THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
He does not instruct priests to make themselves unclean by coming into contact with the deceased. Furthermore, He illustrates what is deemed unclean or inconsistent with holiness in various other ways, providing us with regulations regarding marriage. Right after His statement regarding priests, He states, "They shall not take for themselves a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a wife rejected by her husband; for they are holy... to their God. Consecrate him, for he offers the bread... to your God; let him be holy to you, for I am the Lord who sanctifies you" (Leviticus 21:7-8).
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A wife should not be equated to a harlot or someone openly marked by disgrace, though she is certainly not without fault, having been cast aside (by her husband); for her expulsion from her partner's home has not occurred without cause. Thus, those elevated to such a noble calling must be safeguarded not only from sins that are clearly condemned but also from any actions that could evoke thoughts of wrongdoing or lead to unjust assumptions and dishonor due to various suspicions. These passages seem to imply, in a profound way, the plight of the Jewish synagogue, which, as it is written, "fornicated with many lovers" (Jer. 3:1), was not welcomed into spiritual fellowship by Christ, the unblemished Priest, who presented Himself as a pure offering to the Father, sharing in our humanity while simultaneously sanctifying all of creation, as He is sent from God and is God Himself.