except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,
Parallel translations
- KJV But 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,
- BSB except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,
- NKJV except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;
- NASB except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother,
- NLT The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother,
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
A priest could defile himself only for his nearest blood relatives. God's law makes compassionate room for genuine family grief.
Overview
While priests were generally to avoid the dead, an exception was granted for close kin, mother, father, son, daughter, and brother. This shows that God's holiness laws were not coldly rigid but accommodated the natural bonds and sorrows of family. Mercy and reverence are held together in the priestly calling.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
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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 21:2 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
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