Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 21:7
They shall not take a wife [that is] a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he [is] holy unto his God.
7. profane ] guilty of immorality.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Profane – A woman who has been seduced, or one of illegitimate birth. A somewhat stricter rule for the priests marriages was revealed to the prophet in later times, Eze 44:22.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. That is a whore] A prostitute, though even reclaimed.
Profane] A heathen, or one who is not a cordial believer in the true God.
Put away from her husband] Because this very circumstance might lead to suspicion that the priest and the divorced woman might have been improperly connected before.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Or profane, or defiled, or defloured, though it were done secretly, or by accident, or by force; because the priest must take care that all the members of his family be free not only from gross wickedness, but from all suspicion of evil, and occasions of reproach or contempt, because this would reflect upon himself, and upon his God and religion also. The word may denote one defloured by any person, though it were by her husband; or a widow, because not only the high priest was obliged to marry a virgin, Lev 21:13, but also the inferior priests, as appears from Eze 44:22, and that is either signified by this word, or by none other here. It is true, a widow, and a profane person, are distinguished, Lev 21:14; but the same word may be, and oft is, taken in differing senses, both more largely and more strictly, in the same chapter. And there was some reason why it should be more expressly and distinctly set down there, a widow, or one profane or defloured otherwise, because there was the more need of caution in the high priest, and therefore the widow is particularly mentioned, which in the former case might be sufficiently comprehended under a general title.
A woman put away from her husband, though not for adultery, but for light causes, and by the husbands fault, because though the woman might he wholly innocent and free, yet it would leave some blemish upon her.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7-9. They shall not take a wife thatis a whore, or profanePrivate individuals might form severalconnections, which were forbidden as inexpedient or improper inpriests. The respectability of their office, and the honor ofreligion, required unblemished sanctity in their families as well asthemselves, and departures from it in their case were visited withseverer punishment than in that of others.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They shall not take a wife [that is] a whore, or profane,…. By the former is meant a common whore, that prostitutes herself to any one through lust or for gain; and by the latter one whose chastity is violated, but either unwillingly, that has been forced and ravished, or else willingly, being enticed, persuaded, and prevailed upon, but did not make a practice of it; this seems to be the true sense of the words: but the Jewish writers understand them differently; by a “whore” they suppose is meant one that is not an Israelitish woman, that is not born of an Israelite, at least of an Israelitish woman, as proselytes or freed persons; for they say there are no whores but such, or one that lies with such persons, she may not marry with; as such as are guilty of cutting off, or any of the Nethinim, or spurious persons, so Jarchi; and by a “profane” person they think is meant such as are born of those that are rejected, as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it; that is, that are either born of incestuous marriages, such as are forbidden, Le 18:1; or that are born of those that are rejected in the priesthood, or whom a priest might not marry, as the daughter of a widow, by the high priest, or the daughter of one divorced, by a common priest, which is the sense of Jarchi:
neither shall they take a woman put away by her husband: which was, in these and later times, common for any offence, when the crime of adultery was not pretended; but this always supposed something bad or amiss, and made such a woman suspected of having done an unseemly thing, therefore priests were forbidden marrying such persons: the Targum of Jonathan adds,
“or by her husband’s brother;”
and so takes in one that has loosed the shoe, as the Jews call her, who being left without issue, her husband’s brother refused to marry her, and therefore she plucked off his shoe, and spit in his face, see
De 25:7; such an one a priest might not marry, according to this paraphrast, and other Jewish writers, and if he did was to be beaten a;
for he [is] holy unto his God; separated from common persons, and devoted to the service of God, and therefore not to be defiled with such sort of women, or to lie under any scandal or reproach through such, marriages.
a Misn. Maccot, c. 3. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Their marriage and their domestic life were also to be in keeping with their holy calling. They were not to marry a whore (i.e., a public prostitute), or a fallen woman, or a woman put away (divorced) from her husband, that is to say, any person of notoriously immoral life, for this would be irreconcilable with the holiness of the priesthood, but (as may be seen from this in comparison with Lev 21:14) only a virgin or widow of irreproachable character. She need not be an Israelite, but might be the daughter of a stranger living among the Israelites; only she must not be an idolater or a Canaanite, for the Israelites were all forbidden to marry such a woman (Exo 34:16; Deu 7:3).
