Ezekiel 44:13 kjv
And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.
Ezekiel 44:13 nkjv
And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.
Ezekiel 44:13 niv
They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices.
Ezekiel 44:13 esv
They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed.
Ezekiel 44:13 nlt
They may not approach me to minister as priests. They may not touch any of my holy things or the holy offerings, for they must bear the shame of all the detestable sins they have committed.
Ezekiel 44 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 44:11 | And they ministered unto them as they were before in the house | Maintenance of priestly duties |
| Ezekiel 42:20 | It was an enclosure round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the holy and the profane. | Separation of holy and profane |
| Leviticus 10:10 | And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; | Discernment between sacred/common |
| Numbers 18:5 | And that they may keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, that there be no more wrath upon the children of Israel for any thing wherein they did profane my sanctuary. | Safeguarding the sanctuary |
| Isaiah 56:7 | Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. | Temple as house of prayer |
| Matthew 21:13 | And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. | Jesus cleansing the temple |
| Hebrews 10:19 | Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, | Access to the holy through Christ |
| 1 Peter 2:5 | Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. | Spiritual priesthood |
| Revelation 5:10 | And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. | Royal priesthood |
| Leviticus 21:1 | And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the children of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled by the dead among his people: | Priestly purity requirements |
| Numbers 3:10 | And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. | Strict separation for priests |
| Exodus 28:43 | That they may be clothed with holy garments; and that the voice of a trumpet be heard, and the sound of the trumpet, and the ordinances shall be in the tabernacle of the congregation. | Priestly garments and duties |
| 1 Chronicles 23:32 | And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the children of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD: | Levites' service |
| 2 Chronicles 4:6 | And he made ten basons, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as belong to the burnt offering, those did he prepare to wash in them; but the sea and the sundry vessels of it were for the priests to wash in. | Temple vessels for service |
| Haggai 2:12 | If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? Then the priests answered and said, No. | Holiness contagion |
| Psalms 132:13 | For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. | God’s chosen dwelling place |
| Zechariah 14:20 | In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the basons before the altar. | Holiness in everyday objects |
| John 17:19 | And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. | Jesus' sanctification |
| Revelation 21:27 | And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. | Purity of the New Jerusalem |
Ezekiel 44 verses
Ezekiel 44 13 Meaning
This verse describes a specific prohibition for the priests who served in the restored temple. They were not to approach the people in the outer court, nor were they to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people from there. This was to maintain the sanctity of the inner courts and emphasize the separation of the Levitical priesthood from the general populace in their worship.
Ezekiel 44 13 Context
Ezekiel 44 prophesies about the regulations for priests and Levites in a future, ideal temple. This chapter addresses the qualifications and limitations placed upon the priests who ministered in this envisioned sanctuary, specifically concerning their service within its precincts and their interaction with the people. Verse 13 falls within this broader discussion, detailing restrictions on where priests could minister and on behalf of whom they could offer sacrifices to maintain holiness and order in worship. Historically, this prophecy would have been delivered during or after the Babylonian exile, offering hope and a blueprint for renewed covenantal worship.
Ezekiel 44 13 Word Analysis
- And they ministered unto them:
- "Ministered" (Hebrew: שָׁרָתוּ, sharatu) - denotes serving, attending, or ministering. This refers to their priestly functions.
- as they were before:
- "As" (Hebrew: כַּאֲשֶׁר, ka'asher) - signifies in the manner or like. This connects the future service to established historical practice, indicating continuity of function, not necessarily location.
- "Were" (Hebrew: הָיוּ, hayu) - past tense of "to be."
- "Before" (Hebrew: לִפְנֵיהֶם, lifneiem) - meaning before them, in their presence, or previously. In the context of the preceding verses concerning the "slain sons of Zadok" who were permitted to minister, this suggests their ministry was conducted with propriety.
- in the house of the LORD:
- "House" (Hebrew: בֵּית, beit) - signifies house, dwelling, temple.
- "LORD" (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH) - the personal name of God.
- "Of the LORD" - refers to God's sanctuary.
- and as for the children of Israel:
- "Children of Israel" (Hebrew: בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, b'nei Yisrael) - the people of Israel.
- they stood before them:
- "Stood" (Hebrew: עוֹמְדִים, omdim) - standing.
- "Before them" (Hebrew: לִפְנֵיהֶם, lifneiem) - in their presence or sight. This indicates the proximity of the priests to the people during certain worship activities.
- in the courts of the LORD's house.
- "Courts" (Hebrew: לְשִׁדְשׁוֹת, leshidshoth - appears to be a textual variant or a less common term; potentially related to chambers or divisions). More likely referring to the inner courts.
- "Of the LORD's house" - of the temple.
Ezekiel 44 13 Bonus Section
The restriction for priests not to "minister unto them… in the courts of the LORD’s house" (referring to ministering sacrifices for the people from those outer courts) highlights a theological concept of maintaining the holiness of God's dwelling. This mirrors earlier biblical laws regarding the tabernacle and temple, where strict segregation and specific protocols were necessary due to the perceived proximity of God’s presence. The shift in how holiness is expressed and mediated, particularly with the coming of Christ as High Priest (Hebrews 7-9), offers a profound reinterpretation of these Levitical regulations. The NT teaches that believers, as part of the spiritual priesthood, have direct access to God, but this does not negate the importance of reverent worship and understanding the holiness of God in any assembly or place of worship. The reference to "slain sons of Zadok" in earlier verses also sets a tone of spiritual discernment and purity required for priestly service, emphasizing that service to God is a high calling with strict requirements.
Ezekiel 44 13 Commentary
This verse continues the detailed instructions for the ministry of the Zadokite priests in the future temple. It establishes that their service was to be carried out in a manner consistent with their previous proper duties, but importantly, they were to minister "in the house of the LORD," specifically implying within designated areas. The latter part clarifies that the priests ministered to the people within the courtyards of the temple. This implies a degree of accessibility but also defined spatial boundaries for their priestly actions. The intention is to uphold the sanctity of the inner sanctuary and the divine presence by carefully managing who ministers where and how they interact with the congregation during worship. This maintains a clear distinction between the sacred and the common.