Ezekiel 44:22

Ezekiel 44:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.
• New International Version (NIV)They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.

Context of Ezekiel 44:22

20“‘They must not shave their heads nor let their hair grow long; they must only trim their heads. 21No priest may drink wine when he enters the inner court. They must not marry a widow or a divorcee, but they may marry a virgin from the house of Israel or a widow who is a priest’s widow. 23Moreover, they will teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the ceremonially unclean and the clean. 24“‘In a controversy they will act as judges; they will judge according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my statutes regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe my Sabbaths.

Ezekiel 44:22 word by word

וְאַלְמָנָה֙ וּגְרוּשָׁ֔ה לֹֽא־יִקְח֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם לְנָשִׁ֑ים כִּ֣י אִם־בְּתוּלֹ֗ת מִזֶּ֙רַע֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה אַלְמָנָ֔ה מִכֹּהֵ֖ן יִקָּֽחוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neither shall they takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
• for their wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• a widowאַלְמָנָה'almânâh · widowH490
• nor her that is put awayגָּרַשׁgârash · to drive out: divorceH1644
• maidensבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
• of the seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• that had a priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548

Cross-references for Ezekiel 44:22

• Leviticus 21:7They must not take a wife defiled by prostitution, nor are they to take a wife divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
• 1 Timothy 3:2The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher,
• Deuteronomy 24:1If a man marries a woman and she does not please him because he has found something offensive in her, then he may draw up a divorce document, give it to her, and evict her from his house.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 44:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Neither shall they take for their wives a widow - This was prohibited to the high priest only, by Moses, Leviticus 21:13, Leviticus 21:14.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-31Verses 17-31 Regulations as to the priests‘ services. The garments of the priests are defined and various rules prescribed in the Law are repeated with some additions in order to denote additional care to avoid uncleanness. Ezekiel 44:18 The material of which the four vestments of the ordinary priest were made was “linen,” or, more accurately, “byssus,” the cotton stuff of Egypt. The two special qualities of the byssus - white and shining - are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-27The priests had to avoid contact with death. They could not enter a place where a dead body was present. They also could not follow certain mourning customs, such as shaving their heads or letting their hair grow wild. They were not allowed to drink wine before entering the inner courtyard. This rule helped prevent serious mistakes that could lead to death (see Leviticus 10:9). The priests also had rules about marriage. They could marry only a virgin from…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-312. shut ... not be opened--(Job 12:14; Is 22:22; Re 3:7). "Shut" to the people (Ex 19:21, 22), but open to "the prince" (Eze 44:3), he holding the place of God in political concerns, as the priests do in spiritual. As a mark of respect to an Eastern monarch, the gate by which he enters is thenceforth shut to all other persons (compare Ex 19:24).Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 44:22

• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Desire of All Nations
• Ezekiel
• Leviticus
• Maid; Maiden
• Priests and Levites

Commentaries on Ezekiel 44

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings