Verses 10-15 concern the private life of the High Priest. His position involves obligations and prohibitions that are even more strict than those for the ordinary priests. Verses 10-12 constitute a single sentence that is long and complex in Revised Standard Version. It should be broken down into several shorter and simpler sentences.

The priest who is chief among his brethren: or “The priest greater than his brothers.” But this has nothing to do with size or height. It is just another way of saying “High Priest.” And in most languages it will be better to say this explicitly. See 8.12 with regard to his consecration.

Anointing oil is poured: on the practice of anointing, see 4.3 and 8.10. The passive construction here may be rendered actively by saying “on whose head they [indefinite] poured oil….” In some cases the relationship between the pouring on of oil and the consecration may have to be spelled out more clearly. One way of doing this is to say “who has been consecrated by the pouring on of oil.”

The garments: see 8.7-9. It may be helpful in many languages to supply the implied information and say “the sacred garments.”

Let the hair … hang loose, nor rend his clothes: these were signs of mourning. See 10.6.

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 .