He must not defile himself by going near a dead body. He may not make himself ceremonially unclean 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;
- BSB He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or 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;
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 19:14“This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
- Num 6:7He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head.
- Lev 21:1–2Yahweh said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people;
- Lev 19:28“‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.
- 2 Cor 5:16Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
- Matt 8:21–22Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
- Luke 9:59–60He said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
- Luke 14:26“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.
- Matt 12:46–50While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
- Deut 33:9He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’ He didn’t acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.