Ezekiel 44:7. When ye offer my bread, &c.— "At the same time that ye offer sacrifices upon the altar, or that ye suffer heathens to offer at that altar, expressly against the law." By bread may be understood the meat-offering made of flour: the fat and blood of every sacrifice were peculiarly appropriated to God. Instead of, and they have broken, Houbigant reads, and break. read more
7. uncircumcised in heart—Israelites circumcised outwardly, but wanting the true circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; Acts 7:51). uncircumcised in flesh—not having even the outward badge of the covenant-people. read more
The ordinary priests and their service 44:4-14The emphasis on the holiness of God that has marked this vision continues strong in this pericope and the next. God’s holiness will determine who serves as priests and how they serve. read more
Ezekiel was to tell the rebellious Israelites that the Lord had had enough of all their abominations, particularly profaning His Jerusalem temple. They had brought unbelievers into the temple, and they had misused the food brought as sacrifices to Him. They had even appointed foreigners to take care of the temple instead of taking care of it themselves."The religions of the ancient Near East frequently used foreign captives as temple servants to aid the priests." [Note: Alexander, "Ezekiel," p.... read more
§ 2. The Ordinances of the New Israel (Ezekiel 40-48)This concluding section of the book is dated in the twenty-fifth year of Ezekiel's captivity, i.e. the fourteenth year after the fall of Jerusalem (572 b.c.). It is therefore thirteen years later than the previous section (Ezekiel 33-39), and, with the exception of Ezekiel 29:17-21, forms the latest part of the book. It is in the form of a vision, which is the counterpart of that in Ezekiel 8-11. There God forsook the old Temple which had... read more
The Priests and the LevitesStanding at the inner northern gate Ezekiel again saw the glory of God filling the Temple and was again addressed by the divine voice (Ezekiel 44:4-5). The Speaker first rebuked the custom which had prevailed in the old Temple, of having foreigners as servants in the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:6-8). He directed that in future their place should be taken by the Lévites who were not of the family of Zadok. These had formerly shared the priestly office, but for their... read more
(7) Strangers, uncircumcised in heart.—The heathen living in Israel, or coining to worship at the Temple, were allowed, and even in some cases required, to offer sacrifices (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 17:12; Numbers 15:14; Numbers 15:26; Numbers 15:29). This seems also to have been recognised in Solomon’s prayer at the consecration of the Temple (1 Kings 8:41-43); but the ground on which the Israelites are here censured for the licence given to strangers is, that they allowed those to draw near... read more
Ezekiel 44:6 Still I delayed to scorn and leave the bliss of earthly things.... Wretched, most wretched, I had begged chastity from Thee in my early youth, crying, 'Give me chastity, only not yet'. For I feared lest Thou shouldest hear me soon, and cure me soon of the disease of concupiscence, which I wished to have satisfied rather than extinguished. Augustine, Confessions, viii. 7. Ezekiel 44:13-14 The comparison thought, that profit accrues to a life by the wise memory of its past... read more
PRINCE AND PEOPLEEzekiel 44:1-31; Ezekiel 45:1-25; Ezekiel 46:1-24, PASSIMIT was remarked in a previous chapter that the "prince" of the closing vision appears to occupy a less exalted position than the Messianic king of chapter 34 or chapter 37. The grounds on which this impression rests require, however, to be carefully considered, if we are not to carry away a thoroughly false conception of the theocratic state foreshadowed by Ezekiel. It must not be supposed that the prince is a personage... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezekiel 44:7
strangers = aliens. Hebrew "sons of the foreigner " uncircumcised in heart . Reference to Pentateuch, (Leviticus 26:41 .Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 10:16 ), App-92 . Compare Jeremiah 9:25 , Jeremiah 9:26 . pollute = profane. offer = bring near. the fat and the blood. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 3:16 , Leviticus 3:17 ). they. Most of the ancient versions read "ye". read more