Ezekiel 44:8

8 And ye kept not the commandments of my saintuary, and ye setted keepers of my keepings in my saintuary to yourselves. (And ye kept not charge of the holy things yourselves, but ye have put these foreigners, or these strangers, in charge of my sanctuary.)

Ezekiel 44:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 44:8

And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things
That is, have not kept and retained the holy doctrines of the Gospel; nor observed the holy ordinances of it, as they were first delivered: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves;
meaning either, that such as were in public office did not attend to it; but were idol shepherds, and left the flock, their care and charge, to others, to surrogates and curates, to do their work for them; while they indulged themselves in sloth and idleness: or that the members and hearers set up preachers for themselves, according to their lusts, agreeable to their own carnal sentiments, without any regard to the will and glory of God.

Ezekiel 44:8 In-Context

6 And thou shalt say to the house of Israel stirring me to wrath, The Lord God saith these things, Ye house of Israel, (let) all your great trespasses suffice to you (let all your great trespasses now suffice for you),
7 for ye bring in alien sons, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, that they be in my saintuary, and defoul mine house. And ye offer my loaves, inner fatness, and blood, and break my covenant in all your great trespasses. (for ye bring in foreigners, or strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, who be in my sanctuary, and defile my House, when ye offer my loaves, and the inner fatness, and the blood; and so ye break my covenant with all your great trespasses.)
8 And ye kept not the commandments of my saintuary, and ye setted keepers of my keepings in my saintuary to yourselves. (And ye kept not charge of the holy things yourselves, but ye have put these foreigners, or these strangers, in charge of my sanctuary.)
9 The Lord God saith these things, Each alien, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, shall not enter into my saintuary; (not even) each alien son, which is in the midst of the sons of Israel. (The Lord God saith these things, No foreigner, or no stranger, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary; not even any foreigner, who liveth in the midst of the Israelites.)
10 But also [the] Levites, [or deacons,] that went far away from me, in the error of the sons of Israel, and erred from me after their idols, and bare their wickedness, (But the Levites, or the deacons, though they went far away from me, in the error of the Israelites, and went astray from me after their idols, and bare their wickedness,)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.