Ezekiel 44:15-23

Ordinances for the Levites

15 "But the ¹Levitical priests, the sons of ²Zadok, who ³kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel ⁴went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall ⁵stand before Me to offer Me the ⁶fat and the blood," declares the Lord GOD.

16 "They shall ⁷enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My ⁸table to minister to Me and keep My charge.

17 "It shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with ⁹linen garments; and wool shall not be on them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house.

18 "Linen ¹⁰turbans shall be on their heads and ¹¹linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat.

19 "When they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall ¹²put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments so that they will ¹³not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.

20 "Also they shall ¹⁴not shave their heads, yet they shall not ¹⁵let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

21 "¹⁶Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court.

22 "And they shall not marry a widow or a ¹⁷divorced woman but shall ¹⁸take virgins from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

23 "Moreover, they shall teach My people the ¹⁹difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Ezekiel 44:15-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 44

This chapter treats of the eastern gate of the temple being appropriated to the use of the prince, Eze 44:1-3, of the sin of the Lord's people, in admitting strangers and unholy persons into the sanctuary, either to officiate or communicate there, Eze 44:4-9 of the degrading of the Levites, that went astray, assigning them inferior posts and service in the house of God, Eze 44:10-14 and of the establishment of the sons of Zadok in their ministry, who were faithful, Eze 44:15,16, then follow various laws relating to their garments; shaving of their heads; drinking wine; their marriage; performance of their ministerial work; their regard to the dead, and their food and maintenance, Eze 44:17-31.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 33:18-22
• 2. Ezekiel 40:46; Ezekiel 43:19; Ezekiel 48:11
• 3. Numbers 18:7; Ezekiel 40:45
• 4. Ezekiel 44:10; Ezekiel 48:11
• 5. Zechariah 3:1, 7
• 6. Leviticus 3:16, 17; Leviticus 17:5, 6; Ezekiel 44:7
• 7. Num 18:5, 7, 8
• 8. Ezekiel 41:22; Malachi 1:7, 12
• 9. Exodus 28:42, 43; Exodus 39:27-29; Revelation 19:8
• 10. Exodus 28:40; Isaiah 3:20; Ezekiel 24:17, 23
• 11. Exodus 28:42; Leviticus 16:4
• 12. Leviticus 6:10; Leviticus 16:4, 23, 24; Ezekiel 42:14
• 13. Leviticus 6:27; Ezekiel 46:20
• 14. Leviticus 21:5
• 15. Numbers 6:5
• 16. Leviticus 10:9
• 17. Leviticus 21:7, 14
• 18. Leviticus 21:13
• 19. Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 22:26; Hosea 4:6; Micah 3:9-11; Zephaniah 3:4; Haggai 2:11-13; Malachi 2:6-8

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "come upon"
• [b]. Or "hang loose"
• [c]. Lit "take as wives for themselves"