Leviticus 21:7
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What's easy to miss here is that "profane" doesn't just mean irreligious, but also implies any kind of defilement or illicit sexual contact, even if it was accidental or forced. This broader definition highlights that priests, being set apart for God, had to avoid even the appearance of impurity or scandal in their families, which could reflect on their holy calling.
They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a larger section in Leviticus detailing specific holiness requirements for priests and their families. Following instructions about avoiding ritual impurity through contact with the dead, God now outlines prohibitions regarding the marital choices of priests to ensure their families reflect their sacred calling. This emphasis on a pure lineage and reputation continues into the next verse, where the consequences for a priest's daughter who acts unfaithfully are severe.
Why did God set such strict marriage rules for priests? It wasn't just about outward actions, but also about protecting their sacred calling from anything that could cast doubt on their dedication to God.
The Priest's Family Mirroring His Calling
God's instructions in Leviticus 21:7 are clear: priests couldn't marry a prostitute, a defiled woman, or a woman divorced from her husband. This wasn't arbitrary; it was about safeguarding the priest's unique position as someone set apart for God.
Preventing Reproach
The primary concern was that the priest's family life should reflect his holiness. Associating with women who had questionable pasts, even if they were divorced for reasons other than adultery, could lead to suspicion and gossip. Such scandal would not only tarnish the priest's reputation but, more importantly, reflect poorly on God and the sacred service he represented. The goal was to ensure that the priest's life, both public and private, was a testament to God's purity.
The word 'profane' in this verse carries a weight that goes beyond simple disrespect. For a priest's wife, it meant avoiding any association that could compromise her husband's sacred status.
Beyond Immorality to Compromise
The term 'profane' (or 'defiled' in some translations) in Leviticus 21:7 is crucial. While it clearly includes women who have engaged in prostitution, its scope is broader.
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A Wider Circle of Concern
Commentaries suggest this could include women who were not of Israelite birth (heathens), or even women who had been seduced or deflowered, regardless of whether it was by force or by consent. The emphasis is on avoiding any woman whose past might introduce a 'blemish' or raise questions about her suitability. For a priest, whose entire being was dedicated to God, even potential associations that could lead to suspicion or taint were forbidden. It's about maintaining an unblemished witness.
Understand the original words
chalal · Hebrew Adjective
A state of ritual impurity or moral corruption that disqualifies someone or something from being in the presence of a holy God. It can result from physical acts, ceremonial neglect, or moral sin.
This passage speaks to how the holiness of a partner can sanctify the other, echoing the principle that a priest's holiness should be reflected in his spouse.
1 Timothy 3:2This New Testament passage, which outlines qualifications for overseers (elders), requires them to be 'above reproach,' married only once, and the husband of one wife, highlighting the ongoing importance of a leader's marital integrity.
Ezekiel 44:22This later prophetic passage reiterates and even specifies rules for priests marrying, showing a consistent concern for their marital purity throughout Israel's history.
Malachi 2:15This prophetic book calls for faithfulness in marriage, stating that God hates divorce, which connects to the prohibition against priests marrying divorced women.
gillLeviticus 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."
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, bu…
clarkeLeviticus 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."
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.
What's easy to miss here is that "profane" doesn't just mean irreligious, but also implies any kind of defilement or illicit sexual contact, even if it was accidental or forced. This broader definition highlights that priests, being set apart for God, had to avoid even the appearance of impurity or scandal in their families, which could reflect on their holy calling.
This verse is part of a larger section in Leviticus detailing specific holiness requirements for priests and their families. Following instructions about avoiding ritual impurity through contact with the dead, God now outlines prohibitions regarding the marital choices of priests to ensure their families reflect their sacred calling. This emphasis on a pure lineage and reputation continues into the next verse, where the consequences for a priest's daughter who acts unfaithfully are severe.
This verse is part of a larger section in Leviticus detailing specific holiness requirements for priests and their families. Following instructions about avoiding ritual impurity through contact with the dead, God now outlines prohibitions regarding the marital choices of priests to ensure their families reflect their sacred calling. This emphasis on a pure lineage and reputation continues into the next verse, where the consequences for a priest's daughter who acts unfaithfully are severe.
"They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God." — What's easy to miss here is that "profane" doesn't just mean irreligious, but also implies any kind of defilement or illicit sexual contact, even if it was accidental or forced. This broader definiti…
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Last reviewed October 2026
