 754 times |
| מֵ֖ת | met | a dead [person] | H4191 → | 839 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָבֹ֑א | yavo' | he will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לְאָבִ֥יו | leaviv | for father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וּלְאִמּ֖וֹ | uleimo | and for mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִטַּמָּֽא׃ | yitama' | he will make himself unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
וְעַ֛לand to
vealH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
נַפְשֹׁ֥תcorpses of
nafshotH5315 →754 times
מֵ֖תa dead [person]
metH4191 →839 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָבֹ֑אhe will go
yavo'H935 →2568 times
לְאָבִ֥יוfor father his
leavivH1 →1212 times
וּלְאִמּ֖וֹand for mother his
uleimoH517 →220 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִטַּמָּֽא׃he will make himself unclean
yitama'H2930 →162 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 14:26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:37
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
- John 12:25
Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
- Philippians 3:8
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may…
- Acts 20:24
But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good…
- Psalms 73:25–26
Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You.
- Matthew 10:37
Through
Leviticus 19:28You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 14:1
You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
- 1 Kings 18:28
So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.
- Leviticus 21:5
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
- Deuteronomy 14:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.