Leviticus 21:10

_AND HE THAT IS THE HIGH PRIEST AMONG HIS BRETHREN, UPON WHOSE HEAD THE ANOINTING OIL WAS POURED, AND THAT IS CONSECRATED TO PUT ON THE GARMENTS, SHALL NOT UNCOVER HIS HEAD, NOR REND HIS CLOTHES;_ He that is the high priest. The indulgence in the excepted cases of family bereavement, mentioned above, which was granted to the common priests, was denied to him; because his absence from the sanctuary for the removal of any contracted defilement could not have been dispensed with, neither could he have acted as intercessor or the people, unless ceremonially clean. Moreover, the high dignity of his office demanded a corresponding superiority in personal holiness, and stringent rules were prescribed for the purpose of upholding the suitable dignity of his station and family. Verse 13-14. HE SHALL TAKE A WIFE IN HER VIRGINITY. This limitation was confined to the high priest. 'Every Coptic prie...

Verse Leviticus 21:10. HE THAT IS _THE HIGH PRIEST_] This is the first place where this title is introduced; the title is very emphatic, הכהן הגדול _haccohen haggadol, that priest, the great_ _one_. For the meaning of כהן _cohen_, _see the note on "_Genesis 14:18_"_. As the chief or high priest was a representative of our blessed Lord, therefore he was required to be especially holy; and he is represented as God's _king_ among the people....

It was the distinguishing mark of the anointing of the high priest, that the holy oil was poured upon his head like a crown (compare Leviticus 8:12). UNCOVER HIS HEAD - Rather, let his hair be disheveled. See the note at Leviticus 10:6....

PART III. SECTION IV. THE UNCLEANNESS AND DISQUALIFICATION OF PRIESTS. EXPOSITION The two remaining chapters of this division of the book (Leviticus 21:1, Leviticus 22:1) deal with the ease of defilements attaching to the priesthood, over and above those which affect other men, whether ceremonial (Leviticus 21:1, Leviticus 21:10-3; Leviticus 22:

AND [HE THAT IS] THE HIGH PRIEST AMONG HIS BRETHREN,.... Either among his brethren, the priests, being in office above them; or among his brethren the Israelites, among and over whom he is high priest; or, as others render it, "the priest who is greater than his brethren" d, in an higher office; the Jews say e the high priest was to be greater than his brethren, in beauty, in strength, in wisdom, and in riches; and if he had not money enough, all the priests were to give him of theirs, everyone according to his riches, until he became the richest among them all: UPON WHOSE HEAD THE ANOINTING OIL WAS POURED; as it was poured upon Aaron at his consecration, and those that succeeded him, Exodus 29:7 Leviticus 8:12; AND THAT IS CONSECRATED TO PUT ON THE GARMENTS; the eight

4. LAWS FOR THE PRIESTS CHAPTER 21 _ 1. Laws concerning the person of the priests (Leviticus 21:1)_ 2. Laws concerning their family (Leviticus 21:7) 3. Laws concerning the high priest (Leviticus 21:10) 4. Concerning blemishes (Leviticus 21:16) We come now to the special laws and precepts for the priestly class among the people. The preceding laws concerned the nation as such. The requirements of the priests are the highest in the entire book of Leviticus. Responsibility is always according to relationship. The priests, as we have seen before, typify the church. The grace

RESTRICTIONS FOR THE HIGH PRIEST. The title occurs here for the first time in the Law; the phrase used is literally the priest who is chief among his brothers. It is, however, implied in P in Leviticus 16 (_cf._ also the references to Aaron (Leviticus 8 f.). Ezekiel does not mention it, but he too seems to imply it in Ezekiel 45:19, as do the earlier narratives of, _e.g._ Eli, 1 Samuel 1 ff.), Zadok (1 Kings 1:26 ff.), Amaziah (Amos 7:10 ff.), and Hilkiah (2 Kings 22:4 ff.). Before the Exile, the chief priest would naturally be a royal ecclesiastical official; afterwards he tended to take the place of the king in the community (Sirach

HIGH PRIEST. See note on Leviticus 4:3. CONSECRATED. See note on Exodus 28:41.Exodus 9:17. REND. See notes on Leviticus 10:6; Leviticus 13:45....

The reference to the anointing and vesting may be taken from Pin which source it now appears in Exodus 29:5 ff. _that is consecrated_ See R.V. mg. and note on Leviticus 8:33. _shall not let the hair of his head go loose_ so as to preserve a seemly appearance in contrast to that of the leper. See on Leviticus 10:6. A.V. wrongly, -shall not uncover his head." _nor rend his clothes_ as was the custom in sign of mourning (2 Samuel 1:11; 2 Samuel 3:31, etc.)....

HE THAT IS THE HIGH-PRIEST— The former laws related to the priests in general; the high-priest, as being more peculiarly holy, is restrained by laws more peculiarly exact: he is not permitted to defile himself for any dead, nor to leave his attendance upon the sanctuary, (Leviticus 21:12.) even on the demise of his nearest and dearest relations. The reason of which has been by some thought to be, that though the lower priests, being many, might delegate others to serve in their room; yet the high-priest being one, there was no other to officiate in his stead. What we render _the crown of the anointing oil,_ in the 12th verse, some render, _the consecration of the anointing oil._ Houbigant—_for he hath been consecrated by the oil of anointing of his God._ The word נזר _nezer_ signifies _separation;_ and therefore Aquila very justly renders the passage, because