The Meaning of Ezekiel 44:25 Explained

Ezekiel 44:25

KJV: And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.

YLT: And unto any dead man they come not for uncleanness, but for father, and for mother, and for son, and for daughter, for brother, for sister who hath not been to a man, they defile themselves.

Darby: And they shall come at no dead person to become unclean; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may become unclean.

ASV: And they shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they shall come  at no dead  person  to defile  themselves: but for father,  or for mother,  or for son,  or for daughter,  for brother,  or for sister  that hath had no husband,  they may defile  themselves. 

What does Ezekiel 44:25 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 44:25 mean?

And near dead a person not by coming they shall defile [themselves] but only for father or mother and for son or daughter for brother or sister that not has had unmarried may they defile themselves
וְאֶל־ מֵ֣ת אָדָ֔ם לֹ֥א יָב֖וֹא לְטָמְאָ֑ה כִּ֣י אִם־ לְאָ֡ב וּ֠לְאֵם וּלְבֵ֨ן וּלְבַ֜ת לְאָ֗ח וּלְאָח֛וֹת אֲשֶֽׁר־ לֹא־ הָיְתָ֥ה לְאִ֖ישׁ יִטַּמָּֽאוּ

וְאֶל־  And  near 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מֵ֣ת  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אָדָ֔ם  a  person 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יָב֖וֹא  by  coming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לְטָמְאָ֑ה  they  shall  defile  [themselves] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
אִם־  only 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לְאָ֡ב  for  father 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וּ֠לְאֵם  or  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
וּלְבֵ֨ן  and  for  son 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וּלְבַ֜ת  or  daughter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
לְאָ֗ח  for  brother 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וּלְאָח֛וֹת  or  sister 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
אֲשֶֽׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָיְתָ֥ה  has  had 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְאִ֖ישׁ  unmarried 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִטַּמָּֽאוּ  may  they  defile  themselves 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.