Leviticus 21:13
And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
And he shall take a wife in her virginity. One, and not two, or more, as Ben Gersom observes; and so Maimonides says {q}, an high priest might never take two women together; for it is said, "a wife", or "woman", one, and not two; and so it is explained in the Talmud {r}; for though polygamy was practised by the Israelites, and even by the common priests, yet these writers suppose it was by no means allowed to an high priest: among the Egyptians, though they took as many wives as they pleased, their priests, married but one {s}; and so a minister of the New Testament is to be the husband of one wife, 1 Timothy 3:2; and this wife the high priest was to take was to be a "virgin", one that not only had never known a man, but that was never betrothed to any; yea, according to the Talmudists {t}, who was not quite ripe for marriage, or the time of her puberty not fully completed, which was the age of twelve years; within, or somewhat before that time, the high priest was to marry her, that it might be out of all doubt that she was a pure virgin; since it is said, "in her virginity", within the time of her puberty, before it was quite up; this, by many, is thought to be an emblem of Christ and his church; as he was typified by the high priest, so the church by the virgin he married, which is espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin, 2 Corinthians 11:2.
{q} Hilchot Issure Biah, c. 17. sect. 13.
{r} T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 59. 1.
{s} Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p. 72.
{t} T. Bab. Yebamot, ibid. Maimon. ut supra. (Cele Hamikdash, c. 5. sect. 5, 6.)