Leviticus 22:13

But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites and Aaron’s priestly line regarding ritual purity and sacred food regulations during the wilderness period. The verse specifically addresses the status of a priest’s daughter who has lost her husband and lacks offspring.

The words — כִּי תִהְיֶה (ki tih.yeh) translates to “if she will be,” introducing the conditional scenario. אַלְמָנָה וּ/גְרוּשָׁה (’al.ma.nah u./ge.ru.shah) literally means “a widow and a divorced [woman],” defining her marital status.

The thread — The return to a father’s house echoes Genesis 38:11, while the permission for priestly families to eat sacred provisions parallels Leviticus 10:14 and Numbers 18:11. The prohibition against outsiders accessing these provisions connects to Leviticus 22:10.

Why it lands — The text states that a childless widow or divorced priest’s daughter regains her former right to eat her father’s sacred food, while explicitly barring any non-priest from doing so. It requires a reader to recognize that sacred provisions are strictly bounded by lineage and marital status, not general access.

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

But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

Cross-references

Genesis 38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
Leviticus 10:14 And you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in a ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the peace offerings of the sons of Israel.
Numbers 18:11 And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.