Ezekiel 44:19

19 When they go out to the outer courtyard to the people, they must take off their garment in which they [were] serving, and they must place them {in the holy chambers}, and they must put on other [garments], so that they will not make the people holy with their garments.

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 then} {when they come} to the gates of the inner courtyards, they shall put on their inner linen garments and not wear wool [garments] {when they serve} in the gates of the inner courtyard and {inside} the temple.

18 Linen turbans shall be on their head and linen undergarments shall be on their waists; they shall not gird themselves with [material causing] perspiration.

19 When they go out to the outer courtyard to the people, they must take off their garment in which they [were] serving, and they must place them {in the holy chambers}, and they must put on other [garments], so that they will not make the people holy with their garments.

20 And their head they shall not shave, or long hair they shall not let grow; short they shall clip their heads.

21 And no priest shall drink wine when they come into the inner courtyard.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "in the chambers of the holiness"