Leviticus 21:2-3
except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean).
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The list of immediate family doesn't explicitly include a priest's wife, but tradition understood her to be covered under "his closest relatives." This careful omission highlights how essential her role was, so much so that it was assumed she was included, and the special prohibition against a priest mourning his wife in Ezekiel’s case underscores this implied inclusion.
The Lord is giving specific instructions to Moses about the priests, who are set apart for holy service. This verse clarifies that while priests must generally avoid ritual impurity associated with death, there are specific, very close family members for whom they are permitted to mourn and become defiled. This allowance is a concession to human grief and natural affection for those most intimately connected to them.
The Bible lays out strict rules for priests, even about who they can mourn. But God shows incredible understanding in His commands.
In Leviticus 21, priests are told not to
Why would God make special allowances for priests when it came to death and mourning?
The allowances made in Leviticus 21:2 are a beautiful testament to God's understanding of human nature. While priests were called to a high level of holiness and separation, God recognized the deep emotional bonds that connect us to our immediate family.
Acknowledging Natural Affection
The verses point out that it was "very hard to restrain the affections" in cases of death among parents, children, and siblings. These relationships are fundamental, and the grief associated with losing them is profound. God didn't want His priests to be robots, cut off from all human feeling.
The High Priest's Higher Calling
It's crucial to note that this allowance was specifically for common priests, not the high priest. The high priest had an even more set-apart role, symbolizing a deeper, more complete consecration to God. This distinction underscores the unique and demanding nature of the priestly office.
This passage directly contrasts the general rule by showing a prophet (who served a priestly role) being forbidden to mourn for his wife, highlighting the extreme nature of the prohibition and the exceptions made for priests in Leviticus.
Genesis 2:24This verse, mentioning a man leaving his parents to 'become one flesh' with his wife, is linguistically connected to the 'flesh' of Leviticus 21:2, suggesting the wife's unique closeness as an exception to the rule.
Romans 12:15While Leviticus deals with ritual purity, Romans speaks of emotional purity and community. This verse calls believers to 'rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep,' reflecting the deep human need for shared grief and connection, even when restricted by specific laws.
Matthew 19:5Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 when discussing marriage, reinforcing the idea of the wife's profound connection ('one flesh') that is implicitly recognized in the exceptions made for priests mourning close relatives in Leviticus.
gillLeviticus 21:2: "But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,"
But for his kin that is near unto him,.... For such he might be defiled and mourn, or be where they were, and take care of, and attend their funerals: this clause some take to be general, of which the particulars follow, as Aben Ezra; but others take it to be the first particular excepted, and instanced in, and intends his wife; for i…
bensonLeviticus 21:2: "But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,"
Leviticus 21:2 . Near to him — Under which general expression his wife seems to be comprehended, though she be not expressed. And hence it is noted as a peculiar case, that Ezekiel, who was a priest, was forbidden to mourn for his wife, Ezekiel 24:16 , &c. These exceptions God made in condescension to human infirmity; because in such…
The list of immediate family doesn't explicitly include a priest's wife, but tradition understood her to be covered under "his closest relatives." This careful omission highlights how essential her role was, so much so that it was assumed she was included, and the special prohibition against a priest mourning his wife in Ezekiel’s case underscores this implied inclusion.
The Lord is giving specific instructions to Moses about the priests, who are set apart for holy service. This verse clarifies that while priests must generally avoid ritual impurity associated with death, there are specific, very close family members for whom they are permitted to mourn and become defiled. This allowance is a concession to human grief and natural affection for those most intimately connected to them.
The Lord is giving specific instructions to Moses about the priests, who are set apart for holy service. This verse clarifies that while priests must generally avoid ritual impurity associated with death, there are specific, very close family members for whom they are permitted to mourn and become defiled. This allowance is a concession to human grief and natural affection for those most intimately connected to them.
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"except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean)." — The list of immediate family doesn't explicitly include a priest's wife, but tradition understood her to be covered under "his closest relatives." This careful omission highlights how essential her r…
