Leviticus 21:13 Meaning: The High Priest's Pure Bride
“‘He shall take a wife in her virginity.
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
`And he taketh a wife in her virginity;
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
Meaning in one sentence
Learn why the high priest was required to marry a virgin in Leviticus 21:13 and how this points to Christ's pure bride, the church.
Context
Leviticus 21 lays out special rules for the priests of Israel, and especially for the high priest. God was teaching His people about holiness through these careful instructions. The high priest stood as a representative before God, and his life had to reflect a deeper purity. This included whom he could marry. Earlier verses forbid priests from marrying a divorced woman or a prostitute (Leviticus 21:7). But for the high priest, the standard went further: his wife had to be a virgin from among his own people. This wasn't a judgment on other women. It was a picture of the holiness required of the one who entered the Most Holy Place, and it pointed to a greater Bridegroom to come.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry weight here. The verb laqach (לָקַח) means "to take", it's the same word used for marrying or taking a wife. It wasn't a casual taking. It meant choosing, receiving, entering into a covenant. Then ishshah (אִשָּׁה) means "woman" or "wife." Simple enough. But the key word is bethulim (בְּתוּלִים), "virginity." Adam Clarke noted it comes from a root meaning "to separate", a woman in her separate state, never united to a man. The word is plural in Hebrew, suggesting completeness. Not just a technical status, but full purity. For the high priest to take a bride in her virginity was to mirror the wholeness and holiness that God wanted at the center of worship. Christians have long seen here a picture of Christ and His church: a Bridegroom who takes a pure bride, set apart for Him alone.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have understood this verse in different ways. Matthew Henry, in the Reformed tradition, saw it as a clear type of Christ and His church, pointing to the spiritual union between the Savior and His redeemed people. Wesley, in the Methodist tradition, agreed: the high priest's wife represented the church, compared to a virgin in Scripture. Calvin, writing from a Reformed perspective, also emphasized the typology, though he focused more on the high priest as a "bright type of Christ." Keil and Delitzsch, in their Old Testament commentary, stayed closer to the literal meaning for Israel, noting the requirement simply ensured the high priest's offspring were not profaned. Both approaches, the typological and the literal-historical, find their place in Christian reflection on this passage.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse demeans widows or divorced women by treating them as second-class. In fact, the requirement was unique to the high priest's role as a living symbol of God's holiness. Widows and divorced women were not unworthy; they simply did not fit the specific picture God was painting through the high priest's marriage. The reason was about the office, not the person.
Living This Out
What does this ancient law have to do with your week? This verse invites you to consider the purity of the relationship you are part of. You are not the high priest, but you belong to the church, the bride Christ is preparing. This week, when you feel the pull to compromise, to let something unholy slip into your heart or your community, remember that you are part of a bride being made ready for a holy Bridegroom. That changes how you speak, what you watch, how you treat others. Not because you have to earn anything, but because you are being set apart for Him.
Main takeaway: The high priest's marriage requirement foreshadows Christ's exclusive, pure love for His bride, the church, and calls His people to holiness.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God gave special rules for the high priest because he was very close to God. The high priest could only marry a woman who had never been married before. This was a picture of how Jesus loves His church, pure and special.
For ages 9, 12
In the Old Testament, God set high standards for the high priest's marriage. This wasn't because other women were bad, but because the high priest acted like a symbol of Jesus. A symbol needs to be as clear as possible. The virgin bride pointed to the church: a people set apart for Christ, waiting for the wedding feast. You are part of that bride. This verse calls you to live in a way that shows you belong to Jesus, faithful, pure in heart, and ready for His return.
Questions People Ask
Why did the high priest have to marry a virgin and not a widow?
The high priest's marriage was symbolic of God's holiness. The requirement was not a judgment on widows or divorced women. It was about the high priest's unique role as a type of Christ. A virgin bride represented the church as a pure bride for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). The standard was about the office, not personal worth.
Does this verse apply to all Christians today?
This specific command was for the high priest in Israel, not for Christians directly. However, many Christians see it as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. The apostle Paul speaks of presenting the church as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). The principle of holy devotion applies to all believers, even if the literal law does not.
What does 'virginity' mean in the original Hebrew?
The Hebrew word 'bethulim' (בְּתוּלִים) means 'virginity.' It comes from a root that means 'to separate,' indicating a state of being set apart. The word is plural in form, suggesting completeness and full purity. It refers to a woman who has never been united with a man, emphasizing the idea of being wholly untouched.
Is this verse about Mary, the mother of Jesus?
No, this verse is not directly about Mary. It describes the requirement for the high priest's wife. While Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, that event is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and fulfilled in Matthew 1. Typologically, some see a connection: the high priest's virgin bride pointing to the virgin who would bear the Messiah. But the verse itself is about the high priest's marriage, not about Mary.
How does Leviticus 21:13 point to Christ?
The high priest was a type of Christ, who is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). The requirement for a pure virgin bride prefigured Christ's relationship with the church. Paul says he presented the church as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). The marriage of the high priest pictured the exclusive, holy love between Christ and His people, culminating in the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
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