Leviticus 21

Leviticus · Chapter 21

Leviticus 21:5

1And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:2But 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,3And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.4But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.5They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.6They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.7They 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.8Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.9And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.10And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;11Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;12Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.13And he shall take a wife in her virginity.14A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.15Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.16And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,17Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.18For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,19Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,20Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;21No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.22He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.23Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.24And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
5They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
notלֹֽא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they will make baldיִקְרְח֤וּyik-re-chahH7139
to make bald

קָרַח (qa.rach) 1) to be bald, make bald 1a) (Qal) to make bald, make a baldness 1b) (Niphal) to make oneself bald 1c) (Hiphil) to make oneself bald 1d)(Hophal) to make bald

baldnessקָרְחָה֙ka-re-CHAHH7144
bald spot

קׇרְחָה (qor.chah) baldness, bald

on head theirבְּרֹאשָׁ֔םbe-ro-SHAMH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

and [the] side ofוּפְאַ֥תu-fe-'ATH6285
side

פֵּאָה (pe.ah) 1) corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity 1a) corner 1b) side

beard theirזְקָנָ֖םze-ka-NAMH2206
beard

זָקָן (za.qan) 1) beard, chin 1a) beard 1b) chin

notלֹ֣אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they will shaveיְגַלֵּ֑חוּye-ga-LE-chuH1548
to shave

גָּלַח (ga.lach) 1) to poll, shave, shave off, be bald 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to shave 1a2) to shave off 1a3) (fig. of devastation) 1b)(Pual) to be shaven 1c) (Hithpael) to shave oneself

and in flesh theirוּבִ֨בְשָׂרָ֔םu-VIV-sa-RAMH1320
flesh

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) 1) flesh 1a) of the body 1a1) of humans 1a2) of animals 1b) the body itself 1c) male organ of generation (euphemism) 1d) kindred, blood-relations 1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God) 1f) all living things 1g) animals 1h) mankind Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they will cutיִשְׂרְט֖וּyis-re-TUH8295
to incise

שָׂרַט (sa.rat) 1) to incise, scratch, tattoo, cut 1a) (Qal) to make incision 1b) (Niphal) to be scratched or lacerated, be cut

cut[s]שָׂרָֽטֶת׃sa-RA-tetH8296B
incision

שָׂרֶ֫טֶת (sa.re.tet) incision, cut Another spelling of se.ret (שֶׂ֫רֶט "incision" H8296A)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.