Misinterpretations of this verse often wrongly universalize it as a rule for all men or Christians to marry only virgins, disregarding its narrow context for the high priest under the Mosaic Law to maintain ritual purity; others misuse it to shame non-virgin women or promote rigid marital standards today, overlooking its symbolic role in Old Testament priestly separation rather than a timeless moral absolute for personal relationships.
Leviticus 21:13
King James Version (1769)
13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
Leviticus 21:13 prescribes that the high priest must marry a virgin to preserve his ceremonial purity and the holiness of his priestly lineage, ensuring that his offspring remain undefiled for sacred service and symbolizing God's demand for uncompromised sanctity in those who approach Him most intimately.