Lev 21:8 “ Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, ” that is to say, not merely “respect his holy dignity” ( Knobel), but take care that he did not desecrate his office by a marriage so polluted. The Israelites as a nation are addressed in the persons of their chiefs. The second clause of the verse, “ he shall be holy unto thee, ” contains the same thought. The repetition strengthens the exhortation. The reason assigned for the first clause is the same as in Lev 21:6; and that for the second, the same as in Lev 20:8, Lev 20:26; Exo 31:13, etc.
Lev 21:9 The priests’s family was also to lead a blameless life. If a priest’s daughter began to play the whore, she profaned her father, and was to be burned, i.e., to be stoned and then burned (see Lev 20:14). , a man who is a priest, a priest-man.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 7, 8:
The priest must be careful in his selection of a wife. He must not marry an immoral woman, one who had been a prostitute. Neither was he permitted to marry a woman who had been divorced. The reason: his life must be above reproach and free from any taint of suspicion, because of his position in the service of Jehovah God, cp. 1Ti 3:1-7; Tit 1:7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
7. They shall not take a wife. The third kind of purity is in marriage itself, that the priests’ home may be chaste and free from all dishonor. At this time also God commands by the mouth of Paul, that pastors should be chosen, who rule well their own houses, whose wives are chaste and modest, and their children well-behaved. (1Ti 3:2; Titus 1:6.) The same cause for this existed under the Law, lest those appointed for the government of the Church should be despised and looked down upon on account of their domestic vices. But God most especially had regard to the priesthood of Christ, that it should not be exposed to contempt. It was indeed permitted that men should marry with impunity a woman divorced from her husband; though in the sight of God such an union was unlawful. No law forbade private individuals from marrying a deflowered woman; but what was permitted to the multitude God condemned in the priests, in order to withdraw them from every mark of infamy. And this reason is also expressed when he says that He would have the priests holy, because He has chosen them for Himself; for if the people had not reverenced them, all religion would have been contemptible. Therefore that their dignity might be preserved, He commands them to take diligent heed not to expose themselves to ignominy. Finally, still more highly to commend reverence to their holy office, He reminds them that it related to the welfare of the whole people: “I the Lord (He says) do sanctify him,” Lev 21:15. In these words He intimates that the grace of adoption, whereby they were chosen as His heritage, was based on the priesthood.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
TEXT 21:79
7
They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God,
8
Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee, for I Jehovah, who sanctify you, am holy.
9
And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 21:79
477.
How absurd it seems to us to read that a priest of the Holy God should not marry a harlot, or a profane or divorced woman. Why was it necessary to say this?
478.
The sacrifices are here called the bread of God i.e. the food of God. How are we to understand this?
479.
The daughter of the priest really carries a heavy responsibility. Why? Cf. Jos. 7:15; Jos. 7:25.
PARAPHRASE 21:79
A priest shall not marry a prostitute, nor a woman of another tribe, and he shall not marry a divorced woman, for he is a holy man of God. The priest is set apart to offer the sacrifices of your God; he is holy, for I, the Lord who sanctifies you, am holy. The daughter of any priest who becomes a prostitute, thus violating her fathers holiness as well as her own, shall be burned alive.
COMMENT 21:79
Lev. 21:7-8 We need to remember that these regulations were to stand as long as the priesthood served. There would be times in the history of Israel when no such prohibitions were needed; their moral standards were higher than the thought of a priest marrying a prostitute. But there would be other times when every man did that which was right in his own eyes, and such a prohibition was very much needed. The defiled or profaned woman would be one who had become such by some unnamed violation of the law of God.
The altar was the table of God and the sacrifices were the food served to Him as bread. The priests had the priceless privilege of serving Gods bread at His table. For this reason they must be holy.
