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;

LEVITICUS 21:10KJV
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Leviticus 21:10 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 21:10 mean?

Leviticus 21:10 sets apart the high priest from the other priests by giving him special rules: he must not uncover his head or tear his clothes, even in times of mourning. This verse highlights the unique holiness and responsibilities of the high priest among his fellow priests.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, giving instructions for the priests of Israel, especially the high priest. The high priest is described as the one who has had anointing oil poured on his head and has been consecrated to wear special garments. These commands show that the high priest’s role is so sacred that he must avoid the usual outward signs of grief, keeping his appearance and garments intact as a sign of his continual service before God.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 21:10

  • "High" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): This word means "great" or "chief," emphasizing the high priest’s elevated status among his "brethren" (אַחִים, achim), or fellow priests.
  • "Anointing" (מִשְׁחָה, mishchah) and "oil" (שֶׁמֶן, shemen): The anointing oil marks the high priest as set apart for God’s service, a visible sign of his consecration.
  • "Consecrated" (מָלֵא, male, and יָד, yad): The phrase here involves the idea of "filling the hand," a Hebrew expression for being fully installed or commissioned for priestly duty.
  • "Uncover" (פָּרַע, para) and "rend" (פָּרַם, param): These actions—uncovering the head and tearing clothes—were traditional signs of mourning. The command not to do these things shows the high priest’s duty to maintain ritual wholeness at all times.

Why Leviticus 21:10 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the high priest’s obligations to God take precedence over personal expressions of grief, setting him apart even from other priests.
  • The emphasis on not tearing clothes or uncovering the head shows the importance of maintaining dignity and ritual purity in the high priest’s public role.
  • Leviticus 21:10 connects to the surrounding laws about priestly conduct, helping the reader understand the extra level of holiness expected from the high priest compared to the rest of the priesthood.

Where else these words appear

“rend” Hebrew H6533 · used in 3 verses

  • Leviticus 10:6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
  • Leviticus 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.

“uncover” Hebrew H6544 · used in 15 verses

  • Exodus 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
  • Numbers 5:18 And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
  • Proverbs 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

“anointing” Hebrew H4888 · used in 24 verses

  • Exodus 25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
  • Exodus 35:8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
  • Leviticus 8:2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

“poured” Hebrew H3332 · used in 51 verses

  • Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
  • Leviticus 14:26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
  • 2 Kings 4:40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.