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Good News Translation

Ezekiel 44:31

The priests must not eat any bird or animal that dies a natural death or is killed by another animal."

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Fasting;   Moses;   Nations;   Priests and Levites;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Prince;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Temple;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Carcass;   Dietary Laws;   Hafṭarah;   Holiness;   Nebelah;   Pharisees;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The priests may not eat any bird or animal that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts.
Hebrew Names Version
The Kohanim shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or animal.
King James Version
The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
English Standard Version
The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by wild animals.
New American Standard Bible
"The priests shall not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces by animals.
New Century Version
The priests must not eat any bird or animal that died a natural death or one that has been torn by wild animals.
Amplified Bible
"The priests shall not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The Priests shal not eate of any thing, that is dead, or torne, whether it be foule or beast.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The priests shall not eat any bird or beast that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces.
Legacy Standard Bible
The priests shall not eat any bird or beast that has died of itself or has been torn to pieces.
Berean Standard Bible
The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.
Contemporary English Version
Priests must not eat any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that has been killed by a wild animal.
Complete Jewish Bible
The cohanim are not to eat anything, bird or animal, that dies naturally or is torn to death.
Darby Translation
The priests shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself, or of that which is torn, whether of fowl or of beast.
Easy-to-Read Version
The priests must not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces by a wild animal.
George Lamsa Translation
The priests shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
Lexham English Bible
Any dead body or mangled carcass from the birds or from the animals, the priests shall not eat."
Literal Translation
The priests shall not eat of every corpse and torn thing, of birds, or of beasts.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But no deed carion shall the prest eate, ner soch as is deuoured of wilde beestes, foules or catell.
American Standard Version
The priests shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast.
Bible in Basic English
The priests may not take for food any bird or beast which has come to a natural death or whose death has been caused by another animal.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The priests shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
King James Version (1611)
The priests shall not eate of any thing that is dead of it selfe or torne, whether it be foule or beast.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the priestes shal eate nothing that is dead [by it selfe] or torne of foule or of beaste.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the priests shall eat no bird or beast that dies of itself, or is taken of wild beasts.
English Revised Version
The priests shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
World English Bible
The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or animal.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Preestis schulen not ete ony thing deed bi it silf, and takun of a beeste, of foulis, and of scheep.
Update Bible Version
The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it is bird or beast.
Webster's Bible Translation
The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether of fowl or beast.
New English Translation
The priests will not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or was torn to pieces by a wild animal.
New King James Version
The priests shall not eat anything, bird or beast, that died naturally or was torn by wild beasts.
New Living Translation
The priests may not eat meat from any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that dies after being attacked by another animal.
New Life Bible
The religious leaders must not eat any bird or animal that has died of itself or has been torn to pieces.
New Revised Standard
The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or animal, that died of itself or was torn by animals.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Nothing that died of itself or was torn in pieces, of bird or of beast shall be eaten by the priests.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself or caught by a beast, whether it be fowl or cattle.
Revised Standard Version
The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn.
Young's Literal Translation
Any carcase and torn thing, of the fowl, and of the beasts, the priests do not eat.
THE MESSAGE
"Priests are not to eat any meat from bird or animal unfit for ordinary human consumption, such as carcasses found dead on the road or in the field."

Contextual Overview

17 When they enter the gateway to the inner courtyard of the Temple, they are to put on linen clothing. They must not wear anything made of wool when they are on duty in the inner courtyard or in the Temple. 18 So that they won't perspire, they are to wear linen turbans and linen trousers, but no belt. 19 Before they go to the outer courtyard where the people are, they must first take off the clothes they wore on duty in the Temple and leave them in the holy rooms. They are to put on other clothing in order to keep their sacred clothing from harming the people. 20 "Priests must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. They are to keep it a proper length. 21 Priests must not drink any wine before going into the inner courtyard. 22 No priest may marry a divorced woman; he is to marry only an Israelite virgin or the widow of another priest. 23 "The priests are to teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not, and between what is ritually clean and what is not. 24 When a legal dispute arises, the priests are to decide the case according to my laws. They are to keep the religious festivals according to my rules and regulations, and they are to keep the Sabbaths holy. 25 "A priest is not to become ritually unclean by touching a corpse, unless it is one of his parents, one of his children or a brother or an unmarried sister. 26 After he has become clean again, he must wait seven days

