King James Version
Ezekiel 44
31 verses with commentary
The East Gate and the Prince
Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
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KJV Study Commentary
The eastern gate is 'shut'—permanently sealed because God's glory entered through it (43:2, 4). What God sanctifies by His presence becomes perpetually holy. The Hebrew סָגַר (sagar, 'shut') indicates deliberate, secure closing. This isn't temporary closure but permanent consecration. Christian tradition sees this sealed gate as prophetic of Mary's perpetual virginity (though Reformed interpretati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XLIV.**
The altar being consecrated, the next thing is to provide for the purity of the worship of which it is the centre. The pollutions of former times had been largely introduced by the princes, and by the Levites and priests; and these classes are therefore treated of in this chapter. Only three verses are here given to the prince, since he is to be spoken of at greater length hereafter, and...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.
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KJV Study Commentary
Concerning the eastern gate: 'Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.' The eastern gate through which God's glory entered (43:1-4) must remain shut because of God's holiness—what He sanctifies by His presence remains set apart. The phrase 'no...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Hath entered in by it.—**See Ezekiel 43:1-2. The thought is, that the gate which had been sanctified by such a manifestation of the Divine presence, should not afterwards be used for the ordinary purposes of the entrance of the people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 15 Eze 15:1-8. The Worthlessness of the Vine as Wood Especially When Burnt, Is the Image of the Worthlessness and Guilt of the Jews, Who Shall Pass from One Fire to Another.
This chapter represents, in the way of a brief introduction, what the sixteenth chapter details minutely.
2-3. What has the vine-wood to make it pre-eminent above other forest-wood? Nothing. Nay, the reverse. Other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
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KJV Study Commentary
The prince's unique privilege—eating bread before the LORD in the gate—suggests a royal figure with special access yet distinct from priesthood. The Hebrew נָשִׂיא (nasi, 'prince') differs from מֶלֶךְ (melek, 'king'), possibly indicating subordinate authority. The prince enters 'by the way of the porch' not through the sealed eastern gate proper, maintaining the gate's sanctity. Reformed eschatolo...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **The prince.**—The Rabbis understood this to refer to the Messiah, and unquestionably the same person must be meant as by David in Ezekiel 34:23-24; Ezekiel 37:24. This gives another and a conclusive reason for regarding the sacrificial worship of Ezekiel 46 as symbolical.
**To eat bread before the Lord.—**This is the common scriptural expression for partaking of the sacrifices (see Genesis 3...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 15 Eze 15:1-8. The Worthlessness of the Vine as Wood Especially When Burnt, Is the Image of the Worthlessness and Guilt of the Jews, Who Shall Pass from One Fire to Another.
This chapter represents, in the way of a brief introduction, what the sixteenth chapter details minutely.
2-3. What has the vine-wood to make it pre-eminent above other forest-wood? Nothing. Nay, the reverse. Other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.
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KJV Study Commentary
Ezekiel's response to God's glory—'I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face'—demonstrates proper reaction to divine majesty. The Hebrew כָּבוֹד (kavod, 'glory') connotes weightiness, splendor, overwhelming presence. Ezekiel's prostration expresses reverence, humility, and awe. This isn't casual observation but transformative encounter. The ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **The north gate.**—The prophet is now carried to the north gate, and since this is described as “before the house” and was in full view of it, it must have been the gate of the inner court, the appointed place for the killing of the sacrifices, and therefore especially fitting for the announcement of the ordinances of the priests. There he saw the “glory of the Lord” filling the house, and wa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. cast into ... fire--**(Joh 15:6).
**both the ends--**the north kingdom having been already overturned by Assyria under Tiglath-pileser; the south being pressed on by Egypt (2Ki 23:29-35).
**midst of it is burned--**rather, "is on flame"; namely, Jerusalem, which had now caught the flame by the attack of Nebuchadnezzar.
