20 And their head they do not shave, and the lock they do not send forth; they certainly poll their heads.
they do not make baldness on their head, and the corner of their beard they do not shave, and in their flesh they do not make a cutting; they are holy to their God, and they pollute not the name of their God, for the fire-offerings of Jehovah, bread of their God, they are bringing near, and have been holy. `A woman, a harlot, or polluted, they do not take, and a woman cast out from her husband they do not take, for he `is' holy to his God; and thou hast sanctified him, for the bread of thy God he is bringing near; he is holy to thee; for holy `am' I, Jehovah, sanctifying you. `And a daughter of any priest when she polluteth herself by going a-whoring -- her father she is polluting; with fire she is burnt. `And the high priest of his brethren, on whose head is poured the anointing oil, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments, his head doth not uncover, nor rend his garments, nor beside any dead person doth he come; for his father and for his mother he doth not defile himself; nor from the sanctuary doth he go out, nor doth he pollute the sanctuary of his God, for the separation of the anointing oil of his God `is' on him; I `am' Jehovah. `And he taketh a wife in her virginity; widow, or cast out, or polluted one -- a harlot -- these he doth not take, but a virgin of his own people he doth take `for' a wife, and he doth not pollute his seed among his people; for I `am' Jehovah, sanctifying him.' And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, `Speak unto Aaron, saying, No man of thy seed to their generations in whom there is blemish doth draw near to bring near the bread of his God, for no man in whom `is' blemish doth draw near -- a man blind, or lame or dwarfed, or enlarged, or a man in whom there is a breach in the foot, or a breach in the hand, or hump-backed, or a dwarf, or with a mixture in his eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled. `No man in whom is blemish (of the seed of Aaron the priest) doth come nigh to bring near the fire-offerings of Jehovah; blemish `is' in him; the bread of his God he doth not come nigh to bring near. `Bread of his God -- of the most holy things, and of the holy things -- he doth eat; only, unto the vail he doth not enter, and unto the altar he doth not draw nigh; for blemish `is' in him; and he doth not pollute My sanctuaries; for I `am' Jehovah, sanctifying them.' And Moses speaketh unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the sons of Israel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 44
Commentary on Ezekiel 44 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 44
In this chapter we have,
Eze 44:1-3
The prophet is here brought to review what he had before once surveyed; for, though we have often looked into the things of God, they will yet bear to be looked over again, such a copiousness there is in them. The lessons we have learned we should still repeat to ourselves. Every time we review the sacred fabric of holy things, which we have in the scriptures, we shall still find something new which we did not before take notice of. The prophet is brought a third time to the east gate, and finds it shut, which intimates that the rest of the gates were open at all times to the worshippers. But such an account is given of this gate's being shut as puts honour,
Eze 44:4-9
This is much to the same purport with what we had in the beginning of ch. 43. As the prophet must look again upon what he had before seen, so he must be told again what he had before heard. Here, as before, he sees the house filled with the glory of the Lord, which strikes an awe upon him, so that he falls prostrate at the sight, the humblest posture of adoration and the expression of a holy awe: I fell upon my face, v. 4. Note, The more we see of the glory of God the more low we shall lie in our own eyes. Now here,
Eze 44:10-16
The Master of the house, being about to set up house again, takes account of his servants the priests, and sees who are fit to be turned out of their places and who to be kept in, and takes a course with them accordingly.
Eze 44:17-31
God's priests must be regulars, not seculars; and therefore here are rules laid down for them to govern themselves by and due encouragement given them to live up to those rules. Directions are here given,