Ezekiel 44 25

Ezekiel 44:25 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.

Ezekiel 44:25 nkjv

"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 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.

Ezekiel 44:25 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.

Ezekiel 44:25 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.

Ezekiel 44 verses

Ezekiel 44 25 Meaning

This verse describes a specific regulation for priests mourning for a deceased person. They are permitted to approach the dead, distinguishing them from the ordinary priests who were restricted. However, the verse emphasizes that they must not be impure with an unclean dead body. This restriction highlights a continued adherence to holiness and the sacredness of their role, even in instances of deep personal grief and priestly duty concerning death.

Ezekiel 44 25 Context

Ezekiel 44 describes a renewed order for worship in a future, rebuilt temple, signifying a restored covenant relationship between God and His people. The chapter details the exclusive role of the Zadokite priests, who remained faithful, in serving in the sanctuary. This specific verse is situated within instructions concerning the priests’ conduct and limitations, particularly their interactions with death. It elaborates on how they are to maintain their ritual purity, balancing their sacred duties with human necessities like mourning for close family. The passage contrasts this future order with the practices described in Leviticus 21, offering specific allowances for the priestly line in Ezekiel's vision, suggesting a modification or refinement of older laws in light of a new covenant and a purified priesthood.

Ezekiel 44 25 Word Analysis

• וְהֵם (vehēmmāh): "And they" - referring to the Levitical priests, specifically those descendants of Zadok.
• לֹא־יָבֹ֛א (lō’ yāḇō’): "shall not come" - a prohibition against entering.
• אֶל־מֵ֥ת (’el-mēt): "unto any dead body" - signifies any deceased human. The Hebrew word "mēt" (dead) carries a strong connotation of lifelessness.
• לְנַגֵּ֖עַ (lǝnaggēa‘): "to touch" or "to make himself" - implies contact, resulting in uncleanness. This word from the root nagah refers to touching or contact.
• וְנִטְמָ֑א (wǝnittəmā’): "and to be defiled" or "to make himself unclean" - denotes ritual impurity. This is a Niphal verb form of the root tāma’, meaning to become or be unclean.
• כִּֽי־קָדְשׁ֥וּ (kî-qōḏšû): "because they are sanctified" or "for they are holy" - indicates the source of their stricter regulations is their holy status unto the LORD. The verb is Piel of qāḏaš (to be holy).
• לֵאלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם (lē’lōhêhem): "to their God" - emphasizes their consecrated service.
• וְהֵן־ (wǝhēn-): "but for" or "however for" - introduces an exception.
• אָבִ֥י (’āḇî): "father" - a male parent.
• א֣וֹ (’ō): "or" - a conjunction offering alternatives.
• אִמִּ֑י (’immî): "mother" - a female parent.
• בְּבֵ֥ן (bǝḡēên): "for son" - a male offspring.
• אוֹ־בַ֖ת (’ō-ḇaṯ): "or daughter" - a female offspring.
• וְאָחִ֖י (wǝ’āḥî): "or brother" - a male sibling.
• אוֹ־בְת֣וּלַ֥ת (’ō-ḇǝtûlaṯ): "or virgin sister" - an unmarried female sibling. The term "virgin" (betulah) is significant, highlighting a specific familial tie without the intermediary of marriage, reinforcing the depth of allowable mourning for closest kin.
• אֹ֣תוֹ (’ōṯô): "for him/her" - refers back to the specified family members.
• יִטְמָֽא׃ (yiṭmā’): "he shall make himself unclean" - permits the uncleanness in these specific instances.

Words-group by Words-group analysis

• Prohibition and Sanctification: The initial statement "they shall not come unto any dead body... to make himself unclean" establishes a baseline of high purity. This is immediately qualified by "because they are holy to their God." This contrast underscores that their holiness is the reason for strictness but also for specified allowances to ensure their humanity and recognition of familial bonds within that holiness.
• Familial Exemptions: The list "father or mother, son or daughter, brother or virgin sister" enumerates the closest blood relatives. The inclusion of "virgin sister" implies the permission extends to female siblings who might be unmarried, thus in some sense still directly under paternal or familial care, perhaps more so than a married sister. This delineates the boundary of allowable uncleanness for those with the most intimate and fundamental familial connections.

Ezekiel 44 25 Bonus Section

The specific list of family members for whom a priest could become unclean highlights the core structure of ancient Near Eastern family units. Parents and children represent the vertical line of lineage, while siblings represent the horizontal line within the same generation. The inclusion of the "virgin sister" can be understood in the context of societal roles where an unmarried woman's primary bonds were to her birth family. This allowance reflects a theological understanding that while the priest is dedicated to God, he is not detached from his essential human relationships and the natural order of life and death. This stands in contrast to some ascetical vows (like the Nazirite vow mentioned in Numbers 6) which sometimes called for stricter separation from familial duties, particularly in mourning. The Ezekiel vision allows a measured engagement with grief that Leviticus (specifically Lev 21:1-4) had previously restricted for priests concerning any dead body. This suggests a matured understanding of priestly ministry, incorporating empathy and communal recognition of loss.

Ezekiel 44 25 Commentary

This verse articulates a sensitive balance between the absolute requirement of ritual purity for consecrated ministers and the deep human need for grief and participation in family mourning. While Levitical priests were generally forbidden from becoming impure through contact with the dead, this passage grants an exception for them to mourn for their immediate family: parents, children, and siblings, including an unmarried sister. This allowance does not negate the sanctity of their office but acknowledges their human frailty and the profound sorrow associated with the loss of one's closest kin. The emphasis remains on preventing defilement by any other dead body, signifying that the sacred calling, while requiring adherence to strict purity laws, also allows for the expression of deeply rooted human bonds.