Ezekiel 44:15
in Ezekiel 44But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord Jehovah:
KJV
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God:
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This verse in Ezekiel 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Zadok, according to his name (which means "righteous") and his line, were to succeed (1Ki 2:35; 1Ch 24:3), as they did not take part in the general apostasy to the same degree, and perhaps [FAIRBAIRN] the prophet, referring to their original state, speaks of them as they appeared when first chosen to the office.
This site's exposition
the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok
on Ezekiel 44:15-16
Against the Levites who went astray stand “the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok,” who kept charge of the sanctuary when Israel went astray. To them alone goes the nearness withheld from the others, to offer fat and blood and “draw near to My table” in the sanctuary.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 9 and following) Thus says the Lord God: Every uncircumcised foreigner in heart and in flesh shall not enter my sanctuary, every foreign son who is among the sons of Israel.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok;....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
But the priests, the Levites [i.e., the priests, who are] of the tribe of Levi.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים | vehakohanim | and the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הַלְוִיִּ֜ם | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| צָד֗וֹק | tzadok | Zadok | H6659 → | 53 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁמְר֜וּ | shameru | they kept | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁמֶ֤רֶת | mishmeret | [the] charge of | H4931 → | 78 times |
| מִקְדָּשִׁי֙ | mikdashi | sanctuary my | H4720 → | 75 times |
| בִּתְע֤וֹת | bitot | when went astray | H8582 → | 50 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מֵֽעָלַ֔י | mealai | from with <the> me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הֵ֛מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| יִקְרְב֥וּ | yikrevu | they will draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אֵלַ֖י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לְשָֽׁרְתֵ֑נִי | leshareteni | to serve me | H8334 → | 97 times |
| וְעָמְד֣וּ | veamedu | and they will stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לְפָנַ֗י | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לְהַקְרִ֥יב | lehakriv | to bring near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לִי֙ | li | to me | ||
| חֵ֣לֶב | chelev | fat | H2459 → | 92 times |
| וָדָ֔ם | vadam | and blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| נְאֻ֖ם | neum | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֨יםand the priests
vehakohanimH3548 →750 times
הַלְוִיִּ֜םthe Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] sons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
צָד֗וֹקZadok
tzadokH6659 →53 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שָׁמְר֜וּthey kept
shameruH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִשְׁמֶ֤רֶת[the] charge of
mishmeretH4931 →78 times
מִקְדָּשִׁי֙sanctuary my
mikdashiH4720 →75 times
בִּתְע֤וֹתwhen went astray
bitotH8582 →50 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מֵֽעָלַ֔יfrom with <the> me
mealaiH5921 →5755 times
הֵ֛מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
יִקְרְב֥וּthey will draw near
yikrevuH7126 →280 times
אֵלַ֖יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
לְשָֽׁרְתֵ֑נִיto serve me
leshareteniH8334 →97 times
וְעָמְד֣וּand they will stand
veameduH5975 →521 times
לְפָנַ֗י<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
לְהַקְרִ֥יבto bring near
lehakrivH7126 →280 times
לִי֙to me
li
חֵ֣לֶבfat
chelevH2459 →92 times
וָדָ֔םand blood
vadamH1818 →360 times
נְאֻ֖ם[the] utterance of
neumH5002 →376 times
אֲדֹנָ֥י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 43:19You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 40:46
and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 40:46
Through
Ezekiel 40:46and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 2:35
And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 43:19
You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the…
- 1 Kings 2:35
Through
Deuteronomy 10:8At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 21:5
And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every…
- Deuteronomy 18:5
For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.
- Numbers 3:6
“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
- Deuteronomy 21:5
Through
Ezekiel 44:7In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood;…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:26
Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all the inhabitants of the desert who clip the hair of their temples. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in…
- Leviticus 22:25
Neither you nor a foreigner shall present food to your God from any such animal. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and flawed.’”
- Jeremiah 9:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.