Lev. 21:9 The daughter of any Israelite who was guilty of whoredom was punished by strangling. Cf. Lev. 20:10, Deu. 22:23-24. But the daughter of the priest has been given more, and more is required. Once again we need to be reminded that the limits of the moral code are here emphasized. We trust that not many daughters were stoned and then burned with fire for such a practice.
FACT QUESTIONS 21:79
489.
There would be times when such regulations were needed, and times when they were not. Discuss.
490.
Could a priest marry a widow?
491.
In what sense were the sacrifices the bread of God?
492.
Why so severe with the punishment of the daughter of the priest?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(7) Not take a wife.From the defilement arising through contact with the dead, the lawgiver passes to regulation about the priests alliances with the living, which might be fraught with still more serious consequences to his sacred office. In selecting a wife he is to be careful both about her chastity and legitimate descent.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
HOLINESS IN FAMILY RELATIONS, Lev 21:7-15.
7. Whore A woman wilfully wanton.
Profane Hebrew, profaned or dishonoured in any way, whether by violence or with consent.
Put away A divorced woman may be perfectly virtuous, but the priest’s wife, like Caesar’s, must be above suspicion. He may marry a widow, unless he be a high priest. See Lev 21:14. We call attention to the absence of all limitations as to nationality. The priest might marry a non-Israelite if not an idolater; but not a Canaanite, because of their idolatry, nor an Ammonite nor a Moabite, on account of national antipathy. Exo 34:16; Deu 7:3; Deu 23:3. From Lev 21:14 we infer that he was permitted to marry a widow, as Josephus declares. Others infer from Eze 44:22 that he could marry only the widow of a priest.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 21:7 They shall not take a wife [that is] a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he [is] holy unto his God.
Ver. 7. They shall not take a wife. ] Lest their function be disgraced. That which Hosea was commanded to do against this prohibition Hos 1:2 was but visional.
Or profane.
Put away from her husband.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
that is a whore: Lev 21:8, Eze 44:22, 1Ti 3:11
put away: Deu 24:1-4, Isa 50:1
Reciprocal: Gen 21:10 – Cast out Exo 19:6 – and an Lev 19:29 – to cause Lev 21:13 – General Num 30:9 – General Deu 24:2 – she may go Deu 33:8 – with thy Ezr 10:18 – the sons Tit 1:6 – the husband
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 21:7. Profane Or defiled, or deflowered, though it were done secretly, or by force; because the priest must take care that all the members of his family be free not only from gross wickedness, but from all suspicions of evil.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21:7 They shall not take a wife [that is] a whore, or {d} profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he [is] holy unto his God.
(d) Which has an evil name or is defamed.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The priests’ marriages and home life were to be in keeping with their holy vocation.
"Very awful is your responsibility if you diminish your zeal, love, spirituality, by marrying one who has more of earth and a present world in her person and spirit, than of heaven and a coming eternity." [Note: Bonar, p. 375.]
Priests could not marry prostitutes or divorced women but only virgins or widows of spotless character. One scholar argued that the prohibition against priests marrying non-virgins had to do with contracting ceremonial impurity, not morality. [Note: Joe M. Sprinkle, "Old Testament Perspectives on Divorce and Remarriage," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40:4 (December 1997):540-41.] But marrying a non-virgin did not necessarily render a man ceremonially unclean.
"However innocent the divorced woman was in fact, her reputation was likely to have been affected by the divorce." [Note: Wenham, The Book . . ., p. 291.]
The bride of a priest could not be a Canaanite or an idolater, but she could be a foreigner. The priests’ children were to lead upright lives too.
"The conduct of the family is noticed by the world, and they lay the blame of their [the children’s] misdeeds at the door of their parents. . . . They [the children] hinder the usefulness of their father, who loses influence in the eyes of the world if his counsels and walk have not succeeded in drawing his own family to God [cf. 1Ti 3:11; Tit 1:6]." [Note: Bonar, p. 376.]