The Meaning of Ezekiel 44:22 Explained

Ezekiel 44:22

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.

YLT: And a widow and divorced woman they do not take to them for wives: but -- virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, and the widow who is widow of a priest, do they take.

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.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 44:22 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 44

1  The east gate assigned only to the prince
4  The priests reproved for polluting the sanctuary
9  Idolaters incapable of the priests office
15  The sons of Zadok are accepted thereto
17  Ordinances for the priests

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 44:22 mean?

And a widow or a divorced woman not they shall take to as wife for but virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel or the widow who is a widow of a priest take
וְאַלְמָנָה֙ וּגְרוּשָׁ֔ה לֹֽא־ יִקְח֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם לְנָשִׁ֑ים כִּ֣י אִם־ בְּתוּלֹ֗ת מִזֶּ֙רַע֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה אַלְמָנָ֔ה מִכֹּהֵ֖ן יִקָּֽחוּ

וְאַלְמָנָה֙  And  a  widow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַלְמָנָה  
Sense: widow.
וּגְרוּשָׁ֔ה  or  a  divorced  woman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
יִקְח֥וּ  they  shall  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְנָשִׁ֑ים  as  wife 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
בְּתוּלֹ֗ת  virgins 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: בְּתוּלָה  
Sense: virgin.
מִזֶּ֙רַע֙  of  the  descendants 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
בֵּ֣ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְהָֽאַלְמָנָה֙  or  the  widow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
אַלְמָנָ֔ה  a  widow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַלְמָנָה  
Sense: widow.
מִכֹּהֵ֖ן  of  a  priest 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
יִקָּֽחוּ  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.