Leviticus 21:14 Meaning: A Holy Marriage
He shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute. He shall take a virgin of his own people as a wife.
A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
A widow, or one divorced, or a profane woman, a harlot, these shall he not take: but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife.
widow, or cast out, or polluted one--a harlot--these he doth not take, but a virgin of his own people he doth take for a wife,
A widow, or a divorced woman, or a dishonoured one, a harlot, these shall he not take; but he shall take as wife a virgin from among his peoples.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did God forbid the high priest from marrying a widow or divorced woman? Leviticus 21:14 reveals the holiness required in his office, a picture of Christ.
Context
Leviticus 21 gives instructions for the priests, especially the high priest. He was anointed with oil and consecrated to wear the sacred garments (v.10). His whole life was to display God’s holiness. He could not defile himself for the dead, not even for his own parents (v.11). He was not to leave the sanctuary (v.12). Then the rules turn to his marriage. The high priest could only marry a virgin from his own people. This was stricter than the rules for ordinary priests (v.7). The reason is at the centre of the chapter: “I am Yahweh who sanctifies him” (v.15). His home, like his sanctuary service, had to be set apart.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for “divorced” is gerushah, from a root meaning to drive out or expel. It carries the weight of a relationship that ended in rupture. The word for “prostitute” is zonah, which also describes unfaithfulness to God in the prophets. Neither of these words devalue women; they mark situations of brokenness that could not represent the whole, faithful bond the high priest’s marriage was meant to picture. The word for “virgin” is betulah, a young woman untouched by such rupture, pure and whole. The verb for “take” a wife is lakach, used across the Old Testament for entering into a covenant. This was not just a personal choice. The high priest’s marriage was a public symbol of God’s holy, faithful love for Israel.
How Christians Read This Verse
Anglican scholars, like the Cambridge Bible, note that this rule is stricter than for ordinary priests, who could marry a widow (Ezekiel 44:22). Baptist commentator John Gill points out that Jewish tradition even forbade a high priest from marrying a widow of a betrothal. Reformed interpreters often see the high priest as a type of Christ, who marries a pure bride, the Church (2 Corinthians 11:2). Keil and Delitzsch, Protestant scholars, emphasise that the high priest could only take an Israelite woman, preserving the purity of the priestly line. Jewish tradition, recorded by Rashi, discusses how Ezekiel’s allowance for priests did not apply to the high priest. All traditions see this verse as highlighting the high priest’s unique consecration, though Christians understand the ceremonial law as fulfilled in Christ.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse means that widows or divorced women are less valued by God, or that Christian ministers today must marry only virgins. In fact, the restriction was for the high priest alone, because his marriage signalled the holiness of his office. The Old Testament law itself protects widows and the divorced (Deuteronomy 24:17). Christians see these purity laws as patterns pointing to Christ, who is our High Priest. The New Testament gives church leaders different marriage standards (1 Timothy 3:2), and the gospel welcomes all who are broken.
Living This Out
You are not the high priest. But this verse asks you to consider how your closest relationships signal God’s character. The high priest’s marriage was a public sign of his consecration. Your marriage, or your commitment to purity in singleness, can be a witness too. This week, take a moment to thank God for the people He has placed in your family. Ask yourself: do my words and actions toward my spouse or children reflect the faithful, set-apart love God shows His people? If your marriage feels strained, this verse is not a burden but an invitation to seek restoration. Let your home be a small sanctuary where God’s holiness is honoured.
Main takeaway: God’s call to holiness extends to our closest relationships, because they proclaim His faithful love to the world.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told the high priest to marry a special wife from his own people. It was because the high priest’s job was very holy. God wants our families to show how good and pure He is.
For ages 9, 12
In the Old Testament, the high priest had extra rules because he represented God to the nation. He could only marry an Israelite woman who had not been married before. This wasn’t because widows or divorced women were bad; it was because the high priest’s marriage was a symbol of God’s perfect, faithful love for His people. For us, it reminds us that God cares about our families and wants them to be places that honour Him. We are not under those Old Testament rules, but the principle of holiness in our closest relationships still matters.
Questions People Ask
Why couldn’t the high priest marry a widow or divorced woman?
The high priest’s marriage was meant to symbolize the pure, faithful relationship between God and Israel. A widow or divorced woman carried the mark of a broken relationship, which could not represent that perfect bond. Also, the high priest’s offspring were to be kept pure for the sacred office (v.15).
Does this verse mean widows and divorced women are unclean or less valuable?
No. The Old Testament law repeatedly protects widows and the divorced (Deuteronomy 24:17). This restriction was about the high priest’s unique role, not about the worth of these women. They were not forbidden from marrying other men, only the high priest.
Should Christian pastors and ministers only marry virgins today?
The New Testament does not carry over this ceremonial rule for church leaders. 1 Timothy 3:2 says an overseer must be “the husband of one wife,” but does not require him to marry a virgin. Christians see this law as fulfilled in Christ, who is our High Priest.
What does “profane” or “defiled” mean in this verse?
The Hebrew word is chalah, meaning a woman who has been profaned, often through sexual sin. It is closely linked to “prostitute” in the text. The high priest was to avoid any woman whose sexual history would bring association with brokenness or unfaithfulness into his marriage.
Why did the high priest have to marry “of his own people”?
This meant an Israelite woman, not a foreigner. It preserved the purity of the priestly line and kept the high priest from the religious influence of pagan nations. Keil and Delitzsch note it excluded non-Israelite women, ensuring the high priest’s household remained fully within the covenant community.
For pastors & researchers
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