**Is it meet for any work--**"it," that is, the scorched part still ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. mark well: Heb. set thine heart mark well: Heb. set thine heart
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands: 'Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD... and mark well the entering in of the house'—comprehensive attention required. The Hebrew שִׂים לֵב (sim lev, 'mark well'—literally 'set heart') demands focused concentration. The threefold emphasis—mark well, behold, hear—enga...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5. If useless before, much more so when almost wholly burnt.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,
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KJV Study Commentary
God rebukes Israel: 'O house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations'—demanding cessation of sin. The Hebrew דַּי (dai, 'suffice'—enough!) expresses divine exasperation. The תּוֹעֵבוֹת (to'evot, 'abominations') are detestable practices, particularly idolatry and syncretism. God's patience has limits—persistent rebellion exhausts divine forbearance. The phrase 'house of Israel' addre...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
6. So will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as being utterly unprofitable (Mt 21:33-41; 25:30; Mr 11:12-14; Lu 13:6-9) in answering God's design that they should be witnesses for Jehovah before the heathen (Mt 3:10; 5:13).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers , uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. strangers: Heb. children of a stranger
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KJV Study Commentary
God specifies the abomination: 'In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it... when ye offered my bread, the fat and the blood'—unauthorized persons profaned worship. The Hebrew נָכָר (nakar, 'strangers') and עָרֵל (arel, 'uncircumcised') indicate those outside the covenant. Physical uncircumcision sig...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Strangers, uncircumcised in heart.—**The heathen living in Israel, or coining to worship at the Temple, were allowed, and even in some cases required, to offer sacrifices (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 17:12; Numbers 15:14; Numbers 15:26; Numbers 15:29). This seems also to have been recognised in Solomon’s prayer at the consecration of the Temple (1Kings 8:41-43); but the ground on which the Is...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. And I will set my face against them--**(See on Le 17:10).
**from one fire ... another--**(Compare Is 24:18). "Fire" means here every kind of calamity (Psa 66:12). The Jewish fugitives shall escape from the ruin of Jerusalem, only to fall into some other calamity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. my charge: or, my ward, or, ordinance
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves</strong>—God indicts the priests for delegating sacred responsibilities to unqualified persons. The Hebrew <em>mishmereth</em> (מִשְׁמֶרֶת, "charge") refers to assigned duties, specifically Levitical temple service. <strong>"Mine holy things"</strong> (<em>qodashay</em>,...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **For yourselves.—**Comp. 1Kings 12:31.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. trespass--**rather, "they have perversely fallen into perverse rebellion." The Jews were not merely sinners as the other nations, but revolters and apostates. It is one thing to neglect what we know not, but quite another thing to despise what we profess to worship [Jerome], as the Jews did towards God and the law.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger , uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's decree—'No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary'—establishes membership standards. The Hebrew נֵכָר (nekar, 'stranger/foreigner') and עָרֵל (arel, 'uncircumcised') indicate covenant outsiders. Physical circumcision symbolized covenant membership, but heart circumcision represented genuine faith (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4, 9:2...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Shall enter into my sanctuary.—**To guard against the evils of the past, the command is now given that none of the strangers described shall even enter the sanctuary; but our version gives a wrong impression of this prohibition by rendering, *“nor* uncircumcised in flesh.” It should be, as in Ezekiel 44:7, *and.* The command is not that no uncircumcised person should be allowed to enter the ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray</strong>—God addresses apostate Levites who failed their calling. The Hebrew <em>rachaq</em> (רָחַק, "gone away far") indicates deliberate distancing, not accidental wandering. These Levites abandoned their God-given responsibility to teach Torah and guard against idolatry, instead joining Israel's apostasy.<br><br><st...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **And the Levites that are gone away.—**The connection between this and the preceding verse is made clearer by translating the first words, “Yea, even;” not only the uncircumcised in heart among the heathen are to be excluded from the sanctuary, but even the Levites who had apostatised are to bear their guilt. *Levites* is here used (see Ezekiel 44:13), as often, emphatically of the Levitical...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house</strong>—this verse addresses the Levites who led Israel into idolatry (v. 10). Though demoted from full priestly service, they receive <em>sharat</em> (שָׁרַת, "to minister") duties in the outer courts. The phrase <strong>they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice f...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 16 Eze 16:1-63. Detailed Application of the Parabolical Delineation of the Fifteenth Chapter to Jerusalem Personified as a Daughter.
(1) Taken up by God's gratuitous favor from infancy (Eze 16:1-7); (2) and, when grown up, joined to Him in spiritual marriage (Eze 16:8-14); (3) her unfaithfulness, her sin (Eze 16:15-34); (4) the judgment (Eze 16:35-52); (5) her unlooked-for restoration (E...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. caused: Heb. were for a stumblingblock of iniquity unto, etc
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity</strong>—the Hebrew <em>mikhshol</em> (מִכְשׁוֹל, "stumbling block" or "cause to fall") indicts these Levites not merely for personal idolatry but for leading others into sin. Spiritual leaders bear greater responsibility (James 3:1). The phrase <strong>before their idols</strong> (<e...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. birth ... nativity--**thy origin and birth; literally, "thy diggings" (compare Is 51:1) "and thy bringings forth."
**of ... Canaan--**in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned before going to Egypt, and from which thou didst derive far more of thy innate characteristics than from the virtues of those thy progenitors (Eze 21:30).
**an Amorite ... an Hittite--**These, being the most powe...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me</strong>—the Hebrew <em>kahen</em> (כָּהֵן, "to serve as priest") emphasizes the privilege of priestly mediation now forfeited. The phrase <strong>nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place</strong> specifies exclusion from the inner sanctuary where only consecrated priests could enter (Leviti...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. Israel's helplessness in her first struggling into national existence, under the image of an infant (Ho 2:3) cast forth without receiving the commonest acts of parental regard. Its very life was a miracle (Ex 1:15-22).
**navel ... not cut--**Without proper attention to the navel cord, the infant just born is liable to die.
**neither ... washed in water to supple thee--**that is, to make the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein</strong>—despite their demotion, God assigns them ongoing roles. The Hebrew <em>shomerim mishmereth</em> (שֹׁמְרִים מִשְׁמֶרֶת, "keepers of the charge") indicates custodial, maintenance duties rather than sacrificial ministry. This demonstrates God's gracious provisi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. cast ... in ... open field--**The exposure of infants was common in ancient times.
**to the loathing of thy person--**referring to the unsightly aspect of the exposed infant. Fairbairn translates, "With contempt (or disdainful indifference) of thy life."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
Read full commentary →The Levitical Priests
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:
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KJV Study Commentary
The Zadokite priests receive special honor for covenant faithfulness—'they kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray.' Faithfulness during apostasy earns perpetual privilege. The Hebrew שָׁמַר (shamar, 'kept') means guarding, watching, maintaining—active, vigilant service. While others compromised, Zadokites remained loyal, and God rewards faithfulness. The privilege:...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **The sons of Zadok.—**See Note on Ezekiel 40:46. They are here described as those who continued faithful in the general apostasy, and it is probable that Ezekiel uses the term in this sense. As Zadok had continued faithful in the rebellion of Adonijah, when even the high priest and life-long friend of David went astray (1Kings 1:7-8), so all the faithful priests in the time of apostasy were ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. when I passed by--**as if a traveller.
**polluted in ... blood--**but Piscator, "ready to be trodden on."
**I said--**In contrast to Israel's helplessness stands God's omnipotent word of grace which bids the outcast little one "live."
**in thy blood--**Though thou wast foul with blood, I said, "Live" [Grotius]. "Live in thy blood," that is, Live, but live a life exposed to many deaths, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-19** These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is s...
Read full commentary →They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me</strong>—in contrast to the demoted Levites (vv. 10-14), the faithful Zadokite priests receive full access. The phrase <strong>come near to my table</strong> (<em>qarav el-shulchani</em>, קָרַב אֶל־שֻׁלְחָנִי) refers to the table of showbread in the holy place (Exodus 25:23-30, Leviticus 24:5-9), ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. caused ... to multiply--**literally, "I ... made thee a myriad."
**bud of ... field--**the produce of the field. In two hundred fifty years they increased from seventy-five persons to eight hundred thousand (Ac 7:14) [Calvin]. But see Ex 12:37, 38.
**excellent ornaments--**literally, "ornament of ornaments."
**naked ... bare--**(Ho 2:3). Literally, "nakedness ... bareness" itself; more ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-19** These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is s...
