New King James Version
Ezekiel 44:25
25“They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves.
Ezekiel 44:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They shall not defile themselves by going near to a dead person. However, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“A priest must not defile himself by being in the presence of a dead person unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In such cases it is permitted.
Context of Ezekiel 44:25
23“And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths. “They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves. 26After he is cleansed, they shall count seven days for him. 27And on the day that he goes to the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering in the inner court,” says the Lord God.
Read all of Ezekiel 44Ezekiel 44:25 word by word
וְאֶל־מֵ֣ת אָדָ֔ם לֹ֥א יָב֖וֹא לְטָמְאָ֑ה כִּ֣י אִם־לְאָ֡ב וּ֠לְאֵם וּלְבֵ֨ן וּלְבַ֜ת לְאָ֗ח וּלְאָח֛וֹת אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹא־הָיְתָ֥ה לְאִ֖ישׁ יִטַּמָּֽאוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- at no deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- personאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- to defileטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
- themselves: but for fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- or for motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- or for sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- or for daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- for brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- or for sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
- that hath had no husbandאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
Cross-references for Ezekiel 44:25
- Leviticus 21:1And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people,
- Leviticus 22:4‘Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen,
- Matthew 8:21Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
- Luke 9:59Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 44:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves - Touching the dead defiles a Hindoo now, as it formerly did a Jew; and they must bathe to become clean again.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 44:25
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries