Ezekiel 44 — The closed gate and priestly holiness — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 44:20
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Ezekiel 44 — The closed gate and priestly holiness
44:1–44:3 — The eastern gate remains shut
Verse 44:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:1] He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faced east, and it was shut.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:1] He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the holy places, which faced east, and it was shut.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both return to the shut eastern gate.
Verse 44:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:2] YHWH said to me, “This gate shall remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, for YHWH, the God of Israel, has entered through it. It shall remain shut.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:2] The Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, will enter through it. It shall remain shut,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has entered; Greek will enter. The tense difference is retained, along with the emphatic prohibition.
Verse 44:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:3] As for the prince, because he is prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before YHWH. He shall enter by the porch of the gate and go out by the same way.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:3] for the ruler—he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He shall enter by the way of the gate's porch and go out by his way.”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew emphasizes the prince's status; Greek continues with 'for the ruler.' No identity beyond the text's ruler is inserted.
44:4–44:9 — The sanctuary's charge
Verse 44:4 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:4] He brought me by the north gate to the front of the house. I looked, and behold—the glory of YHWH filled the house of YHWH. I fell on my face.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:4] He brought me by the north gate opposite the house. I looked, and behold—the house of the Lord was full of glory. I fall on my face.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Greek retains a historical present for falling and does not repeat 'of the Lord' after glory.
Verse 44:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:5] YHWH said to me, “Son of man, set your heart on, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears everything I tell you concerning all the statutes of the house of YHWH and all its instructions. Set your heart on the house's entrance and all the sanctuary's exits.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:5] The Lord said to me, “Son of man, set in your heart, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears everything I speak with you concerning all the commands of the Lord's house and all its ordinances. Set your heart on the house's entrance, according to all its exits in all the holy places.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both demand attention to instructions and access; Greek explicitly places the exits in all the holy areas.
Verse 44:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:6] Say to the rebellious—to the house of Israel: Thus says Lord YHWH: Enough of all your abominations, house of Israel!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:6] You shall say to the provoking house, to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Let all your lawless deeds be enough for you, house of Israel—
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew calls their acts abominations; Greek lawless deeds, and continues into verse 7.
Verse 44:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:7] You brought foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, into My sanctuary to profane it, My house, when you presented My food, fat and blood. They broke My covenant in addition to all your abominations.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:7] —your bringing in foreign sons, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My holy places. They profaned them while you offered bread, fat, and blood, and you transgressed My covenant in all your lawless deeds.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew calls the offering My food and says they broke the covenant; Greek has bread without My and says you transgressed.
Verse 44:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:8] You did not keep charge of My holy things, but appointed others to keep My charge in My sanctuary for you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:8] You arranged for the keeping of duties in My holy places.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek lacks Hebrew's explicit negative failure-to-keep clause and its for-you qualification. Hebrew's unstated appointees are represented by contextual 'others.'
Verse 44:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:9] Thus says Lord YHWH: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter My sanctuary—none of the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:9] Therefore thus says the Lord God: No foreign son uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter My holy places, among all the foreign sons who are in the midst of the house of Israel,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both restrict sanctuary entry with both kinds of uncircumcision expressly named.
44:10–44:16 — Levites and the sons of Zadok
Verse 44:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:10] But the Levites who went far away from Me when Israel strayed, who strayed from Me after their idols, shall bear their iniquity.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:10] except the Levites, who sprang away from Me when Israel strayed from Me after their reflections; they shall receive their injustice—
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek uses an explicit exception construction and enthymēmata, reflections or thoughts, where Hebrew has idols. Both impose consequences upon the Levites.
Verse 44:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:11] They shall be ministers in My sanctuary, with oversight at the gates of the house and service to the house. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and stand before them to serve them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:11] —and shall serve in My holy places as gatekeepers at the house's gates and as ministers to the house. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people, and stand before the people to serve them.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both permit gatekeeping, house service, and slaughter for the people.
Verse 44:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:12] Because they served them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, I have lifted My hand against them—declares Lord YHWH—and they shall bear their iniquity.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:12] Because they ministered to them before their idols, and it became a punishment of injustice for the house of Israel, I raised My hand against them, says the Lord God.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew stumbling block contrasts with Greek punishment. Greek lacks the final repetition that they shall bear their iniquity.
Verse 44:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:13] They shall not draw near to Me to serve Me as priests, nor approach any of My holy things, the most holy things. They shall bear their shame and the abominations they committed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:13] They shall not draw near to Me to serve Me as priests, nor approach the holy things of the sons of Israel, nor My most holy things. They shall receive their dishonor in the straying by which they strayed.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek distinguishes Israel's holy things and My most holy things, and describes straying where Hebrew names the abominations committed.
Verse 44:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:14] I shall appoint them to keep charge of the house, for all its service and everything done in it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:14] They shall assign them to keep the duties of the house, for all its works and everything they may do.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew has I shall appoint; Greek they shall assign, without identifying the assigning group.
Verse 44:15 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:15] But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel strayed from Me, shall draw near to Me to minister to Me. They shall stand before Me to present fat and blood to Me—declares Lord YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:15] The Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the duties of My holy places when the house of Israel strayed from Me, shall approach Me to minister to Me. They shall stand before Me to offer sacrifice, fat, and blood to Me, says the Lord God.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Greek explicitly includes sacrifice in the list. Both distinguish the faithful Zadokite priests.