Read full commentary →And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments</strong>—the Hebrew <em>pishta</em> (פִּשְׁתָּה, "linen") specifies fine white fabric, symbolizing purity and set-apartness (Exodus 28:39-42, Leviticus 16:4). Linen's coolness and breathability made it practical for priestly service, but the theological symbolism ma...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Clothed with linen garments.—**The rest of the chapter is occupied with directions for the clothing and conduct of the priests. The dress (Ezekiel 44:17-19) is the same as that prescribed in Lev. 28, only a few special points being mentioned partly for emphasis, and partly as recalling to mind the whole.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. thy time of love--**literally, "loves" (compare So 2:10-13). Thou wast of marriageable age, but none was willing to marry thee, naked as thou wast. I then regarded thee with a look of grace when the full time of thy deliverance was come (Ge 15:13, 14; Ac 7:6, 7). It is not she that makes the advance to God, but God to her; she has nothing to entitle her to such notice, yet He regards her not ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-19** These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is s...
Read full commentary →They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. with: or, in sweating places: Heb. in, or, with sweat
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins</strong>—the Hebrew <em>migba'ot</em> (מִגְבָּעוֹת, "bonnets" or "turbans") and <em>mikhnasayim</em> (מִכְנָסַיִם, "breeches" or "undergarments") specify head-to-toe coverage in pure linen. This ensured both modesty and purity in God's presence (Exodus 20:26, 28:42-43). The comprehensive garment ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. washed I thee--**as brides used to pass through a preparatory purification (Es 2:12). So Israel, before the giving of the law at Sinai (Ex 19:14); "Moses sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes." So believers (1Co 6:11).
**oil--**emblem of the Levitical priesthood, the type of Messiah (Psa 45:7).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-19** These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is s...
Read full commentary →And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered</strong>—the Hebrew emphasizes the transition from sacred to common space. Priestly garments (<em>bigdei sharet</em>, בִּגְדֵי שָׁרֵת, "garments of service") were holy and could not mix with ordinary life. The repetition <strong>into the utter cour...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **They shall put off their garments.—**The requirement that the priests shall wear their official dress only when engaged in official duty, putting it on when they entered the inner court, and putting it off when they went out, which is only implied in Exodus and Leviticus, is here expressly enjoined. *Utter* here, as elsewhere, means *outer.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. Psa 45:13, 14, similarly describes the Church (Israel, the appointed mother of Christendom) adorned as a bride (so Is 61:10). It is Messiah who provides the wedding garment (Re 3:18; 19:8).
**badgers' skin--**tahash; others translate, "seal skins." They formed the over-covering of the tabernacle, which was, as it were, the nuptial tent of God and Israel (Ex 26:14), and the material of the sh...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-19** These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is s...
Read full commentary →Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads</strong>—this regulation prohibited both extremes of hair length. Shaving the head (<em>galach</em>, גָּלַח) was associated with pagan mourning rites and foreign religious practices (Leviticus 21:5, Deuteronomy 14:1). Allowing hair to grow long (<em>shalach</em>, שַׁלַּח, "send forth...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Their locks to grow long.—**The law forbade the shaving of the head (Leviticus 21:5), but only condemned letting the hair grow long by implication, providing for it in the exceptional case of the vow of the Nazarite. The prohibition of Ezekiel 44:21 is given in Leviticus 10:9.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11. The marriage gifts to Rebekah (Ge 24:22, 47).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court</strong>—the Hebrew <em>yayin</em> (יַיִן, "wine") was prohibited during active temple service. Leviticus 10:8-11 instituted this rule after Nadab and Abihu's deaths, linking alcohol to impaired judgment and inability to distinguish between holy and common. The restriction applied <strong>when they enter into the inn...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. jewel on thy forehead--**rather, "a ring in thy nose" (Is 3:21).
**a crown--**at once the badge of a bride, and of her being made a queen, as being consort of the King; the very name Israel meaning "a prince of God." So they are called "a kingdom of priests" (Ex 19:6; compare Re 1:6). Though the external blessings bestowed on Israel were great, yet not these, but the internal and spiritual...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. put: Heb. thrust forth that had: Heb. from a priest
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.</strong> This regulation restricts priestly marriage to maintain ritual purity and symbolic holiness. The Hebrew <em>almanah</em> (אַלְמָנָה, "widow") and <em>gerushah</em> (גְּרוּשָׁה, "divorced woman") were general...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **A widow that had a priest before**.—In regard both to marriage and to mourning (Ezekiel 44:25-27) the Levitical law made a broad distinction between the ordinary priest and the high priest. The former was only forbidden to marry a divorced woman (Leviticus 21:7), but was allowed to marry a widow; the latter could marry only a virgin of Israel (*ib.* 14). So also in the law of mourning; the ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13. flour ... honey ... oil--**These three mixed form the sweetest cakes; not dry bread and leeks as in Egypt. From raiment He passes to food (De 32:13, 14).
