The LORD said to Moses: here the formula introducing direct discourse is slightly different in Hebrew from the usual one (seen in 4.1 and at many other points throughout this book). Although the usual formula may perhaps be slightly more solemn, it is doubtful whether it will be possible or even desirable to try to indicate any difference in translation.

Speak …: as usual, Revised Standard Version begins the direct quotation here and makes the following words an indirect quote, but Good News Translation makes this a part of the indirect discourse and begins the direct quotation with the words that are actually to be spoken to the priests. Receptor-language habits in this respect should determine which model is to be followed. But the Good News Translation solution will probably be simpler in most languages.

The priests, the sons of Aaron: see 1.5.

None of them shall …: the Hebrew has the masculine singular third person pronoun here. But the use of this pronoun here clearly refers to “any of the priests,” as almost all versions indicate.

Defile himself for the dead among his people: literally “for a soul (or, person) he shall not make himself unclean among his kinsmen.” But virtually all translations and commentators agree that the word for “soul” or “person” is to be understood in the sense of a person who has died. Any contact with a dead body was thought to make a person ritually unclean. See Numbers 19.

Regarding the word people or “kinsmen,” see 7.20 and 19.16. This word is used four times in this chapter (here and in verses 4, 14, and 15) and in this context probably means “the tribe of Levi,” all those who are a part of the priestly clan.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .