Ezequiel 44:11

11 Poderão servir no meu santuário como encarregados das portas do templo e também farão o serviço nele; poderão matar os animais dos holocaustos^[a] e outros sacrifícios em lugar do povo e apresentar-se diante do povo e servi-lo.

Ezequiel 44:11 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 44:11

Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary
Though degraded from their office as priests and ministers of the word, yet being restored from their sins and errors, shall have a place in the house of God, and do their work there in a less honourable and a more servile way; as in former times, when ministers had sinned foully, and were degraded from their office, upon repentance they were not restored to that, but only admitted to lay communion; see ( 2 Kings 23:9 ) : having charge at the gates of the house;
like those sort of Levites who were porters and doorkeepers in the temple, or like our sextons or pew openers now: and ministering to the house;
employed as the Gibeonites were in hewing wood and bringing water for the use of the sanctuary, or in repairing of it; learning and exercising the business of smiths, masons, and carpenters: they shall slay the burnt offering, and the sacrifice for the people;
not bring it to the altar, and offer it there; only slay it, and skin it for the priests; which is not to be understood literally, there being no such sacrifice in Gospel times; but to denote the menial service and inferior post that such shall be employed in; if they have no trade, they shall learn one, in order to get a livelihood for themselves, and be serviceable to the interest of religion in a lower way; but ministers of the word they shall not be: and they shall stand before them to minister unto them;
either before the priests, whose servants they shall be, or before the people; signifying that those that sin publicly shall be rebuked before all.

Ezequiel 44:11 In-Context

9 Assim diz o Soberano, o SENHOR: Nenhum estrangeiro incircunciso no coração e na carne entrará no meu santuário, tampouco os estrangeiros que vivem entre os israelitas.

10 “Os levitas, que tanto se distanciaram de mim quando Israel se desviou e que vaguearam para longe de mim, indo atrás de seus ídolos, sofrerão as consequências de sua iniquidade.

11 Poderão servir no meu santuário como encarregados das portas do templo e também farão o serviço nele; poderão matar os animais dos holocaustos e outros sacrifícios em lugar do povo e apresentar-se diante do povo e servi-lo.

12 Mas, porque os serviram na presença de seus ídolos e fizeram a nação de Israel cair em pecado, jurei de mão erguida que eles sofrerão as consequências de sua iniquidade. Palavra do Soberano, o SENHOR.

13 Não se aproximarão para me servir como sacerdotes nem se aproximarão de nenhuma de minhas coisas sagradas e das minhas ofertas santíssimas; carregarão a vergonha de suas práticas repugnantes.

Footnotes

• [a]. Isto é, sacrifícios totalmente queimados.