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and his virgin sister who is near to him,[a] who has no husband—he may defile himself for her. He must not defile himself as a husband among his people so as to profane himself.[b] Priests[c] must not have a bald spot shaved on their head, they must not shave the corner of their beard, and they must not cut slashes in their body.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 21:3 tn Cf. v. 2a.
  2. Leviticus 21:4 tn Heb “He shall not defile himself a husband in his peoples, to profane himself.” The meaning of the line is disputed, but it appears to prohibit a priest from burying any relative by marriage (as opposed to the blood relatives of vv. 2-3), including his wife (compare B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 142-43 with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 343, 348).
  3. Leviticus 21:5 tn Heb “they”; the referent (priests, see the beginning of v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. Leviticus 21:5 tn Heb “and in their body they shall not [cut] slash[es]” (cf. Lev 19:28). The context connects these sorts of mutilations with mourning rites (cf. Lev 19:27-28 above).