Forbear to cry
Groan or howl, or make any doleful noise: or, "be silent" F24: which the Talmudists F25 interpret of not greeting any person: make no mourning for the dead;
use none of those rites and ceremonies commonly observed for deceased relations and friends, particularly and especially for a wife; who is one of the seven persons for whom mourning is to be made, according to the Jewish canons F26; and which the ties of nature, nearness of relation, and especially mutual and cordial affection, where that has taken place, require; and though a wife is not expressly mentioned among those, for whom a priest might defile himself by attending their funerals, yet must be included among those akin to him, if not solely designed, as Jarchi thinks; whose note on ( Leviticus 21:2 ) , is, there are none his kin but his wife; so that Ezekiel, though a priest, was not exempted from the observation of funeral rites, but obliged to them, had he not been forbid by a special order from the Lord: the particulars of which follow: bind the tire of thine head upon thee;
cap or turban, wore on the head, as a covering of it, and ornament to it, as the word used signifies; and the priests' bonnets were for glory and beauty, ( Exodus 28:40 ) , and such was the tire about the prophet's head, since he was a priest; and which, in time of mourning, was taken off, and it was customary for mourners to be bare headed; and though the high priest might not uncover his head and rend his clothes for the dead, ( Leviticus 21:10 ) , yet other priests might, unless they had a particular and special prohibition, as Ezekiel here; see ( Leviticus 10:6 ) and yet it seems, by some instances, particularly that of David's mourning for Absalom, that the head was covered at such a time, ( 2 Samuel 19:5 ) and Kimchi on the place expressly says, that it was the way and custom of mourners to cover themselves; and certain it is, that in later times, however, it has been the usage of the Jews to cover their heads in mourning; for this is one of the things expressly forbid in the Jewish canons, as Maimonides F1 says, to be used in mourning for the dead, namely, making bare the head; and covering the head is what mourners are obliged to F2; this Gejerus
``let thy "totaphot" or frontlets be upon thee;''of which interpretation Jerom makes mention; but these things do not appear to be in use in Ezekiel's time: and put on thy shoes upon thy feet:
``they do not rend garments, nor pluck off the shoe for any, until he is dead;''which supposes they do, and should do, when he is dead: and this is one of the things, their writers F6 say, is forbidden a mourner for the dead, namely, to put on his shoes; and they ask, from whence it appears that a mourner is forbid to put on his shoes? the answer is, from what is said to Ezekiel, "put on thy shoes upon thy feet": which shows that in common it was not right nor usual to do it; and it is their custom now for mourners, when they return from the grave, to sit seven days on the ground with their feet naked F7: and cover not thy lips;