The Meaning of Leviticus 21:7 Explained

Leviticus 21:7

KJV: They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

YLT: A woman, a harlot, or polluted, they do not take, and a woman cast out from her husband they do not take, for he is holy to his God;

Darby: They shall not take as wife a whore, or a dishonoured woman; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband; for he is holy unto his God.

ASV: They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall not take  a wife  [that is] a whore,  or profane;  neither shall they take  a woman  put away  from her husband:  for he [is] holy  unto his God. 

What does Leviticus 21:7 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 21

1  Of the priests' mourning
6  Of their holiness
7  Of their marriages
8  Of their estimation
9  Of the high priest's holiness
10  Of his marriage
13  The priests that have blemishes must not minister in the sanctuary

What do the individual words in Leviticus 21:7 mean?

A wife [who is] a harlot or a defiled woman not they shall take and a woman divorced from her husband nor shall they take for holy [the priest] is to his God
אִשָּׁ֨ה זֹנָ֤ה וַחֲלָלָה֙ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֔חוּ וְאִשָּׁ֛ה גְּרוּשָׁ֥ה מֵאִישָׁ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑חוּ כִּֽי־ קָדֹ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לֵאלֹהָֽיו

אִשָּׁ֨ה  A  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
זֹנָ֤ה  [who  is]  a  harlot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
וַחֲלָלָה֙  or  a  defiled  woman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חָלָל 
Sense: slain, fatally wounded, pierced.
יִקָּ֔חוּ  they  shall  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וְאִשָּׁ֛ה  and  a  woman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
גְּרוּשָׁ֥ה  divorced 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
מֵאִישָׁ֖הּ  from  her  husband 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִקָּ֑חוּ  shall  they  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
קָדֹ֥שׁ  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
ה֖וּא  [the  priest]  is 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לֵאלֹהָֽיו  to  his  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).