Ezekiel 44

THen When the Altar was measured, and directions given for Consecrating it at first, and for the perpetual use of it for future. he brought me back From the inner Court, where he had been viewing the Altar to the outer part of the same Court, and to the East gate thereof; Others say, 'twas to the Temple gate Eastward, and that the Temple is called outward Sanctuary, in respect of the Holy of Holies. the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east, and it was shut When, or by whom the Prophet sayes not, but he found it shut..

Then Likely the Prophet was surprised somewhat, and wonder'd, that the door should be shut, and while he museth on it. said the LORD The Lord speaks to him out of the Temple, and informs him, and satisfieth him. unto me, this gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened i. e. Shall not ordinarily stand open, but be shut till occasion requires it should sometimes be opened., and no man None of the common ordinary sort of people, or none but the Prince, Gods Vicegerent, and the ministring Priests. shall enter in by it; because the LORD the God of Israel has entred What was the Glory of the God of Israel, chap. 43. ver. 2. is here the Lord God of Israel, that glory was the visible sign of his presence. His Glory is himself, and where that entred, he entred, i. e. gave evidence of a more then ordinary presence there. in by it, therefore it shall be shut Either kept shut with bars, or by a prohibition, be as if 'twere shut, that none should enter thereby..

It is for the prince For the King say some, if so, then the door shut was the door, not of the Temple, but of the East Gate of the Priests Court. The high Priest, and the second Priest, say others, and indeed this most likely.; the prince, he shall sit The King might sit before the Lord, others might not, and the Priests stood ministring, as Hebrews 10.11. Perhaps the High Priest might have some priviledge to sit, when others might not. in it to eat bread If understood of the King, 'twas his eating of the Sacrifice, that part of it which was allowed to the offerer, if this Prince be the High Priest, this bread was the show bread, which it seems he might sit and eat in or near the Porch of the Gate, whereas other Priests were bound to eat in the common refectory, as appears, chap. 42. verse 13. let. s. before the LORD; he shall He may, 'tis his priviledge, or he shall, that is, 'tis his duty to enter at this, and to come out at it, that the people may know which way to look, when they would see their High Priest enter to make atonement, which may be mystical, and include our looking to the great High Priest. enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

Then When he had been informed of the reason why the East Gate was shut, and when he perceived, he must not go out thereby. brought he The Angel, or Christ in the appearance of Man. me the way To the North Gate of the inner Court, whence he had a prospect of the Temple, though no door to it on that side. of the north-gate before the house; and I looked, and behold Through the Windowes of the Temple he did discern that brightness and lustre which filled the Temple., the glory Vid. chap. 1. verse 28. let. i. k. l. m. and chap. 43. verse 2. let. c. of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell Vid. chap. 1. verse 28. let. l. upon my face.

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 The prescribed rules for persons, and things in and about the Temple, these Ordinances are called Laws in this verse. of the house of the LORD, and all the lawes thereof, and mark well Set thy mind, that thou mayst compreprehend them all. the entring Not so much the Gates and Porches, through which the entrance is to the house, as the persons who may, and who may not enter. in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary Taken here largely for the Holy Courts rather, then for the house it self.. The whole of the first part of this verse is chap. 40. verse 4. where 'tis explained.

And thou shalt say to the rebellious Vid. chap. 2. ver. 3. let. f. and ver. 6, 7, 8. of that third Chapter., even to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD, O ye house of Israel, let it suffice Let the time you have spent on your sins, your many great sins and abominations, let them be thought enough, nay too much, as 1 Pet. 4.3. do so no more. you of all your abominations.

In that ye have brought Either by abusing your power you have licensed, or by conniving, you have permitted to come into my Holy Courts. into my sanctuary strangers Forreigners and Heathen, who had their Idols in the very Courts of the Temple, and there worshipt their Idols, as chap. 8. ver. 5.10, 14, 16., uncircumcised in heart The worst of them, profane and impious., and uncircumcised in flesh No uncircumcised one should come into the Court of the people, but you have brought them in to the very Sanctuary at the times of publick Worship, and when you have been offering my bread, &c. Some think, that the profane carelesness of the Iewish Rulers was such, they suffered uncircumcised ones to be Priests among them, and to approach to God's Altar, this done, in Solomon's degenerate days, and in the days of Ahaz, Manasseh, Amon., to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it; even my house, when ye offer my bread Either the Meat-offering, or first fruits of Corn and Dough, and the show-bread., the fat Which was taken off the Sacrifices, and burnt. and the blood How let out, received into Vessels, sprinkled and poured out, the Priests and Rulers of my house, through a sinful familiarity with Heathens, have given them courage to aske, and you have not zeal and courage enough to refuse them, but you have satisfied their forbidden curiosity, and showed them all these things; Or, as was said, have advanced some to be Priests in my house, and suffered others to be Priests of Idols standing, and worshipt in my Courts., and they The whole Nation of the Iewes, the people of the Land. have broken my covenant Turn'd Idolaters, mixt with Heathens, forsaken me and my Law., because of all your Taking example from your practices, or complying with your Superstitious and Idolatrous inventions. abominations.

And ye have not kept You have not observed the Lawes I gave you for the careful, and exact keeping of my Holy things; House, Sacrifices, and Worship. the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers You have substituted others in your rooms, made Officials, and Surrogates, and Curats to look to the Gates, and these have let in the profane and unclean, your pride, or covetousness, or laziness, has taken you off from your duty, and your charge, or you have, as you saw good, consecrated persons, whether fit or unfit, whether approved or not approved by me, so you have profaned my Name, and violated my Law, Numb. 18.4. of my charge in my sanctuary for your selves.

¶ Thus says the Lord GOD, No stranger uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. Now God renews his former Law against the permitting of the wicked, and Heathens to enter his Sanctuary. None, of what quality soever, what interest soever they make, though Princes, Nobles, Learned, Travellers, that come to view Nations, and the rarities of them: None of these, or such like, shall on any colour of pretence be brought in to my Sanctuary. Perhaps Solomon showed Sheba's Queen too much, we are sure Hezekiah showed the Embassadors too much, yet we read not, that either of them showed the Sanctuary.

And the Levites Priests intended here, and indeed the sons, or posterity of them is here intended; for this Apostacy among them was elder then the eldest of them all. that are gone away far Idolaters go far from God, for they depart as an Adulterous Wife from her Husband, their hearts, and affections are far from God, they fell to heathenish Idolatry. from me, when Israel It may be worth our while to enquire what time, or near what time this was, I doubt Baal P r Num. 25. or from Solomons time, when there was somewhat of this sin among the Priests. But of Re oboams time 'tis said 2 Chron. 12.1. All Israel forsook the Law of the Lord. And in Ahaz his time, when the Altar at Da ascus so pleas'd him, and the High-Priest U iah, that presently an Altar, like that is made, and set up between Gods House and Altar; and Orders, or, in our Language, injunctions from the King to the High Priest, and from him to the inferior Priests and Levites, who obey, 2 King. 16.16. and Manasseh carried the Apostacy higher. Now account from any of these, from the last of them to the first return out of Captivity, is 114 years, to which we must add the 25 years, which each Priest must be ere they enter the Priests Office, 'twil amount to 139 years, and to these add 44 ere this Temple was repair'd, 'twill be 183 years, too great an age for any of the Priests to be of, therefore, as I said, the Preists that are now degraded, are the children of those Apostate Preists who were (as Zech. 1.5, 6. said of the Fathers) dead. went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols, they shall even bear Shall bear the punishment of this their Apostacy, be debased to meanest Services, subjected to others, and be deprived for ever ministring at the Altar. So 2 King. 23.8, 9. and so God executed his threat against Eli's House. 1 Sam. 2.13. their iniquity.

Yet they shall be ministers Servants, employ'd in the lowest, and least honourable work. in my sanctuary Not the Temple it self, but about the courts of it., having charge at the gates Shall be Porters to open and shut, and sweep, and ready to go on errands. of the house, and ministring Probably made learn the Arts of Mason or Smith to mend and repair, to fetch Wood and Water with Iehusites. to the house: they shall slay Do that servile work for the sacrificing Priest. the burnt-offering, and the sacrifice All the sacrifices the People bring. for the people, and they shall stand before Heb. expression of Servants attendance. them to minister unto them To wait and obey the Priests..

Because they ministred Acted, as Priests to Idols, and in the name of Idolatrous Worshippers, sacrificed to the Idols. unto them before their Idols, and caused Were first occasion of fall to some, when their Example was follow'd, and in after times they seduced, persuaded, and urged them to serve their Idols, and sacrifice to them for this was the gain of the Idol Priests. the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lift up mine Sworn against them, that they shall suffer for this their Iniquity. This lifting up the hand is the form of an Oath, Exod. 6.8. Deut. 32.40. chap. 20.5. let. r. hand against them, says the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity The punishment of this Sin, so 'tis chap. 14.10. and chap. 18.19, 20. and 23.35, 49..

And they shall not come near They shall never be admitted to the office, nor employ'd in the proper work of a Priest, that ministers to me. unto me to do the office of a Priest unto me, nor to come near They shall not come into the Temple, much less into the Oracle, nor have any part in the offering up of Sacrifices on the Altar, tho' they have meat, drink, and lodging about the Temple, yet as discarded Servants, that are retained lest they starve. to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame They shall be little regarded, but disesteem'd, and put to shame, and this shall be part of their punishment., and their abominations They shall be dealt with according to their abominations, i. e. their Apostacy, and Idolatry, and bear the punishment hereof. which they have committed.

But I will make them keepers Vid. ver. 11. let. t. x. y. z. of the charge of the house for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

But the priests So called from their office. the Levites By descent from Levi, Iacob's son., the sons of Zadok Who was of Eleazar's Family, to whose father Phineas a covenant of Salt ensur'd the High-Priesthood, and all the honour, priviledges and advantages thereof Num. 25 12, 13., that kept the charge Were constant, zealous and faithful in their Priestly office, and their duties in it. of my sanctuary, when the children of Israel went astray This may possibly refer to that transgression in the matter of Baal P or, of which Num. 25.3. and Psal. 106.28, 29, 30. Vid. ver. 10. let. r. from me, they shall come near Vid. chap. 40.46. to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat To offer exp atory Sacrifices, to make atonement, and intercede for the People, this honour God put upon them for their integrity, and constancy in the things of God. and the blood, says the Lord GOD.

They shall enter The High Priest and the other Priests shall have right and liberty of entring into my sanctuary Both to the Altar, to the Temple, and the High-Priest into the Holy of Holies., and they shall come near to my table To set the show-bread on, and to take it off. to minister To offer Sacrifice at the Altar, and incense in the House, this the Priests did in their Course, and of this line, the High Priest alone once a year in the day of Expiation went in to Minister to the Lord in the Holy of Holies. unto me, and they shall keep my charge See ver. 8. let. n..

And it shall come to pass that when they enter They must put on their Priestly garments in the chambers, that are appointed for Vestryes to them, where they put off the Garments, when the service was done, and where they put them on when they approached to the Altar, chap. 42.14. in at the gates of the inner court Where the Altar of Burnt-offering stood, and where the Temple, which is included stood., they shall be clothed with linnen According to the Law, Exod. 28, 42, 43. garments; and no wool The reason hereof is given in the next verse. shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court About the Altar of burnt-offering., and within In the Temple it self, in every service of both..

They shall have linnen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linnen breeches upon their loines: they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. This Verse recounts but two Garments of linnen, the Bonnet and the Breeches, but Exod. 28.39. and 1 Sam. 2.18.28. and 14.3. mention a linnen Coat, or Ephod, so they had three linnen Garments, and a Girdle of fine twined linnen about to gird the Coat fast, yet so, as not to make them sweat, or smell offensively.

And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court This tells us in which court stood the chambers, wherein the Priests did attire themselves, into which also they retir'd, to unclothe themselves of the Priestly Garments. The chambers were in the court next to the court of the people, as chap. 42, 14. let. f. g. to the people, they shall put off their Garments wherein they ministred, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctifie By the Law, common things, touching holy things, became consecrate, and to be no more for common use. If the Priests consecrated clothes touch'd the peoples, they must part with them, this would be inconvenient; so some. Or least the people should think themselves the holier for such contact, and grow proud of it; so others. The Chaldee Paraphrast frames it to the last clause of the 14 ver. of the 42, chap. they in holy Vests shall not intermix with the people, this would be a profaning the holy Vests. Or else thus, they shall not come out to bless the People in their Priestly garments, but, having finish the Sacrifice, and all belonging thereto, they should change garments, and in their ordinary garments come out to the People, and bless them in that form, Num. 6.23, 24. the people with their garments. Vid. Chap. 42.14. tot. where this verse is explained, yet here are two things, that verse has not, of which a word.

Neither shall they shave It was forbidden, Lev. 19.27. & 21.5. Hair is given for an Ornament, and the Priests should not disfigure themselves nor imitate Idolatrous Heathens. their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long Priding themselves in it, as Absolom, giving ill Example by such excess. they shall only poll When the hair is grown somewhat, they shall trim, cut the ends of their hair, and keep it in moderate size; Beside long hair was token of a Nazarites Vow, and God would have all Holy Things and Persons kept unmixt and distinguish'd from other common things. their heads.

Neither shall any Any one, on any pretence. priest drink Or any other strong intoxicating Liquor. wine, when they enter When they go, either to trim the Lamps, or set the show-bread in order, or to offe Incense in the Temple, or when they go to the Altar to offe a Sacrifice, which stood in the inner court; this prohibition you have Lev. 10.9. which see, and 'twas to prevent all indecencies in the Service. into the inner court.

Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, or 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. God allow'd them to marry, only directs, it be not one of ill fame or divorced, Lev. 21.13, 14. nor the widow of any deceased common person, yet a Priest might marry. a Priests widow, but a Virgin rather commended to their choice; and whether Widow, or Virgin, it must not be as Moses married a daughter of a strange people, or as they did in Babylon, Ezra 10.18. &c. and possibly this of Ezekiel was design'd, as a rule to direct Ezra in reforming this disorder, when they came from Babylon; Nor were they at liberty to marry any of any Tribe, but it must be one of their own Tribe too.

And they shall teach By their place they were bound to instruct the People, Lev. 10.10, 11. this was part of their work to read the Law, expound it, and resolve questions arising about it. They were to be as Ministers ought now to be, apt to teach, 1 Tim. 3.2. my people the difference between the holy Whether Legally, and Ceremonially so, or Morally and Really so, that they might keep the people from pollutions. and profane, and cause them to discern The same thing in other words, only this seems to require Priests patient instructing, till the people have learnt to difference unclean and clean. between the unclean r and the clean.

And in controversie In doubts about lawful and unlawful, in pretences of right and wrong in all contests. they shall stand If the controversie be brought to them, they shall hear and consider. in judgment, and they shall judge Shall determine, end the controversie, and reconcile parties. it according to my judgments Not as they favour and affect, or disaffect and hate, but according to what God has by his Laws in that behalf directed.: and they Priests first, and people with them. shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies Publick congregations for worshipping of God.; and they shall hallow my Sabbaths With Holy care observe the Sabbaths, as days of holy work, to be spent in secret Family and Publick Worship of God, as he requires..

And they The Priests, who come near to minister before the Lord. shall come Neither touch, nor come into the room, or attend the funeral of the dead: at no dead person to defile themselves: but For this would be a legal and ceremonial defilement, and it is prohibited Lev. 21.1. the Iews tell us, that who comes within four cubits of the dead is defiled, and the Law, tho' it determine not at what distance such are defil'd, it does determine, that they are unclean, till evening by touch, or coming near the Carcass of any but man, and the defilement by coming near a dead man lasted 7 days. The Priest was indulged in the death of so near Relations, as Lev. 21.2, 3. where they are reckon'd up as in this verse. for father or for mother, or for son or for daughter, for brother or for sister that had no husband, they may defile Mourn for them, touch them, be at their Funerals, and show their natural affections to them. themselves.

And after he is cleansed After that for seven days he has kept from the dead, by which the Iews accounted a man was cleansed, for, as nearness did defile, so absence did cleanse in this case. they The Priests, who are about the house of God. shall reckon Shall appoint seven days more to this defiled person for his cleansing before he is admitted into the Sanctuary. unto him seven days.

And in the day that he goeth During the days of his uncleanness he kept out of the sanctuary, when the days of purifying are fulfilled, he then may go in. into the sanctuary Not the Temple it self, but, as the next words have it, the inner Court., unto the inner court, to minister To execute the Priests Office. in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering 'Tis not said what this should be, nor does that Lev. 6.21. refer to this. I think rather that Lev. 4.3. a young Bullock was to be this Sin-offering in purifying as it was in consecrating him, chap. 43.19., says the Lord GOD.

And it Sin-offering being mention'd immediately before gives the occasion of repeating the Provision made for the Priests, for under this one, all other offerings are couched, and if the Lord do so expresly require a defil'd Priest to bring his sin-offering, in which the ministring Priests had their share, he would expect the same of all Israel, which would amount to a great summe. shall be unto them for an inheritance Instead of Lands and Cities.: I am their inheritance God is the inheritance of all his people, but specially of his Priests, and so what is given to God by him is assign'd to his Officers.. And ye shall give them no possession As the rest of the Tribes had. in Israel: I am their possession the peculiar blessing of God on them, and their share in his offerings, was a very rich possession..

They shall eat the meat-offering We must not think, that the whole of these were eat, God had his part, and the Priest his part too; somewhat of each came to the Priest., and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering: and every dedicate thing As first fruits, and tithes, &c. the Priest had part of them. in Israel shall be theirs.

And the first So soon as the first fruits are ripe in the field, your Vineyards and olive yards, &c. Nay Redemption money for the first-born of man was theirs. of all the first fruits of all things, and every oblation Whether Free-will offering, or prescribed. Of what sort soever, whether of flock, or herd, &c. of all of every sort x of your oblations shall be the priests: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough 'Tis conceiv'd, this was of every Mass of dough they made, and of the first of the dough, which every year they first made of the new Corn, as by the custom of the Iewes at this day, appears; who since they cannot give to the Priest, will burn a little cake of every bach in the Oven., that he The Priest may bless and pray for thee. may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.

The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of it self, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast. This forbidden to all the Iews much more to the Priests, Exod. 22.31. and Lev. 22.8.