Ezekiel 44:18

18 linen caps, either mitres, shall be in the heads of them, and linen breeches shall be in the loins of them, and they shall not be gird in sweat. (linen caps, or linen mitres, shall be upon their heads, and linen breeches, or linen pants, shall be upon their loins, and so they shall not be covered in sweat.)

Ezekiel 44:18 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 44:18

And they shall have linen bonnets upon their heads
Denoting gravity and modesty, subjection to God, and authority among men under him; and also purity of doctrine, and clearness of light and knowledge: and shall have linen breeches upon their loins;
expressive of chastity; see ( Exodus 28:40 Exodus 28:42 ) : they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat;
so not with wool, which is apt to cause sweat; and is thought to be the reason why it is forbidden in the preceding verse; and so this girdle must be different from the priest's girdle under the law, for that had wool in it: sweat is of an ill smell, and very offensive; and may denote unsound doctrine and immorality in life and conversation, which give offence, and cause the ministry to be blamed, to which is opposed the girdle of truth and holiness, ( Ephesians 6:14 ) . The Talmudic doctors interpret this of the place of girding, which is liable to sweat; and they say F15,

``they used not to gird neither below the loins, nor above the arm holes; but over against, or about the armholes;''
which is observed by Jarchi and Kimchi on the text; and the Targum is,
``they shall not gird upon or about the loins, but about the heart;''
that is, about the breast or paps; hence Christ our great High Priest is described as girt about the paps with a golden girdle, ( Revelation 1:13 ) so these are girt that are made priests by him; denoting their hearty zeal and affection for the truths of his Gospel, and the honour of his name, and their readiness to serve and glorify him: or, they shall not gird themselves loosely
F16; in a negligent manner, which is both indecent, and hinders business.
FOOTNOTES:

F15 T. Bab. Zevachim, fol. 18. 2. & 19. 1.
F16 (ewyb wrgxy al) "non cingent seipsos modo instabili, nempe neglectim circumponendo cingulum nimis laxum", Gussetius, p. 315. The Tigurine version is, "quae non adstringent arctius".

Ezekiel 44:18 In-Context

16 They shall enter into my saintuary, and they shall nigh to my board, that they minister to me, and keep my ceremonies. (They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, so that they can minister to me, and keep, or conduct, my ceremonies.)
17 And when they shall enter into the gates of the inner foreyard, they shall be clothed with linen clothes, neither any woolen thing shall go on them, when they minister in the gates of the inner foreyard, and within; (And when they shall enter into the gates of the inner courtyard, they shall be clothed with linen clothes, yea, no woolen thing shall be upon them, when they serve me at the gates of the inner courtyard, and within;)
18 linen caps, either mitres, shall be in the heads of them, and linen breeches shall be in the loins of them, and they shall not be gird in sweat. (linen caps, or linen mitres, shall be upon their heads, and linen breeches, or linen pants, shall be upon their loins, and so they shall not be covered in sweat.)
19 And when they shall go out at the outermore foreyard to the people, they shall despoil them(selves) of their clothes in which they ministered, and they shall lay those up in the chamber(s) of the saintuary; and they shall clothe themselves in other clothes, and they shall not hallow my people in their clothes (And when they shall go out to the outer courtyard to the people, they shall remove the clothes in which they ministered, and they shall put them away, or shall leave them, in the rooms of the sanctuary; and so they shall not hallow, or shall not sanctify, my people/and so they shall not harm my people with the clothes in which they ministered.)
20 Forsooth they shall not shave their head[s], neither they shall nurse long hair, but they clipping shall clip their heads.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.