Ezekiel 44:22

And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Ezekiel and the priestly line regarding regulations for temple service. The directive establishes marriage restrictions for those serving in the sanctuary.

The words — יִקְח֥וּ (yik.Chu) means they will take, and בְּתוּלֹ֗ת (be.tu.Lot) means virgins. These terms define the specific marital qualifications outlined in the text.

The thread — This restriction aligns with Leviticus 21:7 and Leviticus 21:13, which similarly prohibit priests from marrying divorced or defiled women and require them to take virgins. The pattern reinforces priestly holiness through marital boundaries.

Why it lands — The text commands priests to restrict marriages to Israelite virgins or priestly widows. Readers must apply this boundary to maintain ritual distinction within the priestly office.

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

וְאַלְמָנָה֙ve./'al.ma.Nahand/ a widow וּגְרוּשָׁ֔הu./ge.ru.Shahand/ a divorced [woman]לֹֽא־lo'-not יִקְח֥וּyik.Chuthey will takeלָהֶ֖םla./Hemfor/ themselvesלְנָשִׁ֑יםle./na.Shimto/ wives כִּ֣יkithat אִם־'im-except בְּתוּלֹ֗תbe.tu.Lotvirgins מִזֶּ֙רַע֙mi./Ze.ra'from/ [the] offspring of בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] house of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙ve./ha./'al.ma.Nahand/ the/ widow אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwho תִּֽהְיֶ֣הtih.Yehshe will be אַלְמָנָ֔ה'al.ma.Naha widow מִכֹּהֵ֖ןmi./ko.Henfrom/ a priest יִקָּֽחוּ׃yi.Ka.chuthey will take

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Leviticus 21:7 A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
Leviticus 21:13 The woman he marries must be a virgin.
Deuteronomy 24:1 If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.
1 Timothy 3:2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
1 Timothy 3:4 An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.
1 Timothy 3:11 In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.
Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.