Ezekiel 44:10

Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord GOD speaks through Ezekiel to the exiled community regarding temple access. This declaration immediately follows the prohibition against uncircumcised foreigners entering the sanctuary.

The words — The Hebrew רָֽחֲקוּ (ra.cha.Ku) literally means "they became distant" or "they turned away." It marks the specific moment the Levites separated themselves from God alongside Israel's idolatry.

The thread — This pattern of priestly failure and restricted service runs through Ezekiel 48:11 and Ezekiel 22:26. It also aligns with the historical account in 2 Kings 23:8 where Josiah purifies the priesthood.

Why it lands — The text states that Levites who followed Israel into idolatry will bear their iniquity's consequences. It requires readers to accept that spiritual compromise results in diminished ministry rather than complete removal from temple service.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֣יkithat אִם־'im-except הַלְוִיִּ֗םha/l.vi.Yimthe/ Levites אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwho רָֽחֲקוּ֙ra.cha.Kuthey became distant מֵֽעָלַ֔יme./'a.La/ifrom/ with <the>/ me בִּתְע֤וֹתbi/t.'otwhen/ went astray יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsrael אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwho תָּע֣וּta.'Uthey went astray מֵֽעָלַ֔יme./'a.La/ifrom/ with <the>/ me אַחֲרֵ֖י'a.cha.Reiafter גִּלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֑םgi.lu.lei./Hemidols/ their וְנָשְׂא֖וּve./na.se.'Uand/ they will bear עֲוֹנָֽם׃'a.vo.Na/miniquity/ their

King James Version

And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 48:11 It will be for the consecrated priests, the descendants of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
2 Kings 23:8 Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate.
Ezekiel 44:15 But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD.
1 Timothy 5:22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
Genesis 4:13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Leviticus 19:8 Whoever eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people.
Numbers 5:31 The husband will be free from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”
Numbers 18:23 The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.
2 Chronicles 29:4 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side.