Leviticus 22:13
New International Version
But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

New Living Translation
But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and has no children to support her, and she returns to live in her father’s home as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food again. Otherwise, no one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offerings.

English Standard Version
But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person shall eat of it.

Berean Standard Bible
But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it.

King James Bible
But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

New King James Version
But if the priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food; but no outsider shall eat it.

New American Standard Bible
But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it.

NASB 1995
‘But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it.

NASB 1977
‘But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no seed, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it.

Amplified Bible
But if a priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat her father’s food; but no layman shall eat it.

Christian Standard Bible
But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it.

American Standard Version
But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and be returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's bread: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

Contemporary English Version
But if she returns to your home, either widowed or divorced, and has no children, she may join in the meal. Only members of a priestly family can eat this food,

English Revised Version
But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's bread: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If a priest's daughter is widowed or divorced, doesn't have any children, and comes back to live in her father's home, she may eat her father's food. But a layperson must never eat it.

Good News Translation
But a widowed or divorced daughter who has no children and who has returned to live in her father's house as a dependent may eat the food her father receives as a priest. Only a member of a priestly family may eat any of it.

International Standard Version
If the priest's daughter is a widow, or is divorced and childless, so that she has to return to her father's house as in her younger days, she may eat her father's food, but no resident alien may eat it.

Majority Standard Bible
But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it.

NET Bible
but if a priest's daughter is a widow or divorced, and she has no children so that she returns to live in her father's house as in her youth, she may eat from her father's food, but no lay person may eat it.

New Heart English Bible
But if a priest's daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's bread: but no stranger shall eat any of it.

Webster's Bible Translation
But if the priest's daughter shall be a widow, or divorced, and shall have no child, and have returned to her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat; but there shall no stranger eat of it.

World English Bible
But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
but a priest’s daughter, when she is a widow, or cast out, and has no seed, and has turned back to the house of her father, as [in] her youth, she eats of her father’s bread; but no stranger eats of it.

Young's Literal Translation
and a priest's daughter, when she is a widow, or cast out, and hath no seed, and hath turned back unto the house of her father, as in her youth, of her father's bread she doth eat; but no stranger doth eat of it.

Smith's Literal Translation
And when the daughter of the priest shall be a widow, or driven out, and no seed to her, and she turned back to her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat from her father's bread; and any stranger shall not eat of it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if she be a widow, or divorced, and having no children return to her father's house, she shall eat of her father's meats, as she was wont to do when she was a maid, no stranger hath leave to eat of them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if she is a widow or divorced, and, being without children, she returns to her father’s house, she shall be nourished by her father’s foods, just as she was accustomed to do as a girl. No foreigner shall have the authority to eat from them.

New American Bible
But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and, having no children, returns to her father’s house, she may then eat of her father’s food as in her youth. No unauthorized person, however, may eat of it.

New Revised Standard Version
but if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced, without offspring, and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food. No lay person shall eat of it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But if a priest's daughter has become a widow or is divorced, and has no children, and shall return to her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's food; but no stranger shall ever eat of it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the daughter of the Priest, when she will be a widow or divorced, and she has no children, she shall return to the house of her father as during her virginity; she shall eat of the bread of her father and no foreigner shall eat of it.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's bread; but there shall no common man eat thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if the daughter of priest should be a widow, or put away, and have no seed, she shall return to her father's house, as in her youth: she shall eat of her father's bread, but no stranger shall eat of it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Restrictions Against the Unclean
12If the priest’s daughter is married to a man other than a priest, she is not to eat of the sacred contributions. 13But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it. 14If anyone eats a sacred offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the sacred offering to the priest.…

Cross References
Numbers 18:11
And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.

Numbers 18:19
All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.”

Deuteronomy 18:1-2
The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. / Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.

1 Samuel 1:9
So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:13-16
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling / and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. / Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” ...

1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.

Ezekiel 44:28-30
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. / They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. / The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes.

Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

Matthew 12:4
He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.

Matthew 21:12-13
Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. / And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Mark 2:26
During the high priesthood of Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests. And he gave some to his companions as well.”

Luke 10:7
Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Luke 18:29-30
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God / will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

Acts 2:44-45
All the believers were together and had everything in common. / Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.


Treasury of Scripture

But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned to her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall be no stranger eat thereof.

