Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Leviticus 21:13
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.] One, and not two, or more, as Ben Gersom observes; and so Maimonides says f758, an high priest might never take two women together; for it is said, “a wife”, or “woman”, one, and not two; and so it is explained in the Talmud f759; for though polygamy was practised by the Israelites, and even by the common priests, yet these writers suppose it was by no means allowed to an high priest: among the Egyptians, though they took as many wives as they pleased, their priests, married but one f760; and so a minister of the New Testament is to be the husband of one wife, (<540302>1 Timothy 3:2); and this wife the high priest was to take was to be a “virgin”, one that not only had never known a man, but that was never betrothed to any; yea, according to the Talmudists f761, who was not quite ripe for marriage, or the time of her puberty not fully completed, which was the age of twelve years; within, or somewhat before that time, the high priest was to marry her, that it might be out of all doubt that she was a pure virgin; since it is said, “in her virginity”, within the time of her puberty, before it was quite up; this, by many, is thought to be an emblem of Christ and his church; as he was typified by the high priest, so the church by the virgin he married, which is espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin, (<471102>2 Corinthians 11:2).
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