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 22:31, Leviticus 17:15, Leviticus 22:8, Deuteronomy 14:21, Romans 14:20, 1 Corinthians 8:13

Reciprocal: Leviticus 7:24 - beast Leviticus 11:40 - eateth Malachi 1:13 - torn Acts 10:14 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 37:35
All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "I will go down to the world of the dead still mourning for my son." So he continued to mourn for his son Joseph.
Genesis 44:17
Joseph said, "Oh, no! I would never do that! Only the one who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back safe and sound to your father."
Genesis 44:18
Judah went up to Joseph and said, "Please, sir, allow me to speak with you freely. Don't be angry with me; you are like the king himself.
Genesis 44:26
We answered, ‘We cannot go; we will not be admitted to the man's presence unless our youngest brother is with us. We can go only if our youngest brother goes also.'
Genesis 44:27
Our father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel bore me only two sons.
Genesis 44:29
If you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, as old as I am.'
1 Samuel 22:22
David said to him, "When I saw Doeg there that day, I knew that he would be sure to tell Saul. So I am responsible for the death of all your relatives.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation—and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The priests shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, or torn,.... They shall have no need to eat of such things, being plentifully provided for with better; nor will it become them so to do through avarice, not allowing themselves to enjoy what is liberally given them. Here the Jewish doctors t observe that it is said, the priests shall not eat of these things, suggesting that Israelites might; this puzzles them, therefore they say, Elijah will explain this verse; and the gloss says, till Elijah comes, and explains it to us, we know not how to explain it. In the mystic sense it may signify, that the priests of the Lord should have no communication with such as are dead in sin, or are given to rapine and violence, and should abstain from everything of this kind themselves.

Whether it be fowl or beast; whether Pharisees and high flown professors of religion, or earthly and worldly persons, and such that are immersed in carnal pleasures, in sensual and brutish lusts. The allusion is to the law in Leviticus 17:15, which was common to all Israelites, priests and people.

t T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 45. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Regulations as to the priests’ services. The garments of the priests are defined and various rules prescribed in the Law are repeated with some additions in order to denote additional care to avoid uncleanness.

Ezekiel 44:18

The material of which the four vestments of the ordinary priest were made was “linen,” or, more accurately, “byssus,” the cotton stuff of Egypt. The two special qualities of the byssus - white and shining - are characteristic, and on them part of the symbolic meaning depended. Compare Revelation 19:8.

Ezekiel 44:19

They shall not sanctify the people - They shall not touch the people with their holy garments. The word “sanctify” is used because the effect of touching was to separate as holy the persons or things so touched (Exodus 29:37; Exodus 30:29; compare Leviticus 6:18). The priests wore the distinctive dress, only while performing in the temple strictly sacrificial services.

The holy chambers; see Ezekiel 42:1 ff.

Ezekiel 44:22

Restrictions and exceptions intended to mark the holiness of the office of a priest, imposing on him additional (compare the marginal reference) obligations to purity, and communicating it in some degree to his wife. In the Christian Church all the members are “priests” 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 20:6. Hence, the directions for maintaining the holiness of the “priesthood” in the new order, represent the necessity for holiness in all Christians, and the exclusion of the “uncircumcised in heart and in flesh” is equivalent to the exclusion of “all that defileth” from the New Jerusalem Revelation 21:27.

Ezekiel 44:24

There was in Herod’s Temple a council of priests, whose special duty it was to regulate every thing connected with the sanctuary. They did not ordinarily busy themselves with criminal questions, although they took a leading part in the condemnation of Jesus Mark 15:1.

Ezekiel 44:28

It shall be unto them - The remains of the sacrifices were a chief source of the priests’ support. The burnt-offerings being entirely consumed, the priests had the skins, which yielded a considerable revenue; meat-offerings and drink-offerings belonged entirely to them. sin-offerings and trepass-offerings, except in particular cases, also belonged to the priests and were partaken of in the temple. Of the peace-offerings a portion dedicated to the Lord by waving was left for the priests, and the rest eaten by the officers and their friends, either in the courts of the temple, or at least within Jerusalem. The kitchen-courts (K, Plan II Ezek. Ezekiel 46:21-24), were provided in order to prepare these public meals.

Ezekiel 44:30

Oblation - Offering, margin “heave-offering” (see Ezekiel 45:1; Exodus 25:2; Exodus 29:27; Notes and Pref. to Leviticus).


 
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