Ezekiel 44:18 - Exposition

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 this meaning, making the former the ordinary round cap, and the latter a tiara (see for the former, Exodus 28:40 ; Exodus 29:9 ; Exodus 39:28 ; and for the latter, Exodus 39:28 ; Isaiah 61:10 ; Ezekiel 24:17 , Ezekiel 24:23 ). In addition, the priests should not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat ; literally, should not gird themselves in , or with sweat , which was another way of forbidding them to wear woollen clothing, which might cause them to sweat and so lead to uncleanness.