Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 44:17-31

"And it shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with [anything that causeth] sweat. And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments. Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads. Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest. And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to mine ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. And they shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; 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. And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering, saith the Lord Jehovah. And they shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and ye shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. They shall eat the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the first-fruits of every thing, and every oblation of everything, of all your oblations, shall be for the priest: ye shall also give unto the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on thy house. The priests shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast." — Ezekiel 44:17-31 (ASV)

Regulations regarding the priests’ services (Ezekiel 44:18). The garments of the priests are defined, and various rules prescribed in the Law are repeated with some additions to indicate additional care to avoid uncleanness.

The material of which the four vestments of the ordinary priest were made was “linen,” or, more accurately, “byssus,” the cotton fabric of Egypt. The two special qualities of the byssus—white and shining—are characteristic, and part of the symbolic meaning depended on them .

They shall not sanctify the people (Ezekiel 44:19)—they shall not touch the people with their holy garments. The word “sanctify” is used because the effect of touching was to separate as holy the persons or things so touched (Exodus 29:37; Exodus 30:29). The priests wore the distinctive dress only while performing strictly sacrificial services in the temple.

The holy chambers; see Ezekiel 42:1 and following.

Restrictions and exceptions (Ezekiel 44:22) were intended to mark the holiness of the office of a priest. These imposed on him additional obligations to purity (compare the marginal reference) and communicated this holiness in some degree to his wife.

In the Christian Church, all members are “priests” (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 20:6).

Hence, the directions for maintaining the holiness of the “priesthood” in the new order represent the necessity for holiness in all Christians. The exclusion of the uncircumcised in heart and in flesh is equivalent to the exclusion of all that defileth from the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27).

In Herod’s Temple, there was a council of priests whose special duty it was to regulate everything connected with the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:24). They did not ordinarily busy themselves with criminal questions, although they took a leading part in the condemnation of Jesus (Mark 15:1).

It shall be unto them (Ezekiel 44:28)—the remains of the sacrifices were a chief source of the priests’ support.

Since the burnt offerings were entirely consumed, the priests received the skins, which yielded a considerable revenue. Meat offerings and drink offerings belonged entirely to them.

Sin offerings and trespass offerings, except in particular cases, also belonged to the priests and were eaten in the temple. Of the peace offerings, a portion dedicated to the Lord by waving was left for the priests, and the rest was eaten by the officers and their friends, either in the courts of the temple or at least within Jerusalem.

The kitchen-courts (K, Plan II Ezekiel 46:21-24) were provided to prepare these public meals.

Oblation (Ezekiel 44:30)—Offering, margin: “heave-offering” (Exodus 25:2; Exodus 29:27; Notes and Preface to Leviticus).