_Then he brought me back_, &c. From the altar to the gate belonging to the court of the priests, and leading to the outward court of the temple. All the courts were reckoned holy ground, and called sometimes by the name of the temple. _And it was shut_ After that the glory of the Lord had entered th... [ Continue Reading ]
_It is for the prince_ The words, _It is_, are not in the Hebrew, which is only, _For the prince;_ and therefore the meaning seems to be, that this gate should, in general, be shut for, or to the prince, as well as to private persons; even _he_ should not have the liberty of entering in at it, excep... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then he brought me by the way of the north gate of the house _ The east gate being shut. _And, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord_ As appeared by the light which shone through the windows, for there was no door into the sanctuary on that side. _And the Lord said, Son of man,... [ Continue Reading ]
_No stranger shall enter into my sanctuary_ To offer any sacrifice or oblation there, (see Ezekiel 44:7,) nor be suffered to go beyond the precincts appointed for proselytes. _The Levites that are gone far from me,_ &c. Many of the Levites departed from God's service, and fell into idolatry; first i... [ Continue Reading ]
_The priests the Levites_ The Levites who are priests; _the sons of Zadok_ Who continued faithful; _they shall stand before me to offer the fat_, &c. They shall serve at the altar of burnt-offering, and offer sacrifices thereon. _They shall enter into my sanctuary_ Into the holy place; _to minister... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they shall enter in at the gates of the inner court_ The court just before the temple, where the altar of the burnt-offering stood; _they shall be clothed with linen garments_ The ephod, breeches, mitre, and girdle, (the habit of the ordinary priests,) were all of fine linen, contrived for glo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court_ That is, during the time of their ministration: see the note on Leviticus 10:9, from whence this law is taken, and where the reason of it is given. _Neither shall they take for their wives a widow_ This law we find Leviticus... [ Continue Reading ]
_And in controversy they shall stand in judgment_ The priests were to determine all controversies relating to the law, as well the judicial as the ceremonial part of it, which were brought before them, Deuteronomy 17:8; and the people were to _seek the law at their mouths_, (Malachi 2:7,) that is, t... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall come at no dead person to defile themselves _ Whosoever touched a dead body became legally unclean, (Numbers 19:11,) and thereby was disqualified for attending upon God's worship in the temple, Leviticus 22:3. Upon which account the priests were forbidden to contract such defilement, un... [ Continue Reading ]
_It shall be unto them for an inheritance_, &c. Their ministry in my sanctuary, and the perquisites thereto belonging, shall be to them instead of lands and inheritances, of which they shall not have any share, as the other tribes have, (see the margins) excepting the portion allotted to them in the... [ Continue Reading ]