Genesis 38:11
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

as in her

Leviticus 10:14
And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

Numbers 18:11-19
And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it…

Jump to Previous
Bread Cast Child Children Common Daughter Divorced Eat Father's Food Girl House However Husband Layman Meat Outside Outsider Parted Returneth Returns Seed Stranger Thereof Turned Unauthorized Widow Youth
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Bread Cast Child Children Common Daughter Divorced Eat Father's Food Girl House However Husband Layman Meat Outside Outsider Parted Returneth Returns Seed Stranger Thereof Turned Unauthorized Widow Youth
Leviticus 22
1. The priests in their uncleanness must abstain from the holy things
6. How they shall be cleansed
10. Who of the priest's house may eat of the holy things
17. The sacrifices must be without blemish
26. The age of the sacrifice
29. The law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving














But if a priest’s daughter
The phrase highlights the specific familial and societal role of the priest's daughter within the Israelite community. In ancient Israel, the priesthood held a unique position, and the family of a priest was expected to adhere to certain standards and privileges. The Hebrew term for "priest" is "kohen," indicating a person set apart for sacred duties. The mention of the priest's daughter underscores the importance of maintaining the sanctity and purity associated with the priestly family.

becomes a widow or is divorced
This phrase addresses the unfortunate circumstances of a woman losing her husband, either through death or divorce. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a woman's social and economic status was often tied to her husband. The Hebrew words for "widow" (אַלְמָנָה, 'almanah) and "divorced" (גָּרוּשָׁה, garushah) reflect states of vulnerability and potential marginalization. The law here provides a protective measure for such women, ensuring they are not left destitute.

yet has no children
The absence of children further emphasizes the woman's vulnerability. In biblical times, children were seen as a source of security and support for aging parents, especially for widows or divorced women. The Hebrew culture placed a high value on progeny, and a childless woman would face additional social and economic challenges. This provision ensures that the priest's daughter is not left without support.

and returns to her father’s house
This phrase indicates a restoration of the woman's status within her natal family. Returning to her father's house symbolizes a return to a place of safety and provision. In the patriarchal society of ancient Israel, the father's house was a place of refuge and belonging. The Hebrew concept of "house" (בַּיִת, bayit) often signifies not just a physical dwelling but also familial and communal ties.

as in her youth
This phrase suggests a reinstatement of the woman's previous status before marriage. It implies a return to the innocence and dependency of her younger years, when she was under her father's care. The Hebrew word for "youth" (נְעוּרִים, ne'urim) conveys a sense of renewal and restoration, highlighting God's provision for those who find themselves in difficult circumstances.

she may eat her father’s food
The permission for the priest's daughter to eat her father's food signifies her reintegration into the priestly household and its privileges. The "food" here refers to the sacred offerings and provisions designated for the priestly family. In Hebrew, "food" (לֶחֶם, lechem) often symbolizes sustenance and divine provision. This allowance underscores God's care for the vulnerable and His provision for those who serve Him.

But no outsider may share it
This final phrase reinforces the exclusivity of the priestly privileges. The term "outsider" (זָר, zar) in Hebrew denotes someone who is not part of the priestly family or community. This restriction maintains the sanctity and purity of the priestly provisions, ensuring that they are reserved for those who are consecrated to God's service. It reflects the broader biblical theme of holiness and separation unto the Lord.

(13) Be a widow, or divorced, and have no child.--An exception, however, to this rule is, when the priest's married daughter loses her husband either by death or by divorce, and has no children; under such circumstances she may resume her family ties under her paternal roof. Having lost her bread supplier, she may eat again her father's bread. She could, however, only eat of the heave-offerings, but not of the wave-breast and heave-shoulder.

Returned unto her father's house, as in her youth.--As an inference from these words, two canons were enacted during the second Temple. (1) If thus left a widow without children, her departed husband has a surviving brother, who, according to the law, must marry his sister-in-law (see Leviticus 18:16), and she is reserved for him, she cannot partake of the holy things, though she has temporarily "returned unto her father's house." Hence the Chaldee version renders this clause, "returned to her father's house, and is not reserved for her husband's brother." And (2) if she is with child at the death of her husband, and on her return home, she must not eat of the holy things. If the child dies she then is permitted to be incorporated again in her father's family.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But if
כִּ֨י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a priest’s
כֹּהֵן֩ (kō·hên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

daughter
וּבַת־ (ū·ḇaṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

with no
אֵ֣ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

children
וְזֶרַע֮ (wə·ze·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

becomes
תִהְיֶ֜ה (ṯih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

widowed
אַלְמָנָ֣ה (’al·mā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 490: A widow, a desolate place

or divorced
וּגְרוּשָׁ֗ה (ū·ḡə·rū·šāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 1644: To drive out from a, possession, to expatriate, divorce

and returns
וְשָׁבָ֞ה (wə·šā·ḇāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

her father’s
אָבִ֙יהָ֙ (’ā·ḇî·hā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1: Father

house,
בֵּ֤ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

she may share
תֹּאכֵ֑ל (tō·ḵêl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

her father’s
אָבִ֖יהָ (’ā·ḇî·hā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1: Father

food
מִלֶּ֥חֶם (mil·le·ḥem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

as in her youth.
כִּנְעוּרֶ֔יהָ (kin·‘ū·re·hā)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5271: Youth, the state, the persons

But no
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

outsider
זָ֖ר (zār)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery

may share
יֹ֥אכַל (yō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

it.
בּֽוֹ׃ (bōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 0: 0


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OT Law: Leviticus 22:13 But if a priest's daughter (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 22:12
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