Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 21:4
[But] he shall not defile himself, [being] a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
4. being a chief man ] as a husband (R.V. mg.). This rendering limits the cases in which defilement is permissible to those already mentioned, and forbids mourning for a wife. The A.V. follows the Targum.
The wording of the v. suggests a corruption in the text. The Sept. substitute (see R.V. mg.) for ‘a chief man’ is apparently obtained by a transposition in Heb. consonants, but fails to convey any clear meaning. It has been suggested, by a somewhat greater modification in the Heb., to read in mourning. Baentsch ( HG. 111A) considers that the words ‘defile himself’ and ‘among his people’ shew that the v. forms an intimate part of the prohibition contained in the previous vv. Inasmuch, then, as the word rendered ‘chief man’ is regularly used of a husband, and as mention of a wife is strangely absent from the MT., he proposes either of two alternative readings, which assume a copyist’s accidental omission of a word or words, expressing wife; so that the precept originally ran, a husband shall not be defiled for his wife. It is, however, difficult, as Dillm. says, to suppose, in the face of the opening words of Lev 21:2, that a priest whose wife died was forbidden to approach the body.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The sense seems to be that, owing to his position in the nation, the priest is not to defile himself in any cases except those named in Lev 21:2-3. The Septuagint appear to have followed a different reading of the text which would mean, he shall not defile himself for a moment. The explanation in the margin of our version is hardly in keeping with the prohibition to Ezekiel on a special occasion. See Eze 24:16.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. A chief man among his people] The word baal signifies a master, chief, husband, &c., and is as variously translated here.
1. He being a chief among the people, it would be improper to see him in such a state of humiliation as mourning for the dead necessarily implies.
2. Though a husband he shall not defile himself even for the death of a wife, because the anointing of his God is upon him. But the first sense appears to be the best.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Or, seeing he is
a chief man, & c., or ruler, &c., for such not only the high priest, but others also of the inferior priests, were. And therefore though he might defile himself for the persons now named, yet he, above all others, must take heed so to do it that he do not profane himself by doing as follows. Or, for a chief man, &c., the preposition lamed being easily understood from the former verse, where it is oft used, such supplements being not unusual in the Hebrew tongue. So the sense is, he shall not defile himself for any other person whatsoever who is not thus near of kin to him, no, not for a prince or chief ruler among his people, who might seem to challenge this duty from him, to join with all others in their resentment of the public loss; much less shall he defile himself for any other. And so the last word,
to profane himself, may be added as a reason why he should not defile himself for the prince or any other except the persons named, because such defilement for the dead did profane him, or make him as a common person and unclean, and consequently unfit to manage his sacred employment, which was an impediment to the service of God, and a public inconvenience to the people, whose concerns with God he negotiated. And it was not meet such great and important affairs should give place to the ceremonies of a funeral for a stranger.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. But he shall not defilehimself“for any other,” as the sense may be fullyexpressed. “The priest, in discharging his sacred functions,might well be regarded as a chief man among his people, and by thesedefilements might be said to profane himself” [BISHOPPATRICK]. The wordrendered “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” (Eze44:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[But] he shall not defile himself, [being] a chief man among his people,…. Which is not to be understood of any lord or nobleman or any chief ruler or governor of the people; for the context speaks only of priests, and not of other personages; besides, such might defile themselves, or mourn for their dead, as Abraham did for Sarah; nor of any husband for his wife, for even a priest, as has been observed, might do this for his wife, and much more a private person; nor is there any need to restrain it, as some Jewish writers do, to an adulterous wife, which a husband might not mourn for, though he might for his right and lawful wife; but there is nothing in the text, neither of an husband, nor a wife: the words are to be interpreted of a priest, and either of him as considered as a person of eminence, consequence, and importance, and sons giving a reason why he should not defile himself for the dead, because he was a principal person among his people to officiate for them in sacred things; wherefore if he did not take care that he was not defiled for the dead, which might often happen, he would be frequently hindered from doing his office for the people, which would be attended with ill consequence to them; and therefore the above cases are only excepted, as being such that rarely happened: or rather the words are to be considered as a prohibition of defiling himself “for [any] chief” s, or principal man, lord, ruler, or governor, among his people; even for such an one he was not to defile himself, being no relation of his:
to profane himself; make himself unfit for sacred service, or make himself a common person; put himself upon a level with a common private man, and be no more capable of serving at the altar, or doing any part of the work off priest, than such an one.