Verse 44:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:16] They shall enter My sanctuary and approach My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:16] They shall enter My holy places and approach My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My duties.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both permit entry and service at My table.
44:17–44:24 — Garments and conduct
Verse 44:17 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:17] When they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, they shall wear linen garments. No wool shall be upon them when they minister at the gates of the inner courtyard and inside the house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:17] When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall put on linen robes. They shall not wear woolen things when they minister from the gate of the inner court.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew explicitly adds inside the house; Greek ends with the inner-court gate.
Verse 44:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:18] Linen headdresses shall be on their heads and linen undergarments on their hips. They shall not gird themselves in a way that causes sweat.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:18] They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their hips, and they shall not gird themselves tightly.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew refers to sweat; Greek bia, literally force, is rendered by tight girding. The stated grounds are not harmonized.
Verse 44:19 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:19] When they go out to the outer courtyard—to the outer courtyard, to the people—they shall take off the garments in which they minister, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments, so that they do not sanctify the people with their garments.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:19] When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they shall take off the robes in which they minister, place them in the recessed chambers of the holy places, and put on other robes. They shall certainly not sanctify the people with their robes.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Hebrew's repeated 'outer courtyard' is retained. Both warn against sanctifying the people through the ministerial garments.
Verse 44:20 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:20] They shall not shave their heads or let their hair grow unrestrained; they shall carefully trim the hair of their heads.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:20] They shall not shave their heads or strip away their hair; they shall certainly cover their heads.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew requires trimming rather than unrestrained growth; Greek prohibits stripping the hair and emphatically requires covering the head.
Verse 44:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:21] No priest shall drink wine when entering the inner courtyard.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:21] No priest shall drink wine when they enter the inner court.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both prohibit wine on entry to the inner court.
Verse 44:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:22] They shall not take a widow or a divorced woman as wives, but virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel; they may also take a widow who is the widow of a priest.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:22] They shall not take a widow or a dismissed woman as a wife, but a virgin of Israel's offspring; if a widow is from a priest, they may take her.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both expressly allow a priest's widow as an exception to the initial widow restriction.
Verse 44:23 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:23] They shall teach My people the difference between holy and common, and make known to them the difference between unclean and clean.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:23] They shall teach My people the difference between holy and profane, and make known to them the difference between unclean and clean.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both distinguish holiness from ordinary status and uncleanness from cleanness.
Verse 44:24 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:24] In a dispute they shall stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My instructions and My statutes at all My appointed festivals, and sanctify My Sabbaths.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:24] In a case involving blood they shall stand to decide. They shall uphold My judgments and judge My decisions; they shall keep My ordinances and My commands at all My festivals, and sanctify My Sabbaths.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly specifies a blood case and has two corresponding judgment clauses, where Hebrew speaks broadly of a dispute.
44:25–44:31 — Cleansing and priestly provision
Verse 44:25 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:25] A priest shall not approach a dead person to become unclean, except that they may become unclean for a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister who has not belonged to a husband.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:25] They shall not approach a human body so as to be defiled, except that a priest may be defiled for his father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister who has not belonged to a husband.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Hebrew explicitly says a dead person. Greek psychē anthrōpou is rendered human body in this corpse-impurity context; no separate disembodied-soul meaning is imposed.
Verse 44:26 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:26] After his cleansing, they shall count seven days for him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:26] After he has been cleansed, one shall count seven days for him.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both specify seven days after cleansing; Hebrew's counting subject is plural, Greek's singular and indefinite.
Verse 44:27 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:27] On the day he enters the holy place, the inner courtyard, to minister in the holy place, he shall present his sin offering—declares Lord YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:27] On whatever day they enter the inner court to minister in the holy place, they shall bring an atonement offering, says the Lord God.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew uses a singular priest and his sin offering; Greek plural participants and hilasmos, atonement.
Verse 44:28 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:28] This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:28] This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. No possession shall be given them among the sons of Israel, because I am their possession.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both identify God as the priests' inheritance and possession.
Verse 44:29 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:29] They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. Everything devoted in Israel shall belong to them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:29] They shall eat the sacrifices, the offerings for sin, and the offerings for ignorance. Everything set apart in Israel shall belong to them.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The offering categories follow each source; Hebrew ḥerem is devoted property here, not an inserted command of destruction.
Verse 44:30 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:30] The first of all the firstfruits of everything, and every contribution of everything from all your contributions, shall belong to the priests. You shall give the first of your dough to the priest, to cause a blessing to rest upon your house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:30] The firstfruits of everything, the firstborn of everything, and all the contributions from all your firstfruits shall belong to the priests. You shall give your first produce to the priest, to place your blessings upon your houses.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly lists firstborn and has first produce rather than Hebrew dough. Hebrew ends with a blessing upon your singular house; Greek your blessings upon your plural houses.
Verse 44:31 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[44:31] The priests shall not eat anything that has died of itself or has been torn by beasts, whether bird or animal.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:31] The priests shall not eat anything that has died of itself or has been taken by a beast, whether from the birds or from the livestock.”
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both exclude carrion and prey taken by animals from priestly food.