Ezekiel 44:25

25 And {near a dead person} he shall not come to be defiled, {but only} for a father and for a mother and for a son and for a daughter, for a brother and for a sister {who was not married} may they defile themselves.

Ezekiel 44:25 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 44:25

And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves,
&c.] Shall not come into places where they are, nor touch them, nor attend their funerals, ( Leviticus 21:1 Leviticus 21:11 ) , that their work might not be interrupted, or they through grief and sorrow be made unfit for it, ( Matthew 8:22 ) , this, in a spiritual sense, may signify, that they should have no conversation or fellowship with men dead in trespasses and sins; and should abstain from all dead works, as all sinful ones are: 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;
by coming near them, touching them, at least attending their funerals, because of their near relation to them, and that natural sympathy and affection that must be in them: all sorrow and mourning for dead relations is not forbidden saints, nor ministers of the word; provided it is in moderation, and not to excess, and is not for gracious persons, as those without hope; and should as little as possible break in upon the duties of their office, ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ) ( John 11:33 John 11:35 ) .

Ezekiel 44:25 In-Context

23 And they will teach my people [the difference] between what is holy and what is unholy, and [the difference] between unclean and clean they must show them.

24 And at a legal dispute they themselves shall stand to judge; employing my judgments they shall judge it, and [with respect to] my laws and my statutes. All my festivals they shall keep and my Sabbaths they shall consecrate.

25 And {near a dead person} he shall not come to be defiled, {but only} for a father and for a mother and for a son and for a daughter, for a brother and for a sister {who was not married} may they defile themselves.

26 And, after his cleansing, they shall count for him seven days,

27 and [then] on the day of his coming into the sanctuary to the inner courtyard to serve in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "and to a dead person of a man"
• [b] That is, the priest
• [c] Literally "but if"
• [d] Literally "who not she was for a man"