s “in principe populi sui”, V. L. so Pesicta & Ben Melech in loc. & Kimchi Sepher Shorash. rad.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4) But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man . . . Better, A husband shall not defile himself among his people when he had profaned himself. As the seven exceptions to the general rule began with his wife, whose funeral rites the priestly husband is allowed to attend, the verse before us restricts this permission to his legally prescribed wife. If he contracted a marriage which profaned him, he could not attend to her funeral ceremonies. The last clause, which is here translated, when he had profaned him, literally denotes to profane himself, with respect to his profanationi.e., with respect to a marriage by which he profaned himself. This is the interpretation which the administrators of the Law attached to the verse, and which is transmitted in the Chaldee version of Jonathan. It is not only in perfect harmony with the context, but does least violence to this manifestly disordered text. The translations exhibited in the Authorised version, both in the text and in the margin, as well as most of those suggested by modern commentators, leave the clause unexplained, since it manifestly means something else than defiling himself by contracting impurity through contact with the dead, as is evident from the fact that it is not added in the other instances where the priest is forbidden to defile himself by attending to the dead. (See Lev. 21:1-11.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Being a chief man The exegesis of this verse is much disputed. Some, as Knobel, connect it with the preceding verses, and interpret the “chief man” baal to signify husband, who is expressly forbidden to mourn for his wife. Out of twenty-three times, it is rendered husband six times in the Pentateuch. Others, with Keil, connect this verse with Lev 21:7, and understand it as a general prohibition which is specialized in that verse as relating to an immoral wife or daughter. The weight of argument seems to be with Knobel. Nevertheless, Eze 24:16-18, has been rightly adduced against this view, where it is counted strange that Ezekiel, a priest, does not mourn for his wife.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 21:4. But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people Very different versions are given of this passage: several ancient versions render it, neither shall he be defiled for the prince of his people: a rendering which Houbigant follows, and strongly approves. It seems, however, most probable, from comparing the eleventh verse in the original, that the sacred writer means to say, that he shall not defile himself for, or upon account of, any of his people. The LXX seem to have understood it in this sense: and let it be observed, that the context appears manifestly to justify this interpretation; first asserting, that he shall not be defiled for the dead among his people: some exceptions are then made; after which it is added, that, saving these exceptions, he shall be defiled for no other: see Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Doth not the Reader discern somewhat in these which point to JESUS? Surely in all these appointments respecting ceremonial uncleanness among the priests, the peculiarity of the law for them only, plainly intimates that it represents him, and his spotless purity, who is the priest of his people forever, and is untainted with either moral or ceremonial uncleanness. Heb 8:13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 21:4 [But] he shall not defile himself, [being] a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
Ver. 4. Being a chief man. ] A vir gregis; all whose actions were exemplary, and have not an impulsive only, but a compulsive power and property. “Why compellest thou the Gentiles?” Gal 2:14 His example was a compulsion.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
defile himself [for his wife]. Figure of speech Ellipsis. App-6.
a chief = a lord, or leader. Hebrew. ba’al. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6) [a priest].
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Or, the verse may be read, being an husband among his people, he shall not defile himself for his wife, etc. Eze 24:16, Eze 24:17
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 21:4. Being Or, seeing he is a chief man For such, not only the high-priest, but others also of the inferior priests were. He shall not defile himself For any other person whatsoever. To profane himself
Because such defilement for the dead did profane him, or make him as a common person, and consequently unfit to manage his sacred employment.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21:4 [But] he shall not defile himself, [being] a {c} chief man among his people, to profane himself.
(c) The priest was permitted to mourn for his next kindred only.