Leviticus 21 · Verse 4

Leviticus 21:4

But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

Leviticus 21:4, King James Version

Leviticus 21:4 in other translations

BSB	He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.
WEB	He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
ASV	He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
YLT	‘A master priest doth not defile himself among his people--to pollute himself;
DARBY	He shall not make himself unclean who is a chief among his peoples, to profane himself.
BBE	But let him, being a chief among his people, not make himself unclean in such a way as to put shame on himself.
Webster	But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

What does Leviticus 21:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4. But he shall not defile himself--"for any other," as the sense may be fully expressed. "The priest, in discharging his sacred functions, might well be regarded as a chief man among his people, and by these defilements might be said to profane himself" [Bishop Patrick]. The word rendered "chief man" signifies also "a husband"; and the sense according to others is, "But he being a husband, shall not defile himself by the obsequies of a wife" (Eze 44:25).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 A chief man among his people - The word בעל baal signifies a master, chief, husband, etc., and is as variously translated here. 1. He being a chief among the people, it would be improper to see him in such a state of humiliation as mourning for the dead necessarily implies. 2. Though a husband he shall not defile himself even for the death of a wife, because the anointing of his God is upon him. But the first sense appears to be the best.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Leviticus 21:4 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.

לֹ֥אlo'notH3808

יִטַּמָּ֖אyi.ta.Ma'he will make himself uncleanH2930

בַּ֣עַלBa.'ala husbandH1167

בְּעַמָּ֑יוbe.'a.Mavamong kinspeople<s> hisH5971

לְהֵ֖חַלּֽוֹ\׃le.He.cha.Loto profane himselfH2490

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

Cross references for Leviticus 21:4

Ezekiel 24:16-17
Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

or, the verse may be read, being an husband among his people,he shall not defile himself for his wife, etc.
Eze 24:16,17

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

Context

Leviticus 21:3
And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.
Leviticus 21:4
But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
Leviticus 21:5
They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

Read all of Leviticus 21

Leviticus 21:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	No se contaminará, porque es príncipe en sus pueblos, haciéndose inmundo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Il ne se rendra pas impur comme chef parmi son peuple, pour se profaner.
German Elberfelder 1871	Er soll sich nicht verunreinigen als Herr unter seinen Völkern, sich zu entweihen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	sed nec in principe populi sui contaminabitur.