Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 44:17–end
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,
I. Concerning their clothes; they must wear linen garments when they went in to minister or do any service in the inner court, or in the sanctuary, and nothing that was woollen, because it would cause sweat, Eze 44:17, Eze 44:18. They must dress themselves cool, that they might go the more readily about their work; and they had the more need to do so because they were to attend the altars, which had constant fires upon them. And they must dress themselves clean and sweet, and avoid every th…
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not sanctify the people with their garments--namely, those peculiarly priestly vestments in which they ministered in the sanctuary.
Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 44:17
No wool shall come upon them - The reason is plain; wool is more apt than linen to contract dirt and breed insects; linen breeds none; besides, this is a vegetable, and the other an animal substance. It was an ancient maxim, that whatever was taken from a dead body was impure in matters of religion, and should not be permitted to enter into the temple. The Egyptian priests always wore linen on their bodies, and shoes of matting or rushes on their feet. The Mohammedans never write the Koran upon vellum or skin of any kind, as they would consider that as a defilement.
John Gill on Ezekiel 44:19
And when they go forth into the utter court,.... Out of the inner court where they minister, when they have done their service:
even into the utter court to the people; out of the church into the world, where the people are, doing their business, whether good men or bad:
they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers; the north and south chambers; See Gill on Ezekiel 42:13, Ezekiel 42:14,
and they shall put on other garments; which are their outward conversation garments, which are proper to appear in before men, for the honour of religion; though not sufficient to appear in before God, and render acceptable unto him:
and they shall not sanct…
