Leviticus 21:11 kjv
Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
Leviticus 21:11 nkjv
nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother;
Leviticus 21:11 niv
He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother,
Leviticus 21:11 esv
He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother.
Leviticus 21:11 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.
Leviticus 21 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 10:6-7 | And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die... and do not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die... for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” | Priestly separation from mourning |
| Lev 21:1-3 | “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘No one among them shall defile himself for a dead person among his people, except for his closest relative: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother..." | Lesser allowance for common priests |
| Lev 21:10 | “He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes..." | High Priest's elevated holiness defined |
| Num 6:6-7 | “All the days of his separation he shall not come near a dead body. He shall not defile himself 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." | Nazirite vow similar purity rules |
| Num 19:11 | "Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died shall be unclean seven days." | General defilement from dead body |
| Num 19:14 | "This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days." | Household defilement from death |
| Haggai 2:13 | Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered and said, “It will be unclean.” | Ritual uncleanness by contact |
| Ezek 44:25 | “They shall not go near a dead person to defile themselves, except for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister for whom they may defile themselves." | Priestly rules in Ezekiel's temple vision |
| Ps 106:28 | "They joined themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead." | Involvement with practices linked to death |
| Matt 8:22 | But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” | Call to prioritize God over worldly duties |
| John 11:43-44 | Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” | Jesus' power over defiling death |
| Acts 2:24 | "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it." | Christ's victory over death |
| Rom 5:12 | "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—" | Sin as the root of death and defilement |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Death as a consequence of sin |
| Heb 2:14-15 | "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." | Christ delivering from death's bondage |
| Heb 4:14-15 | "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." | Christ, our sinless High Priest |
| Heb 7:26 | "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;" | Description of Christ's perfect Priesthood |
| Heb 9:13-14 | "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" | Cleansing from spiritual 'dead works' |
| Heb 10:11-12 | "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God," | Contrast: temporary priests vs. Christ's permanent Priesthood |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”" | General call to holiness for all believers |
| 2 Cor 6:17 | "Therefore 'Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.'" | Principle of separation from defilement |
| 2 Tim 2:20-21 | "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." | Spiritual cleansing for usefulness |
Leviticus 21 verses
Leviticus 21 11 Meaning
Leviticus 21:11 mandates an exceptionally strict code of purity for the High Priest of Israel. It specifically forbids him from entering any place where a dead body lies, implying any form of ritual contact with a corpse. This prohibition extends to preventing him from defiling himself even for his deceased father or mother. The core meaning emphasizes the High Priest's unique and continuous state of ritual sanctity, necessary for his office of direct service before the holy God on behalf of the entire nation, symbolizing his complete separation from the defilement of death, which is intrinsically linked to sin.
Leviticus 21 11 Context
Leviticus chapter 21 delineates specific purity and conduct laws for the priests, both common and the High Priest, to ensure their holiness. The chapter sets apart the priestly class due to their unique role in ministering to a holy God within the Tabernacle/Temple. While common priests (Lev 21:1-9) were given specific, though limited, allowances to attend to deceased immediate family members (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and unmarried sister), the High Priest is subject to far stricter regulations starting from verse 10. His elevated status, symbolized by his anointing oil and special garments, required a perpetual state of purity that even familial obligations could not breach. This reflects the intense holiness of the Lord, whom the High Priest uniquely approached on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Historically, in the ancient Near East, religious practices varied widely regarding death; Israel's laws underscored a unique divine standard of purity, establishing God's chosen priests as completely separate from death and all its associated defilements.
Leviticus 21 11 Word Analysis
- "Neither shall he go in": The Hebrew phrase is וְאֶל־כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ מֵת לֹא יָבֹא (ve'el-kol-nefesh met lo yavo). The verb יָבֹא (yavo) means "he shall come, enter, go in." In this context, it signifies any direct contact, approach, or presence that would result in ritual defilement. The High Priest must actively avoid such a state, emphasizing his responsibility to maintain a constant, unblemished sacredness suitable for direct service to the Lord. This command transcends mere physical proximity to a corpse; it implies refraining from any customary act connected to mourning or handling the dead, underscoring an uninterrupted state of separation and consecration.
- "to any dead body": The Hebrew nefesh met (נֶפֶשׁ מֵת) literally translates to "a dead soul" or "dead person," which denotes a corpse. The preceding kol (כָּל־), meaning "any" or "every," renders the prohibition absolute and comprehensive, encompassing any and all deceased individuals. Under the Mosaic Law, touching a corpse was a primary source of ritual uncleanness, as death was the ultimate consequence of sin and inherently antithetical to the life-giving nature of God's presence in the sanctuary.
- "nor defile himself": The Hebrew lo yitamma (לֹא יִטַּמָּא) is from the root טָמֵא (tame), meaning "to be unclean." The Hithpael stem (intensive, reflexive) emphasizes the active process of "making oneself unclean" or "defiling oneself." This highlights the High Priest's profound personal accountability; his choices could directly impair his holy status. This verb also carries a strong implication of spiritual and ritual contamination, which would render him unfit to minister.
- "for his father, or for his mother": This specific mention is crucial. For ordinary priests, defilement for immediate family (including parents) was explicitly permitted (Lev 21:2-3). The explicit prohibition for the High Priest, however, places the sanctity of his office above the most sacred of familial duties and ties. It dramatically illustrates the degree of devotion and unbroken dedication required for the individual chosen to uniquely mediate between God and the nation. This total separation symbolizes the High Priest's identity as solely devoted to the Lord's service, with no earthly ties superseding his sacred calling.
Leviticus 21 11 Bonus Section
- The Anointing Oil's Significance: The High Priest's exceptional prohibitions were intrinsically linked to the "anointing oil" mentioned in the preceding verse (Lev 21:10), which set him apart for holy service. This oil symbolized the enduring presence and empowering of God's Spirit, making his purity an unceasing requirement.
- Shadow and Substance: These Old Testament purity laws were symbolic shadows pointing to the absolute spiritual purity and efficacy of Christ's high priestly ministry. The physical limitations placed on the High Priest highlighted humanity's inability to achieve perfect, unceasing holiness through ritual, contrasting with Christ's intrinsic, sinless nature and His perfect, once-for-all sacrifice.
- A Unique Burdensome Honor: The severe restriction to avoid mourning even for immediate family placed an immense burden on the High Priest. It highlighted the sacrificial nature of his office, where personal sorrow and familial duty had to yield to his unique service in bridging the gap between a holy God and a sinful people. This also indirectly prevented him from leaving the Tabernacle/Temple compound to attend to burial rituals.
Leviticus 21 11 Commentary
Leviticus 21:11 underscores the High Priest's unique consecration, requiring him to maintain a continuous, unblemished state of ritual purity. Unlike common priests who could attend to the deceased in their immediate families, the High Priest's sanctity was absolute, mirroring the uninterrupted presence and holiness of God he served. Death, as the result of sin, was antithetical to God's life-giving nature, making any contact with it a source of defilement. The High Priest's complete separation from death symbolized Israel's reliance on his perpetual, clean intercession before the Most Holy. This prefigures the perfect priesthood of Jesus Christ. While the Levitical high priest meticulously avoided death to preserve ritual purity, Jesus, our ultimate High Priest, powerfully entered into the realm of death, conquered it, and through His resurrection, brought life. His very touch did not contract defilement but imparted life and cleansing, demonstrating His authority over sin and death (e.g., raising Lazarus), thereby fulfilling the spirit of these laws in a divine, ultimate sense. He did not need to avoid death to remain pure; His purity overcame death itself, enabling Him to cleanse us from "dead works" through His spotless sacrifice.