Ezekiel 44:26 — Word Study
WLCוְאַחֲרֵ֖י טָֽהֳרָת֑וֹ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים יִסְפְּרוּ־ לֽוֹ׃
BSAand afterʼachar [following, subsequent to] he is cleansedṭohŏrâh [purified, made ritually clean] he must countçâphar▸ off sevenshebaʻ [recount, number] daysyôwm [a period of time]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאַחֲרֵ֖י | and after | Conjunction |
| טָֽהֳרָת֑וֹ | purification his | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| שִׁבְעַ֥ת | seven | Adj |
| יָמִ֖ים | days | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| יִסְפְּרוּ־ | people will count | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| לֽוֹ׃ | for him | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself. |
| KJV | And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. |
| ASV | And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. |
| YLT | 'And after his cleansing, seven days they number to him. |
| WEB | After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days. |
| BBE | And after he has been made clean, seven days are to be numbered for him. |
Where they part company is שִׁבְעַ֥ת — see How Translations Differ.
The structure features a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase and two noun phrases, clearly outlining the sequence of actions and their subjects.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbסָפַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 44:26
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Instructions for Priestly Purificationgenerated
Ezekiel 44:26 provides guidelines for priests regarding their ritual cleanliness and the necessary waiting period before they can resume their sacred duties. This verse emphasizes the importance of purification in maintaining holiness in service to God, as seen in the surrounding verses that detail what a priest must do when encountering death and how they must prepare themselves for ministry.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 6:10–21 | On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. |
| 2 | Numbers 19:11–13 | Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days. |
| 3 | Hebrews 9:13–14 | For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שִׁבְעַ֥ת, shiv.'Atgenerated
The word שִׁבְעַ֥ת (*shiv'at*) means 'seven,' a number often associated with completeness or sacredness in biblical texts. In this context, it refers to a specific period of time that a priest must observe after his purification.
As an adjective, it indicates quantity, specifically the cardinal number seven. This word is used throughout the Bible to denote various instances of seven, such as in weeks or cycles, reinforcing the idea of completeness in the ritual process.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses seven to translate שִׁבְעַ֥ת. Other versions like the KJV and ASV also use seven, maintaining the original meaning.
However, the Young's Literal Translation and Literal Standard Version opt for number, which shifts the focus slightly from the specific count to the act of counting itself.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in the verse is יִסְפְּרוּ (*yispe'ru*), meaning 'they will count.' This verb governs the structure, with a prepositional phrase indicating the purpose of the counting and two noun phrases detailing what is being counted: the seven days.
The phrase structure emphasizes the sequence of actions: first, the cleansing, followed by the counting of days. This order reflects the ritualistic nature of the instructions, highlighting the importance of timing in the priest's duties.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שִׁבְעַ֥ת as ἑπτὰ (*hepta*), which means 'seven.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, preserving the significance of the number in the context of purification and readiness for service.
The use of ἑπτὰ in the Septuagint reflects a direct translation approach, maintaining the original concept of seven days as a complete period of waiting.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 44:26 tells us that after a priest has been cleansed, he must wait for seven days before he can perform his duties again. This waiting period is important for ensuring he is fully prepared for his role.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The seven days serve as a period of reflection and preparation, ensuring the priest is fully ready to resume his sacred duties.
Cleansing refers to the ritual purification that a priest must undergo to be considered fit for service in the sanctuary.
Yes, the number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection, appearing in various contexts such as the creation week and the festivals.
This verse emphasizes the necessity of ritual purity and the proper observance of time in maintaining the holiness required for the priestly office.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the waiting period after purification teach us about preparation in our own lives?
- How can we apply the concept of ritual purity in our spiritual practices today?
- In what ways do we observe completeness or sacredness in our own routines?
- How does understanding the significance of numbers in the Bible enhance our reading of scripture?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 44:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd after he is cleansed,.... From any sin or iniquity, failing and imperfection, that he has been guilty of at such seasons, in mourning for the dead, by a fresh application of the blood of Christ,
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 44 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryNeither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 44 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAfter he is cleansed; after that for seven days he hath kept from the dead, by which the Jews accounted a man was cleansed, for as nearness did defile, so absence did cleanse in this case. They, the priests, who are about the house of God, shall reckon unto him seven days; shall appoint seven days more to this defiled person for his cleansing, before he is admitted into the sanctuary.
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 44 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 44:26 And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.Ver. 26. And after he is cleansed.] This is a new sanction in the new temple, as Vatablus observeth.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 44 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(26) Reckon unto him seven days.—In Ezekiel 44:23-24, the general duties of the priests are prescribed in terms taken from the Mosaic law, and in Ezekiel 44:25-27 special instructions are given about the defilement from a dead body. These are in general an exact repetition of Lev 21:1-4; but, in accordance with the principle mentioned in the last Note, there is added to the ordinary cleansing of seven days (Numbers 19:11-17) another period of seven days, after which Ezekiel requires (Ezekiel 44:27) the priest to offer a sin offering before entering again on his duties.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 44 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges26. after he is cleansed] i.e. the priest. The length of time during which he shall remain unclean is not stated. In ordinary cases he who touched a dead body was unclean seven days (Numbers 19:11). After his cleansing the priest must count seven days, which would imply exclusion from his official duties for 14 days.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 44 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible26, 27. The ordinary person was counted unclean for seven days after touching a dead body (Numbers 29:11), but the priest must wait another seven days, after which he could offer his sin offering
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 44 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.
After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.
and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.
After a priest has become ceremonially clean, they must count off a period of seven days for him.
Tyndale line
And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.
And when he is clensed, they shall reckon vnto him seuen dayes.
Strictly literal
And after he is cleansed, they shall count unto him seven days.
'And after his cleansing, seven days they number to him.
And after his cleansing, they number seven days to him.
And after he is become clean,—they shall reckon unto him seven days,—
After a priest has become unclean, they will count off a period of seven days for him.
From the Latin
And after one is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
Simplified
Afterwards, once he is purified, he must wait for seven days.
And after he has been made clean, seven days are to be numbered for him.
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with five of the six words matching. The Septuagint's translation reflects the Hebrew text's intent, although its word order differs.
וְאַחֲרֵ֖י טָֽהֳרָת֑וֹ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים יִסְפְּרוּ־ לֽוֹ׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 44:26
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word אַחַר (*achar*) primarily denotes the concept of 'after' or 'behind' in both spatial and temporal contexts. It functions as a substantive, adverb, preposition, and conjunction, indicating a following part or time. The related form אַחֲרַי (*acharai*) refers to a person who turns backwards. There is a reference to Proverbs 28:23 in relation to the latter.
אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part
adv.
of place, behind
of time, afterwards
prep.
of place, behind, after
of time, after
conj. after that.
H310a אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part . adv. . of place, behind
. of time, afterwards
. prep. . of place, behind, after
. of time, after
. conj. after that.
H310b אַחֲרַי a man that turneth backwards.
310 'achar akh-ar'
from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an
adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after
(that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side),
behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from,
hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute,
posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth),
when, with.
see HEBREW for 0309
אַחַר (a.char) — after.
1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time)
1a) as an adverb
1a1) behind (of place)
1a2) afterwards (of time)
1b) as a preposition
1b1) behind, after (of place)
1b2) after (of time)
1b3) besides
1c) as a conjunction
1c) after that
1d) as a substantive
1d1) hinder part
1e) with other prepositions
1e1) from behind
1e2) from following after
אַחֲרַי (a.cha.ray) — backwards.
backwards (of a man that turns backwards)
Conj | Prep — ConjunctionHC/Acmpc
טָֽהֳרָה (tohorah) is a feminine noun derived from טָהוֹר (tahor), meaning ceremonial purification or moral purity. It encompasses concepts of cleansing and purity, including specific references to menstruation. The entries consistently emphasize its relation to purification and cleansing.
טָֽהֳרָה n.f. purifying, cleansing
purifying, menstruation
cleansing, purification
base
H2893 טָֽהֳרָה
2893 tohorah toh-or-aw'
feminine of 2892; ceremonial purification; moral purity:--X
is cleansed, cleansing, purification(-fying).
see HEBREW for 02892
טׇהֳרָה (to.ho.rah) — purifying.
1) purifying, cleansing, purification, purity, cleanness
1a) purifying, menstruation
1b) cleansing, purification
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3ms
שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.
שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven
base
H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven
7651 sheba` sheh'-bah
or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive
cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also
(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by
extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,
(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
see HEBREW for 07650
see HEBREW for 07658
שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.
1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc
Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).
See NUMBER.
Seven
This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;
The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate
Qal 27
count things, to learn their number
number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
Niph. be counted, numbered
Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare
Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed
base
סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
base
H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number
. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
. be counted, numbered
. recount, rehearse, declare
. be recounted, related, rehearsed
H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
5608 caphar saw-far'
a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally
or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to
enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,
(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew
forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.
סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.
v
1) to count, recount, relate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to count (things)
1a2) to number, take account of, reckon
1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered
1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare
1c1) to recount (something), rehearse
1c2) to talk
1c3) to count exactly or accurately
1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.
1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary
1b) learned man, scribe
Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
kount (caphar, manah; psephizo): Used of arithmetical computation "to number" (Ps 139:18; Nu 23:10); also for kathabh, "to reckon," to indicate classification among or identification with, "count for a stranger" (Job 19:15); "count for his enemy" (Job 33:10). In the New Testament the arithmetical computation is less prominent, except in the sense of "calculate," psephizo, sumpsephizo, "to reckon with pebbles," each pebble representing a unit (Lu 14:28; Ac 19:19); of moral estimate, hegeomai and logizomai (Php…
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms