Ezekiel 44:19

19 And when they go out into the outer square to the people, they are to take off the robes in which they do the work of priests, and put them away in the holy rooms, and put on other clothing, so that the people may not be made holy by their robes.

Ezekiel 44:19 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 44:19

And when they go forth into the utter court
Out of the inner court where they minister, when they have done their service: even into the utter court to the people;
out of the church into the world, where the people are, doing their business, whether good men or bad: they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them
in the holy chambers;
the north and south chambers; (See Gill on Ezekiel 42:13), (See Gill on Ezekiel 42:14): and they shall put on other garments;
which are their outward conversation garments, which are proper to appear in before men, for the honour of religion; though not sufficient to appear in before God, and render acceptable unto him: and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments;
the garments of the priesthood were reckoned holy, whatsoever was holy, that which it touched accounted holy also; and therefore, to preserve a difference between the priests and the common people, they were not to wear their holy garments but in the time of service; or lest any superstitious notion should obtain among the people, that they were sanctified by touching their clothes; as the Papists give out, that if a man is buried in a monk's cowl, he shall be saved: or the sense is, that they should not possess the minds of the people with a notion of any real sanctity in their garments; or that their conversation garments, or good works, can be of any service to them: this may be opposed to works of supererogation.

Ezekiel 44:19 In-Context

17 And when they come in by the doorways of the inner square, they are to be clothed in linen robes; there is to be no wool on them while they are doing my work in the doorway of the inner square and inside the house.

18 They are to have linen head-dresses on their heads and linen trousers on their legs, and they are to have nothing round them to make their skin wet with heat.

19 And when they go out into the outer square to the people, they are to take off the robes in which they do the work of priests, and put them away in the holy rooms, and put on other clothing, so that the people may not be made holy by their robes.

20 They are not to have all the hair cut off their heads, and they are not to let their hair get long, but they are to have the ends of their hair cut.

21 The priests are not to take wine when they go into the inner square.