He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.
Parallel translations
- WEB He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father, or for his mother.
- KJV Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
- NKJV nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother;
- NASB nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself even for his father or his mother;
- NLT He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean even for his father or mother.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The high priest must not approach any dead body, even his father or mother. His consecration to God took precedence over the closest family ties.
Overview
Unlike ordinary priests, the high priest was forbidden contact even with deceased parents, the strictest standard of separation from death's defilement. His unbroken holiness preserved his fitness to enter God's presence on Israel's behalf. This anticipates Jesus, whose perfect, undefiled life qualifies Him as the mediator who entered the true sanctuary once for all.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Num 19:14This is the law when a person dies in a tent: Everyone who enters the tent and everyone already in the tent will be unclean for seven days,
- Num 6:7Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the crown of consecration to his God is upon his head.
- Lev 21:1–2Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,
- Lev 19:28You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
- 2 Cor 5:16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
- Matt 8:21–22Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
- Luke 9:59–60Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
- Luke 14:26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
- Matt 12:46–50While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.
- Deut 33:9He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 21:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.