Ordinances regarding the Temple These ordinances define who shall minister in it, priests and Levites (ch. 44); the revenue of the priests, the Levites and the prince, with the duties devolving on the prince in upholding the ritual (Ezekiel 45:1-17); the special and daily services in the temple, an... [ Continue Reading ]
The only exception is in favour of the prince. He shall eat bread in this gate, i.e. partake of the sacrificial meal there. Though not expressly stated it is implied that the meal shall be partaken of in the porch of the gate, which looked into the outer court. The statements in ch. 46 make it proba... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet is brought by way of the N. gate into the inner court before the house. From his position in front of the house he beholds the glory of the, Lord filling the house, and falls on his face.... [ Continue Reading ]
He is commanded to give heed to all the ordinances and laws regulating the future service of the house. _entering in of the house_ The phrase to the end of the verse is a general designation for all the functions of the house, those who shall be permitted to enter it (Ezekiel 44:10), with the manne... [ Continue Reading ]
The "rebellious," lit. rebellion, a term frequently used in ch. 1 24 (e.g. Ezekiel 2:5; Ezekiel 3:9; Ezekiel 12:2; Ezekiel 17:12; Ezekiel 24:3), but dropped since the fall of the city. Recollection of the former abominations practised in the sanctuary again brings it to the prophet's lips.... [ Continue Reading ]
into my sanctuary _strangers_ i.e. foreigners. What is reprobated is not of course allowing foreigners to present sacrifices to Jehovah, which they might do (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 17:12; Numbers 15:14), but allowing them to _officiate_in the offering, and in general in the ministry of the sanct... [ Continue Reading ]
_ye have set keepers_ Some would read: ye have _set them_keepers. This of course is the meaning. The change is hardly supported by LXX (as Well. p. 122).... [ Continue Reading ]
Such services shall not be performed by foreigners any more, but by the Levites who formerly ministered at the high-places. Because of their sin in leading the house of Israel astray they shall bear their iniquity and be excluded from the priesthood.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Levites_ BUT THE LEVITES WHICH WENT AWAY FAR FROM ME … AFTER THEIR IDOLS, THEY SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITY, 11 AND SHALL BE MINISTERS &c. The clause "they shall be ministers" explains how these Levites shall bear their iniquity they shall be degraded from the priestly office and reduced to th... [ Continue Reading ]
The verse is closely connected with Ezekiel 44:10 (note on Ezekiel 44:10). The services which the Levites shall be allowed to perform are such as having charge of the gates, slaying the burnt-offering, and the peace-offering for the people and in general ministering to them, e.g. cooking the sacrifi... [ Continue Reading ]
_caused … to fall … iniquity_ lit. as marg.: _were a stumbling-block of iniquity unto_. Ch. Ezekiel 7:19; Ezekiel 14:3-4; Ezekiel 18:30. On "idols," Ezekiel 44:10. _lift up mine hand_ i.e. sworn, Ezekiel 20:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 44:13 is closely connected with Ezekiel 44:12 … bear their iniquity, and they shall not come near unto me. _in the most holy_place] Rather: UNTO THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST HOLY. The words are in apposition with "my holy things.... [ Continue Reading ]
_But I will make_ AND I will. The prophet as was natural to him takes a severe view of the conduct of the priests of the high-places, laying much of the blame of Israel's defection upon them (Ezekiel 44:12).... [ Continue Reading ]
The priests of the family of Zadok alone shall be priests in the new Temple. These continued faithful to Jehovah when the provincial priests went far from him. The judgment of the prophet may be to some extent a comparative one. The worship at Jerusalem never sank to the level of the licentiousness... [ Continue Reading ]
_near to my table_ The altar of burnt-offering is no doubt meant, cf. on Ezekiel 41:22. Ezekiel 44:17. The garments of the priests. In the service of the sanctuary they shall wear only linen clothing, drawers and head-dresses. In Exodus 28:39; Exodus 28:42; Exodus 39:27; Leviticus 16:4, the coats a... [ Continue Reading ]
Sweat is regarded as uncleanness.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sacred garments shall be worn only in the inner court, and in service. Before going out into the outer court the priests shall put them off and deposit them in the sacred cells, Ezekiel 42:13-14. _sanctify the people_ i.e. by bringing that which is holy in contact with them. The enactment is not... [ Continue Reading ]
The priests shall poll or cut the hair of their heads, and neither shave their heads bald nor let the hair flow loose. Shaving the head bald was a sign of mourning (Leviticus 21:5; Leviticus 21:10, cf. Ezekiel 24:17), and forbidden both to priests and people as a practice of the heathen (Deuteronomy... [ Continue Reading ]
On this prohibition cf. the narrative Leviticus 10:1-9.... [ Continue Reading ]
The marriage of the priests. They shall marry only virgins, or the widows of former priests. In Leviticus 21:14 marrying a widow of any kind is forbidden to the high-priest, but no restriction is imposed on the priests (Ezekiel 44:7). Ezek. makes no allusion anywhere to a high-priest.... [ Continue Reading ]
General duties of the priests towards the people. They shall teach the people to distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean, cf. Ezekiel 22:26; Leviticus 10:10; Haggai 2:11; Malachi 2:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall also act as judges in causes that arise among the people. It is not certain that Ezek. commits the office of judge to the priests exclusively, cf. Ezekiel 45:9. In Deuteronomy 17:8 _seq_., Deuteronomy 19:17; Deuteronomy 21:5 the priests sit in difficult cases along with the judges who sha... [ Continue Reading ]
Regulations for their necessary contact with the dead. They shall approach the dead bodies only of their nearest relatives, father, mother, son, daughter, brother and unmarried sister. From the defilement caused by this contact they must purify themselves before resuming their service in the inner c... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 duti... [ Continue Reading ]
Before resuming his functions the priest presents a sin-offering.... [ Continue Reading ]
_it shall be … inheritance_ This cannot refer to the sin-offering (Ezekiel 44:27), which was burnt entire outside the sanctuary. To translate: _This shall be their inheritance_(viz.) _I am their inheritance_, making the words "I am" &c. subject is too artificial. The balance of sentence seems to req... [ Continue Reading ]
The maintenance of the priest. He shall have no inheritance among the people: the Lord is his inheritance. He shall eat the meat-offering, the sin- and trespass-offering; everything put to the ban shall be his, and the best of all the first-fruits and of all the dues.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cf. Leviticus 2:3; Leviticus 7:9-11, for the meat-offering; Leviticus 6:18; Leviticus 7:6-7; Numbers 18:9-10, for the sin- and trespass-offerings; and for that put to the ban or "devoted" to Jehovah, Leviticus 27:28; Numbers 18:14. For "dedicated" as marg. _devoted_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the first_ Or, _the best_. Cf. Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4. _and every oblation_ The word sometimes rendered _heave offering_. Numbers 15:19; Numbers 18:19. It means a part taken from a larger whole, cf. Ezekiel 45:1, &c., where the portion of land dedicated to... [ Continue Reading ]
On this prohibition Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 22:8. Cf. Leviticus 17:15. The injunctions in Ezekiel 44:30 are very general. The prophet presupposes former customs familiar to the people, which he desires to continue. Everywhere in these Chapter s his directions are in the main a reproduction of a pas... [ Continue Reading ]