Leviticus 21 · Verse 13

Leviticus 21:13

And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
Leviticus 21:13, King James Version

Leviticus 21:13 in other translations

BSBThe woman he marries must be a virgin.
WEB“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.
ASVAnd he shall take a wife in her virginity.
YLT‘And he taketh a wife in her virginity;
DARBYAnd he shall take a wife in her virginity.
BBEAnd let him take as his wife one who has not had relations with a man.
WebsterAnd he shall take a wife in her virginity.

What does Leviticus 21:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 21:10-15

10-15. he that is the high priest among his brethren ... shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes--The indulgence in the excepted cases of family bereavement, mentioned above [Le 21:2, 3], which was granted to the common priests, was denied to him; for his absence from the sanctuary for the removal of any contracted defilement could not have been dispensed with, neither could he have acted as intercessor for…

Read the full comment on Leviticus 21:10-15 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 He shall take a wife in her virginity - בתוליה bethuleyha. This is a full proof that בתולה bethulah is the proper Hebrew term for a virgin; from the emphatic root בתל bathal, to separate; because such a person was in her separate state, and had never been in any way united to man.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Leviticus 21:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְה֕וּאve.Hu'and heH1931
אִשָּׁ֥ה'i.Shaha womanH802
בִבְתוּלֶ֖יהָviv.tu.Lei.hain virginiti<es> herH1331
יִקָּֽח\׃yi.Kachhe will takeH3947

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 21:13

  • Leviticus 21:7

    They 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.

  • Ezekiel 44:22

    Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:2

    For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

  • Revelation 14:4

    These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7; Eze 44:22; 2Co 11:2; Re 14:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Leviticus 21:12

    Neither 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.

  • Leviticus 21:13

    And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

  • Leviticus 21:14

    A 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.

Read all of Leviticus 21

Leviticus 21:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y tomará él mujer con su virginidad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il prendra pour femme une vierge.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und derselbe soll ein Weib in ihrer Jungfrauschaft nehmen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Virginem ducet uxorem: