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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 44:17-31

God's priests must be regulars, not seculars; and therefore here are rules laid down for them to govern themselves by and due encouragement given them to live up to those rules. Directions are here given, I. Concerning their clothes; they must wear linen garments when they went in to minister or do any service in the inner court, or in the sanctuary, and nothing that was woollen, because it would cause sweat, Ezek. 44:17, 18. They must dress themselves cool, that they might go the more readily... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 44:17

And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court ,.... The priests before described; when they enter the right way into a true Gospel church, consisting of such who are internally renewed, and have an inward work of grace upon their hearts, and are inward court worshippers; either as private Christians, to pray together, to praise the Lord, to hear his word, and sit down at his table; or as public ministers, to preach the Gospel, and administer ordinances: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 44:18

And they shall have linen bonnets upon their heads ,.... Denoting gravity and modesty, subjection to God, and authority among men under him; and also purity of doctrine, and clearness of light and knowledge: and shall have linen breeches upon their loins ; expressive of chastity; see Exodus 28:40 , they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat ; so not with wool, which is apt to cause sweat; and is thought to be the reason why it is forbidden in the preceding... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 44:17

No wool shall come upon them - The reason is plain; wool is more apt than linen to contract dirt and breed insects; linen breeds none; besides, this is a vegetable, and the other an animal substance. It was an ancient maxim, that whatever was taken from a dead body was impure in matters of religion, and should not be permitted to enter into the temple. The Egyptian priests always wore linen on their bodies, and shoes of matting or rushes on their feet. The Mohammedans never write the Koran... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 44:17

Beginning with their attire when engaged in temple service, this verse states, in a general way, that the priests should be clothed with linen garments , as the priests were under the Law ( Exodus 28:40-43 ; Exodus 39:27-29 ; Le Exodus 6:10 ), with this difference, that whereas under the Law the terms employed were שֵׁשׁ , the white byssus of Egypt, and בַּד , "fine white linen," here the word is פִּשְׁתֶּה , or "flax"—a difference which assists newer critics to perceive in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 44:17-31

A good minister of Jesus Christ. What the faithful priest was under the Law, that the "good minister" is under Christ ( 1 Timothy 4:6 ). And while the form of service is altogether different, the spirit should be the same. The ideal priest, as here delineated, is, mutatis mutandis , the true bishop or pastor of the New Testament. The latter is— I. STUDIOUS OF HIS MASTER 'S WILL , EVEN IN SMALL PARTICULARS . The priest was to carry out very minute instructions... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 44:18

In particular the priests should have linen bonnets upon their heads —literally, linen tires shall be upon their heads— and linen breeches upon their loins . To infer from the use of מִגְבָּעוֹת in Le Ezekiel 8:13 and of פְאֵר here for the head-dress of the priests, that Ezekiel was composed before Leviticus, is not convincing. Smend explains the latter term as the customary headdress of common people, and the former as a specially ornamental tiara or turban. Gesenius reverses... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 44:17-31

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 44:18The 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... read more

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