Bible Strands
Leviticus 21:15
so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The LORD speaks to Moses, completing the regulations for a high priest’s marriage by forbidding unions with widows, divorced women, or defiled women.
The words — The text employs יְחַלֵּ֥ל (yeḥallēl), literally "he will profane," and מְקַדֵּשׁ (mḳaddēš), literally "sets apart as holy," to establish a direct contrast between ritual defilement and divine consecration.
The thread — The principle of holiness extending through lineage or union appears in Genesis 18:19, where God commands Abraham to direct his household, and in Romans 11:16 and 1 Corinthians 7:14, which apply the same root-to-branch and spouse-to-spouse sanctification logic.
Why it lands — The verse mandates strict marital boundaries for the high priest to prevent ritual defilement of his descendants, anchoring the command in God’s own authority as the one who sanctifies.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the Lord do sanctify him.
Cross-references
- Romans 11:16 If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
- 1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
- Genesis 18:19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
- Leviticus 21:8 You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.
- Ezra 2:62 These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
- Ezra 9:2 Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
- Nehemiah 13:23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
- Malachi 2:11 Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.
- Malachi 2:15 Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.