**exceeding beautiful--**Psa 48:2, the city; also, Psa 29:2, the temple.
**prosper into a kingdom--**exercising empire over surrounding nations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
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KJV Study Commentary
Priestly teaching responsibility—'teach my people the difference between the holy and profane... discern between the unclean and the clean'—addresses foundational spiritual need. Modern culture blurs all distinctions; God requires clarity. The Hebrew חֹל (chol, 'profane') means common, ordinary, secular—not necessarily evil but not consecrated. The Hebrew טָמֵא (tamei, 'unclean') indicates ritual ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. thy renown ... among ... heathen--**The theocracy reached its highest point under Solomon, when distant potentates heard of his "fame" (1Ki 10:1, &c.), for example, the queen of Sheba, Hiram, &c. (La 2:15).
**my comeliness--**It was not thine own, but imparted by Me.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And in controversy they shall stand in judgment</strong>—Levitical priests' judicial role: בְּרִיב (bĕrîb, 'in dispute/controversy'), הֵמָּה יַעַמְדוּ לְשָׁפֹט (hēmmāh yaʿamdû lĕshāphōṭ, 'they shall stand to judge'). Priests decided legal cases according to תּוֹרָה (tôrāh, 'law/instruction').<br><br><strong>And they shall judge it according to my judgments</strong>—בְּמִשְׁפָּטַי יִשְׁפְּט...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15. Instead of attributing the glory of her privileges and gifts to God, Israel prided herself on them as her own (De 32:15; Jr 7:4; Mi 3:11), and then wantonly devoted them to her idols (Ho 2:8; compare Lu 15:12, 13).
**playedst ... harlot because of thy renown--**"didst play the wanton upon thy name" [Fairbairn], namely, by allowing thy renown to lead thee into idolatry and leagues with idolat...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves</strong>—Priestly purity laws: אֶל־מֵת אָדָם לֹא יָבֹא לְטָמְאָה (ʾel-mēt ʾādām lōʾ yābōʾ lĕṭomʾāh, 'to a dead person he shall not come for defilement'). Contact with corpses caused ritual uncleanness (Numbers 19:11-16).<br><br><strong>But for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. deckedst ... with divers colours--**or, "didst make ... of divers colors" [Fairbairn]; the metaphor and the literal are here mixed. The high places whereon they sacrificed to Astarte are here compared to tents of divers colors, which an impudent harlot would spread to show her house was open to all [Calvin]. Compare as to "woven hangings for Astarte" (the right translation for "grove") 2Ki 2...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days</strong>—After defilement, וְאַחֲרֵי טָהֳרָתוֹ (wĕʾaḥărê ṭohŏrātô, 'and after his cleansing'), שִׁבְעַת יָמִים יִסְפְּרוּ־לוֹ (shivʿat yāmîm yispĕrû-lô, 'seven days they shall count for him'). The seven-day purification after corpse contact (Numbers 19:11-12) ensures complete cleansing before resuming priestly service.<br><br>...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Reckon unto him seven days.—**In Ezekiel 44:23-24, the general duties of the priests are prescribed in terms taken from the Mosaic law, and in Ezekiel 44:25-27 special instructions are given about the defilement from a dead body. These are in general an exact repetition of Leviticus 21:1-4; but, in accordance with the principle mentioned in the last Note, there is added to the ordinary clea...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. my gold ... my silver--**(Hag 2:8).
**images of men--**rather, "of the phallus," the Hindu lingam, or membrum virile [Havernick], deified as the emblem of fecundity; man making his lust his god. English Version, however, is appropriate; Israel being represented as a woman playing the harlot with "male images," that is, images of male gods, as distinguished from female deities.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD</strong>—Before resuming service בַּקֹּדֶשׁ (baqqōdesh, 'in the sanctuary'), the cleansed priest must offer חַטָּאתוֹ (ḥaṭṭāʾtô, 'his sin offering').<br><br>Even after seven-day purification, sacrifice is required. This underscores that hu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18. tookest thy ... garments ... coveredst them--**that is, the idols, as if an adulteress were to cover her paramours with garments which she had received from the liberality of her husband.
