Ezekiel 44:5

And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. ... concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord - directions as to the priests. Their acts of desecration are attributed to "the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 44:6 ), AS THE SINS OF THE PRIESTHOOD AND OF THE PEOPLE ACTED AND RE-ACTED ON ONE ANOTHER; 'LIKE PEOPLE, LIKE PRIEST' ( ; )....

Verse Ezekiel 44:5. _MARK WELL, AND BEHOLD_] Take notice of every thing; register all so fully that thou shalt be able to give the most minute information to the children of Israel....

Admonition to the ministering priests, grounded upon former neglect. Ezekiel 44:4 THE NORTH GATE BEFORE THE HOUSE - The north gate of the inner court. God expostulates with His people in the seat of their former idolatries Ezekiel 8:3. Ezekiel 44:5 MARK WELL - The careful arrangements made had all been intended to keep the temple and its surroundings from profanation. Hence, attention to these particulars is enjoined. Ezekiel 44:7 STRANGERS - This refers especially to the

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 THE LORD SAID UNTO ME, SON OF MAN,.... This is still the voice of the Lord speaking out of the house to the prophet, Ezekiel 43:6: MARK WELL; or, "set thine heart" f; be attentive to what is about to be said, as being of great concern and importance: AND BEHOLD WITH THINE EYES, AND HEAR WITH THINE EARS ALL THAT I SAY UNTO THEE; heart, eyes, and ears, are all to be employed in the most diligent manner in regarding the things hereafter delivered; the same expressions exciting attention were used at the first of this vision, Ezekiel 40:4: concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; Ezekiel 43:11, mark well the enteri

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 LEVITES. The regulations that follow are among the most important in the book, and they have played a great part in the critical rearrangement of OT literature and the consequent reconstruction of OT history (p. 129). The drastic character of the innovation about to be described is forcibly suggested by the solemn introduction in Ezekiel 44:5. In the past the menial offices of the sanctuary _had_ been discharged by aliens often probably prisoners of waruncircumcised in flesh and therefore, from Ezekiel's point of view, also uncircumcised in heart. That is an abomination, to be tolerated no more within Yahweh's holy house. But who is henceforth to discharge those duties? The Levites, Ezekiel answers; and by that he means those who had officiated at the worship of the high places, nominally no doubt a Yahweh worship, but in reality, and especially to a man like Ezekiel, idolatrous. Whe

HON OF MAN. See note on Ezekiel 2:1. MARK WELL. set thine heart. ORDINANCES. statutes. LAWS. Heb, text "law"; but margin and some codices, with four early printed editions, read "laws". ENTERING IN. entrance. GOING FORTH. outgoings....

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 manner of their going in and coming out (Ezekiel 44:17)....

ALL THE ORDINANCES, &C.— _All the lineaments, and all the forms of the house of the Lord; and mark well, in the going forth of the temple, all those who depart from the sanctuary._ Houbigant....