Ezekiel 44:22
20 They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
21 No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.
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.
23 They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
24 In any dispute, they shall officiate as judges and judge according to My ordinances. They must keep My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed feasts, and they must keep My Sabbaths holy.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- They shall not take for their wives a widow, or her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.
- ASV
- Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest.
- DARBY
- And they shall not 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 is the widow of a priest.
- BLB
- And a widow or a divorced woman they shall not take to themselves as wife, but only virgins from the seed of the house of Israel, or the widow who is a widow of a priest, they may take.
- ÅB
- En enke eller en kvinne som hennes mann har skilt seg fra, skal de ikke ta til hustru, men bare jomfruer av Israels slekt; men de kan ta en enke som er enke etter en prest.
- OTB
- De skal ikke gifte seg med en enke eller en fraskilt kvinne; de kan bare gifte seg med jomfruer fra Israels etterkommere eller en enke som er en prests enke.
- B1930
- En enke eller en kvinne som hennes mann har skilt sig fra, skal de ikke ta til hustru, men bare jomfruer av Israels ætt; men de kan ta en enke som er enke efter en prest.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
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.
Read in contextLeviticus 21:13–14
The woman he marries must be a virgin.
Read in context1 Timothy 3:11–12
In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.
Read in contextTitus 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.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 24:1–4
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.
Read in context1 Timothy 3:4–5
An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.
Read in context1 Timothy 3:2
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
Read in context