Ezekiel 44:22
in Ezekiel 44And 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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.
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseNeither shall they take for their wives a widow - This was prohibited to the high priest only, by Moses, Lev 21:13, Lev 21:14.
This site's exposition
They must not shave their heads
on Ezekiel 44:20-27
The priests must “carefully trim their hair,” a middle course between pagan mourners' shaved heads and unkempt hair. They drink no wine before the inner court, and they teach “the difference between the holy and the common.” Marriage is limited to a virgin of Israel or a priest's widow.
This site's exposition
a widow of a priest
Adam Clarke observes that Moses forbade marriage to a widow only for the high priest (Leviticus 21:13 to 14). Ezekiel applies nearly that rule to every priest, with one exception. A priest's widow is allowed.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Their wives as well as themselves must be of good report. Concerning their preaching and church-government. It was part of their business to teach the people; and herein they must approve themselves both skilful and faithful (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Neither shall they take for their wives a widow,....
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַלְמָנָה֙ | vealmanah | and a widow | H490 → | 56 times |
| וּגְרוּשָׁ֔ה | ugerushah | and a divorced [woman] | H1644 → | |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִקְח֥וּ | yikchu | they will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | for themselves | ||
| לְנָשִׁ֑ים | lenashim | to wives | H802 → | 781 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| בְּתוּלֹ֗ת | betulot | virgins | H1330 → | |
| מִזֶּ֙רַע֙ | mizera' | from [the] offspring of | H2233 → | 229 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙ | vehaalmanah | and the widow | H490 → | 56 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה | tihyeh | she will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַלְמָנָ֔ה | ʾalmanah | a widow | H490 → | 56 times |
| מִכֹּהֵ֖ן | mikohen | from a priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| יִקָּֽחוּ׃ | yikachu | they will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
וְאַלְמָנָה֙and a widow
vealmanahH490 →56 times
וּגְרוּשָׁ֔הand a divorced [woman]
ugerushahH1644 →
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִקְח֥וּthey will take
yikchuH3947 →966 times
לָהֶ֖םfor themselves
lahem
לְנָשִׁ֑יםto wives
lenashimH802 →781 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
בְּתוּלֹ֗תvirgins
betulotH1330 →
מִזֶּ֙רַע֙from [the] offspring of
mizera'H2233 →229 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙and the widow
vehaalmanahH490 →56 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּֽהְיֶ֣הshe will be
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
אַלְמָנָ֔הa widow
ʾalmanahH490 →56 times
מִכֹּהֵ֖ןfrom a priest
mikohenH3548 →750 times
יִקָּֽחוּ׃they will take
yikachuH3947 →966 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
1 Timothy 3:2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
it leads to
- Titus 1:6–9
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.
- 2 Timothy 2:24
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.
- Romans 12:13
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.
- 1 Timothy 5:9
A widow should be enrolled if she is at least sixty years old, the wife of one man,
- 1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
- Titus 1:6–9
Through
Leviticus 21:7A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
it leads to
- Leviticus 21:13–14
The woman he marries must be a virgin.
- Leviticus 21:8
You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.
- 1 Timothy 3:11
In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.
- Leviticus 21:13–14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.