The Meaning of Ezekiel 44:23 Explained

Ezekiel 44:23

KJV: And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

YLT: 'And My people they direct between holy and common, and between unclean and clean they cause them to discern.

Darby: And they shall teach my people the difference between holy and profane, and cause them to discern between unclean and clean.

ASV: And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they shall teach  my people  [the difference] between the holy  and profane,  and cause them to discern  between the unclean  and the clean. 

What does Ezekiel 44:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Part of the priests" job would be to teach the people the difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. The people would learn this difference as they observed the distinctions prescribed here and as the priests explained them to them (cf. Ezekiel 22:26; Leviticus 10:10-11; Leviticus 11:47; Deuteronomy 33:10).
"The priests were by their lives to be examples of separateness; their ritual holiness was intended to promote ethical holiness among the people they were called to serve. [1]
This is also the duty of believer priests today ( 1 Peter 1:13-16).

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 44:23 mean?

And My people they shall teach the [difference] between the holy and the unholy and between the unclean and the clean cause them to discern
וְאֶת־ עַמִּ֣י יוֹר֔וּ בֵּ֥ין קֹ֖דֶשׁ לְחֹ֑ל וּבֵין־ טָמֵ֥א לְטָה֖וֹר יוֹדִעֻֽם

עַמִּ֣י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יוֹר֔וּ  they  shall  teach  the  [difference] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
בֵּ֥ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
קֹ֖דֶשׁ  the  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
לְחֹ֑ל  and  the  unholy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹל  
Sense: profaneness, commonness, unholy, profane, common, sand.
וּבֵין־  and  between 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
טָמֵ֥א  the  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
לְטָה֖וֹר  and  the  clean 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
יוֹדִעֻֽם  cause  them  to  discern 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.