**my oil--**the holy anointing oil sacred to God (Ex 30:22-25). Also that used in sacrifices (Le 2:1, 2).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance</strong>—Levitical inheritance: וְהָיְתָה לָהֶם לְנַחֲלָה אֲנִי נַחֲלָתָם (wĕhāyĕtāh lāhem lĕnaḥălāh ănî naḥălātām, 'and it shall be to them for an inheritance—I am their inheritance'). While other tribes received land (Numbers 26:52-56, Joshua 13-21), Levites received God Himself as portion.<br><br><strong>And ye shall g...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **I am their inheritance.—**This is a simple repetition of the frequent declarations in the law (Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 18:2); the priests were to be supported by the tithes given to God, and by their portion of the offerings made to Him. These are here summarily mentioned in Ezekiel 44:28-29, and may be found more particularly described, as regards the priests’ share of...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. My meat ... I gave--**(Ho 2:8).
**set it before them--**as a minchah or "meat offering" (Le 2:1).
**a sweet savour--**literally, "a savor of rest," that is, whereby they might be propitiated, and be at peace ("rest") with you; how ridiculous to seek to propitiate gods of wood!
**thus it was--**The fact cannot be denied, for I saw it, and say it was so, saith Jehovah.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. dedicated: or, devoted
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering</strong>—Priestly provision: מִנְחָה (minḥāh, 'grain offering'), חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭāʾt, 'sin offering'), אָשָׁם (ʾāshām, 'guilt/trespass offering'). Portions of offerings became priests' food (Leviticus 6:14-7:36), so worship sustained those who served.<br><br><strong>And every dedicated thing in Israel shall be t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20-21. sons and ... daughters borne unto me--**Though "thy children," yet they belong "unto Me," rather than to thee, for they were born under the immutable covenant with Israel, which even Israel's sin could not set aside, and they have received the sign of adoption as Mine, namely, circumcision. This aggravates the guilt of sacrificing them to Molech.
**to be devoured--**not merely to pass t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. And the first: or, And the chief
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's</strong>—Firstfruits: רֵאשִׁית כָּל־בִּכּוּרֵי כֹל (rēʾshît kol-bikkûrê khol, 'first of all firstfruits of all') belong to כֹּהֵן (kōhēn, 'priest'). The repetition of 'all' (כֹּל, kol—used 5 times) emphasizes totality.<br><br>Firstfruits acknowledged God's o...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20-21. sons and ... daughters borne unto me--**Though "thy children," yet they belong "unto Me," rather than to thee, for they were born under the immutable covenant with Israel, which even Israel's sin could not set aside, and they have received the sign of adoption as Mine, namely, circumcision. This aggravates the guilt of sacrificing them to Molech.
**to be devoured--**not merely to pass t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-30** Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from ...
Read full commentary →The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast</strong>—Priestly dietary restrictions: כָּל־נְבֵלָה וּטְרֵפָה מִן־הָעוֹף וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה לֹא יֹאכְלוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים (kol-nĕbēlāh ûṭĕrēphāh min-hāʿôph ûmin-habbĕhēmāh lōʾ yōʾkhĕlû hakkōhănîm, 'anything dead of itself or torn, from bird or beast, the priests shall not eat').<br><br>Laymen coul...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **Dead of itself, or torn.—**Comp. Leviticus 22:8. The same law was binding upon all the Israelites. (Leviticus 17:15.) In the wilderness they were required to “cast it to the dogs” (Exodus 23:31); afterwards they might give it to a stranger or sell it to an alien. (Deuteronomy 14:21.)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Bible Hu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. not remembered ... youth--**Forgetfulness of God's love is the source of all sins. Israel forgot her deliverance by God in the infancy of her national life. See Eze 16:43, to which Eze 16:60 forms a lovely contrast (Jr 2:2; Ho 11:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 44
The Jews in Egypt persist in idolatry. (Jr 44:1-14) They refuse to reform. (Jr 44:15-19) Jeremiah then denounces destruction upon them. (Jr 44:20-30)
**Verses 1-14** God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you ...
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