Ezekiel 44:17-31

Ordinances for the Priests in the Performance of their Duties

v. 17. And it shall come to pass that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, for the performance of the special functions pertaining to their office, they shall be clothed with linen garments, as were the priests of old, Exodus 28:39; and no wool shall come upon them whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court and within, namely, in the Sanctuary proper. "Wool soon induces perspiration in the sultry East and so becomes uncleanly. "

v. 18. They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, a special kind of turban, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat, literally, in sweat," so that their garments would carry the odor of perspiration.

v. 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, in the vestry-cells provided for that purpose, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments, by having on the peculiar priestly vestments in which they performed the service of the Sanctuary.

v. 20. Neither shall they shave their heads, which was a heathenish custom and therefore forbidden to priests of old, Leviticus 21:5, nor suffer their locks to grow long, Leviticus 10:6; they shall only poll their heads, keep their hair properly trimmed.

v. 21. Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court, as being typical of the sobriety of the soul, which could be expected from one who devoted his life to the Lord.

v. 22. Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, the ordinance of Leviticus 21:13-2 Chronicles : thus being extended to include not only the high priest, hut all the ordinary priests as well, nor her that is put away, namely, with the stain of guilt upon her, Leviticus 21:7; but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before, this being the one exception to the prohibition in the first part of the verse.

v. 23. And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and profane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. Cf Leviticus 10:10; Deuteronomy 33:10.

v. 24. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment, perform the office of judge in deciding controversies pertaining to the Law of God, thus extending the duties enjoined Deuteronomy 17:8; Deuteronomy 19:17; Deuteronomy 21:5; and they shall judge it according to My judgments, in all matters of difference between people of the nation; and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all Mine assemblies, in all the festivals of the Lord, namely, by performing the duties of their office with strict regard to every detail; and they shall hallow My Sabbaths, particularly by observing the injunctions concerning the Sabbath rest.

v. 25. And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves, namely, by touching or handling a corpse; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. Cf Leviticus 21:1-:.

v. 26. And after he is cleansed, namely, after coming into contact with the body of a dead person, they shall reckon unto him seven days, this period being demanded in addition to the time of cleansing, Numbers 19.

v. 27. And in the day that he goeth into the Sanctuary, to resume the functions of his office, unto the inner court, to minister in the Sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering, saith the Lord God. Cf Leviticus 4:3.

v. 28. And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their Inheritance; and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their Possession. Cf Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 18:1; Deuteronomy 10:9. They were not to concern themselves with the cares of life, but be devoted entirely to the service of the Lord, as all His servants at all times will be.

v. 29. They shall eat the meat-offering and the sin-offering and the trespass-offering, in agreement with the ancient provisions of the Law, Leviticus 2:3; Leviticus 6:9-Psalms :; Leviticus 7:6-Judges :; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. Cf Leviticus 27:21.

v. 30. And the first of all the first-fruits of all things, which had to be dedicated to the Lord, Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 28:4, and every oblation of all, gifts offered to the Lord by heaving and waving, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's, as part of his emoluments ; ye shall also give unto the priests the first of your dough, of the grain-corn, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house, for the blessing of God rests upon him who, in simple faith, performs the duties laid upon him.

v. 31. The priest shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, as a result of disease, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast, for to do so defiled every man, all the more therefore the priests of Jehovah. "Only what Jehovah gives to them and His Sanctuary in offerings and dues, which, however, must never be unclean, shall accrue to them; and this, at the same time, forms the best transition to the awards which follow. " (Ewald. )