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Leviticus 21:13

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

The high priest must marry a woman who has never been married before.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse requires the high priest to marry a virgin, setting a higher standard for religious leaders.

📚 Historical Context

This command was part of the holiness code for priests in ancient Israel, with the high priest held to the strictest standards. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, virginity was highly valued, and religious leaders were expected to maintain the highest levels of ritual purity. These requirements emphasized the sacred nature of the priestly office and the need for priests to be set apart from common practices.

Explore Similar Verses

Ezekiel 44:22
The priests can't marry just anyone — no divorced women or widows, except they can marry single women from Israeli families, or widows whose previous husbands were also priests.
2 Chronicles 22:11
But Jehoshabeath, the king's daughter, took Joash (who was Ahaziah's son) and secretly rescued him from among the king's sons who were being killed. She hid him and his nurse in a bedroom. Jehoshabeath was King Jehoram's daughter and married to Jehoiada the priest. Since she was Ahaziah's sister, she hid the boy from Queen Athaliah so she wouldn't kill him too.
Ezra 2:61
Among the priests' descendants were the families of Habaiah, Koz, and Barzillai. The family of Barzillai got their name because their ancestor married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and took on that family name.

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Translation & Methodology Sources

The original manuscript text provided is based on the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain. Our modern English simplifications are generated via proprietary philological synthesis, cross-referenced against Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and the Textus Receptus to ensure unwavering theological and etymological precision.

Read our full translation methodology →