Ezekiel 44:19

AND WHEN THEY GO FORTH INTO THE UTTER COURT, EVEN INTO THE UTTER COURT TO THE PEOPLE, THEY SHALL PUT OFF THEIR GARMENTS WHEREIN THEY MINISTERED, AND LAY THEM IN THE HOLY CHAMBERS, AND THEY SHALL PUT ON OTHER GARMENTS; AND THEY SHALL NOT SANCTIFY THE PEOPLE WITH THEIR GARMENTS. _ They shall not sanctify the people with their garments - namely, those peculiarly priestly vestments in which they ministered in the sanctuary._...

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 p

EXPOSITION The prophet, having finished his account of the temple, or place of worship, proceeds, in the second section of his vision (Ezekiel 44-46.), to set forth the culture, or ritual, to be performed in the temple; treating first of the several classes in the new community, and of their relation to the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:1.); next of the regulations to be observed in the maintenance of worship (Ezekiel 45:1.); and, thirdly, of certain supplementary orders for the prince, the people, and the priests, when engaged in the solemnities of their religion (Ezekiel 46:1.). In particular, the present chapter deals (1) with the relation of the prince to the sanctuary ...

AND WHEN THEY GO FORTH INTO THE UTTER COURT,.... Out of the inner court where they minister, when they have done their service: EVEN INTO THE UTTER COURT TO THE PEOPLE; out of the church into the world, where the people are, doing their business, whether good men or bad: THEY SHALL PUT OFF THEIR GARMENTS WHEREIN THEY MINISTERED, AND LAY THEM IN THE HOLY CHAMBERS; the north and south chambers; Ezekiel 42:13, Ezekiel 42:14: AND THEY SHALL PUT ON OTHER GARMENTS; which are their outward conversation garments, which are proper to appear in before men, for the honour of religion; though not sufficient to appear in before God, and render acceptable unto him: and they shall not sanctify the people with their ga

CHAPTER 44 _ 1. The outward eastern gate for the prince (Ezekiel 44:1) _ 2. The charge concerning the strangers and the rebellious tribes (Ezekiel 44:4) 3. The charge concerning the priests, the sons of Zadok (Ezekiel 44:15) 4. The inheritance of the priests (Ezekiel 44:28)...

THE PRIESTS. (_Their duties.) The_ only officials qualified to bear the name or discharge the duties of priests especially the duty of sacrifice are the Zadokites, _i.e._ the descendants of the Zadok who had been appointed head of the Jerusalem priesthood by Solomon, when Abiathar, who had sided with Adonijah, was deposed (1 Kings 2:35). Doubtless the Jerusalem priests were, in point of morality and religion, superior, broadly speaking, to the country priests (_cf._ Ezekiel 44:15), though the revelations in ch. 8 show that the Temple worship could be depraved enough; but the high prerogatives are here conferred upon them, just because of their connexion with Jerusalem. Their officiating dress, which was to be of linen, they had to change, before going out to the people in the outer court: ot

UTTER. outer. CHAMBERS. storerooms. Hebrew. _lishkah_. See note on Ezekiel 40:17. Same word as Ezekiel 41:10. but not elsewhere in Ezekiel 41. AND THEY SHALL. Hebrew text of some codices reads "they shall"; and margin "and shall". Compare Ezekiel 42:14....

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 a precaution against defilement of the holy garments, at least in form, though it may be a precaution against confusion of the sacred and the common. Cf. Ezekiel 46:20; Exodus 29:37; Exodus 30:29; Leviticus 6:27. The words "even into the u

THEY SHALL NOT SANCTIFY, &C.— By approaching them in these habits, by touching them when clad in their dress of ceremony; this would sanctify the people, and incapacitate them from discharging their ordinary occupations. The touching of holy things defiles those who touch them unworthily, and sanctifies those who approach them in a manner conformably to the laws. The sacred habits were only for the ministers of the Lord; the laity who touched them were obliged to purify themselves; to expiate their offence. _Whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy,_ says Moses, Exodus 30:29. _To sanctify_ or _be holy_ is put here in a contrary sense, for _to defile._...

_3. The regulations for the Zadokite priests (44:15-27_) TRANSLATION (15) But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, (oracle of the Lord GOD): (16) they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge. (17) And it shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. (18) They shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causes sweat. (19) And when they go forth int...