And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

EZEKIEL 44:23KJV
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Ezekiel 44:23 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 44:23 mean?

Ezekiel 44:23 describes how certain leaders in Israel, specifically the priests, are responsible for teaching the people to recognize the difference between what is holy and what is not, and to help them understand what is ritually clean or unclean. This verse highlights the priests’ role as teachers who guide the community in matters of spiritual and ritual purity.

In this part of Ezekiel, God is speaking through the prophet to describe the duties of the priests in the restored temple. The people had often failed to distinguish between proper worship and practices that were not acceptable to God. By emphasizing teaching and discernment, the verse shows that knowing the difference between holy and profane, clean and unclean, was essential for the community’s relationship with God.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 44:23

  • "teach" (יָרָה, yarah): This word means to instruct or show the way, often used for giving guidance or direction. Here, it stresses the priests’ active role in helping people understand God’s standards.
  • "holy" (קֹדֶשׁ, qodesh) and "profane" (חֹל, chol): "qodesh" refers to things set apart for God, while "chol" means ordinary or common. The contrast is not just about morality, but about what is dedicated to God versus what is not.
  • "discern" (יָדַע, yada): This word means to know or recognize, often with the sense of careful understanding. The priests are to help people truly grasp, not just superficially know, the difference between clean and unclean.
  • "unclean" (טָמֵא, tame) and "clean" (טָהוֹר, tahor): These terms relate to ritual status, not just physical cleanliness. They affect whether someone or something can participate in worship.

Why Ezekiel 44:23 matters

  • This verse clarifies that spiritual leadership involves teaching and guiding, not just performing rituals. The priests were meant to help people understand God’s ways, not just enforce rules.
  • The focus on distinguishing between holy/profane and clean/unclean shows that God cares about both the heart and the actions of His people, and that understanding these differences is vital for true worship.
  • In the wider context of Ezekiel, this verse addresses past failures where leaders did not teach or uphold these distinctions, leading to confusion and disobedience among the people. The restored priesthood is called to do better.

Where else these words appear

“profane” Hebrew H2455 · used in 7 verses

  • Leviticus 10:10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
  • 1 Samuel 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
  • Ezekiel 42:20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

“teach” Hebrew H3384 · used in 75 verses

  • Genesis 31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
  • 2 Samuel 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
  • Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

“unclean” Hebrew H2931 · used in 78 verses

  • Leviticus 5:2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
  • Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
  • Deuteronomy 14:7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

“clean” Hebrew H2889 · used in 87 verses

  • Genesis 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
  • Exodus 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
  • Numbers 19:19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.