Ezekiel 44:16

Christian Standard Bible ®

“They are the ones who may enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They will keep my mandate.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

King James Version
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

English Standard Version
They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

New American Standard Bible
"They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to serve Me and assume the responsibility I give them.

New Century Version
They are the only ones who may enter my Holy Place. Only they may come near my table to serve me and take care of the things I gave them to do.

Amplified Bible
"They shall enter into My sanctuary; and they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and they shall perform [the priestly] duty to me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
They shall enter into my Sanctuarie, and shall come neere to my table, to serue me, and they shall keepe my charge.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep My charge.

Legacy Standard Bible
"They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep the responsibility given by Me.

Berean Standard Bible
They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge.

Contemporary English Version
They will come into my temple, where they will offer sacrifices at my altar and lead others in worship.

Complete Jewish Bible
‘They will enter my sanctuary, approach my table to minister to me and perform my service.

Darby Translation
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall approach unto my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

Easy-to-Read Version
"They will enter my holy place and come near my table to serve me. They will take care of the things I gave them.

George Lamsa Translation
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge:

Good News Translation
They alone will enter my Temple, serve at my altar, and conduct the Temple worship.

Lexham English Bible
"They shall come to my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table to serve me, and they will observe my requirement.

Literal Translation
They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister to Me. And they shall keep My charge.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They shall go in to my Sanctuary, and treade before my table, to do me seruyce, and to waite vpo myne ordinaunces.

American Standard Version
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

Bible in Basic English
They are to come into my holy place and they are to come near to my table, to do my work and have the care of my house.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge.

King James Version (1611)
They shall enter into my sanctuarie, and they shall come neere to my table to minister vnto mee, and they shall keepe my charge.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They shall go into my sanctuarie, and apropche vnto my table to do me seruice, and they shall kepe my charge.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
These shall enter into my sanctuary, and these shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charges.

English Revised Version
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

World English Bible
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei schulen entre in to my seyntuarie, and thei schulen neiye to my boord, that thei mynystre to me, and kepe my ceremonyes.

Update Bible Version
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

Webster's Bible Translation
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

New English Translation
They will enter my sanctuary, and approach my table to minister to me; they will keep my charge.

New King James Version
"They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.

New Living Translation
They alone will enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They will fulfill all my requirements.

New Life Bible
"They will come into My holy place and come near My table, to serve Me and to do My work.

New Revised Standard
It is they who shall enter my sanctuary, it is they who shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and They shall draw near unto my table to wait upon me,- So shall they keep my charge.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and to keep my ceremonies.

Revised Standard Version
they shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

Young's Literal Translation
they come in unto My sanctuary, and they draw near unto My table to serve Me, and they have kept My charge.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰Surely the Levites who wandered away from me when Israel went astray, and who strayed from me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity. ¹¹Yet they will occupy my sanctuary, serving as guards at the temple gates and ministering at the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and will stand before them to serve them. ¹²Because they ministered to the house of Israel before their idols and became a sinful stumbling block to them, therefore I swore an oath against them”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity. ¹³They must not approach me to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or the most holy things. They will bear their disgrace and the consequences of the detestable acts they committed. ¹⁴Yet I will make them responsible for the duties of the temple—for all its work and everything done in it. ¹⁵“But the Levitical priests descended from Zadok, who kept charge of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, will approach me to serve me. They will stand before me to offer me fat and blood.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. ¹⁶“They are the ones who may enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They will keep my mandate.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

They shall enter: Revelation 1:6

to my table: To place the shew-bread there. It is observable, that the table in the sanctuary is mentioned rather than the altar of incense; perhaps intimating the change in the external institutions of Divine worship which should take place before the accomplishment of the prophecy. It is not easy to determine, whether any external regulations, with respect to Divine ordinances, answerable to these predictions, will be made among the converted Jews, when reinstated in their own land, or not. Ezekiel 41:22, Malachi 1:7, Malachi 1:12

keep: Numbers 18:7, Numbers 18:8, Deuteronomy 33:8-10

Reciprocal: Numbers 16:5 - will cause 1 Samuel 2:35 - I will raise 1 Kings 7:48 - the table 2 Chronicles 4:8 - ten tables Ezekiel 23:41 - a table Ezekiel 40:39 - tables on that Ezekiel 44:8 - charge Ezekiel 48:11 - the sons Zechariah 3:7 - if thou wilt keep Malachi 3:3 - the sons

Cross-References

Genesis 37:7
There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”

Genesis 37:9
Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Genesis 44:8
We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

Genesis 44:9
If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”

Genesis 44:18
But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.

Genesis 44:21
Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me so that I can see him.’

Genesis 44:22
But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

Genesis 44:28
One is gone from me—I said he must have been torn to pieces—and I have never seen him again.

Genesis 44:32
Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’

Numbers 32:23
But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They shall enter into my sanctuary,.... Both to officiate, and to participate, which strangers and uncircumcised persons might not do, Ezekiel 44:9:

and they shall come near to my table to minister unto me; which some understand of the altar of burnt offering, which was as a table, and the sacrifice on it was the food of the Lord, Leviticus 3:11, others, the altar of incense; see Ezekiel 41:22. Kimchi interprets it of the table of shewbread; but, whatever is meant in the letter, the mystical sense is, the ordinance of the Lord's supper, called the Lord's table,

1 Corinthians 10:21, a table richly spread, and well furnished with spiritual provision: here Christ himself sits, bids his people welcome, eats with them, and they with him; and here all the saints are guests, and ministers in particular officiate:

and they shall keep my charge; continue to do so; for this they did before, Ezekiel 44:15, but now should be confirmed in their office, and never be displaced, as others; they that honour God he will honour, 1 Samuel 2:30.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Admonition to the ministering priests, grounded upon former neglect.

Ezekiel 44:4

The north gate before the house - The north gate of the inner court. God expostulates with His people in the seat of their former idolatries Ezekiel 8:3.

Ezekiel 44:5

Mark well - The careful arrangements made had all been intended to keep the temple and its surroundings from profanation. Hence, attention to these particulars is enjoined.

Ezekiel 44:7

Strangers - This refers especially to the sin of unauthorized and unfaithful priests ministering in the services of the temple. Compare marginal references.

Ezekiel 44:8

Mine holy things - The altar, its sacrifices, the sacred utensils, and the like.

For yourselves - According to your own pleasure, not My ordinances Numbers 16:40.

Ezekiel 44:10

The Levites as a body had remained true to the temple-service at Jerusalem 2 Chronicles 11:13; but individuals among them deserted to Israel probably from the first (see the marginal references), as in later years some went over to the worship of the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim. These apostate Levites “shall bear their iniquities,” they shall not be restored to their former rank and privileges.

Ezekiel 44:11

Ministers - As, according to the new system, the Levites, as a body, were to receive their portion in the “oblation” Ezekiel 45:5; the only manner in which the Levites of Ezekiel 44:10 could live at all, was as part of the whole body, to which they were therefore reunited, but in the lowest grade. It is remarkable that the number of Levites who returned after the captivity was very small, not exceeding 400, of whom only 74 were priests’ assistants (Ezra 2:40-42; compare Ezra 8:15-19). The gap in their number was filled up by 220 Nethinim (“given” ones), probably originally strangers and captives, who, although employed in the temple services, were held by the Jews in the lowest repute.

Ezekiel 44:12

Lifted up mine hand - i. e., “The Lord sware” Ezekiel 20:5, that they should bear their iniquities.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 44:16. Come near to my table — To place the shew-bread there, and to burn incense on the golden altar in the holy of holies.