Ezekiel 42:14

Eze 42:14 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy [place] into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they [are] holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to [those things] which [are] for the people.

Ver. 14. Then shall they not go out of the holy place.] Ministers may not leave their station, lay aside their holy calling, entangle themselves with worldly cares and businesses; but hoc agere, make their ministry their business, giving themselves wholly to it. Verbi minister es, hoc age; this was Mr Perkins’s motto. And "say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." {Col 4:17}

But there they shall lay their garments.] And not go among the people in them, lest they make themselves overly cheap, or the people superstitious, by placing holiness in their seeing or touching those holy vestments.

And shall put on other garments.] Ministers, as in doing their office, they must use all becoming gravity and authority, as the ambassadors of Christ; {a} so, at other times, they must familiarise themselves with their people, becoming all things to all men, in Paul’s sense, that they may win some.

{a} Oecolamp.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 14. They shall lay their garments wherein they minister] The priests were not permitted to wear their robes in the outer court. These vestments were to be used only when they ministered; and when they had done, they were to deposit them in one of the chambers mentioned in the thirteenth verse.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(14) There they shall lay their garments.—It was apparently the requirement of the law that the priests should wear their official garments only when engaged in priestly duties within the tabernacle; this is not expressly stated in general terms, but it is said that they were to wear them when engaged in such duty (Exo_28:43), and in some particular cases that they were to put them off when they went out of the tabernacle (Lev_6:10-11; Lev_16:23). It seems probable, therefore, that Ezekiel here recognises the ancient custom.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. the priests enter therein] Omit therein. The ref. is not to the holy cells, but to the house or more probably the inner court, in which the altar stood.

go out of the holy place] probably the whole inner court is meant, with its contents, house and chambers, seeing it is contrasted with the outer court.

things … for the people] Or, that which is for the people—the outer court.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When the priests enter therein,.... Into the holy place, these holy chambers, and approach unto God, and eat of the most holy things, and minister therein to the Lord:

then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court; denoting, not that the ministers of the word should not concern themselves in secular employments, but give themselves up to the word and prayer, though so to do is right; but the perseverance of the saints in the house and worship of God, in grace and holiness, and in all the duties of religion; these should not relinquish their profession, desert their station and the service of God, and return to the world; but continue as pillars in the temple of God, and go no more out, but abide by the truths and ordinances of the Gospel:

but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister, for they are holy; these signify Christ's robe of righteousness and garments of salvation, that fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints; and fitly represented by the linen garments of the priests, in which they ministered in their office, and were like them holy, pure, and spotless; in these only saints appear before God, and present their supplications to him, not for their own, but for Christ's righteousness sake, making mention of that only; and herein they have acceptance with God now, and shall be introduced into his presence hereafter, and behold his face, clothed with these garments, and serve him for ever:

and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people; these are the conversation garments of the saints, which are not fit to appear in before God, being attended with imperfection and sin; but very proper to appear in before men, among whom their lights should shine, and their good works be seen, for the adorning of the doctrine of Christ, the recommending of the Christian religion, and the stopping of the mouths of gainsayers: for this respects not the different habits of ministers, when they are in their ministrations, and out of them; though the allusion is to the priests under the law, who wore their priestly garments only in the temple, and while ministering there, and never elsewhere, or when among the common people on civil accounts: so Josephus says (c), the priests only wore their holy garments when they ministered; at other times they appeared in the habit of private persons; with which agrees what Maimonides (d) says, their garments are not upon them when they are not ministering in the priestly office, but then they are clothed as laymen; or when, as the Targum here has it,

"they were mingled with the people.''

There were places in the temple where they put on and off their clothes, and where they were laid up. So Adrichomius (e) says, speaking of the temple,

"there were rooms, otherwise called treasuries, and priests' apartments, which were houses on the side of it, like towers, long, broad, and high; in which the priests, when they went into the sanctuary, put off their common woollen garments, and put on their holy linen ones; and, when they had performed their holy services, laid them up there again.''

And another writer, quoted by Solomon Ben Virga (f), observes, that

"here (that is, the temple) was a house for the priest whose office it was to clothe the rest of the priests at the time of service; and he gave to everyone of them four sorts of garments, as were commanded, and fetched them out of the chests of the wardrobe; and on every chest, which were at the walls of this house, that is, above everyone of them, was the name of the garment, that there might be no mistake nor confusion when they were wanted.''

And this agrees with what is said in the Misnah (g), that there was one that was appointed over the priests' garments, and who might be properly enough called the master of the wardrobe; on which one of the commentators says (h), his business was

"to clothe the priests at the time of service, and to unclothe them after service was done, and to keep the garments of the priesthood in the chambers made for that purpose.''

Very wrongly, therefore, is the learned Selden (i) charged by Mr. Shoringham (k), with a mistake, in denying that the priests wore their holy garments at any other time but when they were at divine service.

(c) De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 5. sect. 7. (d) Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 4. (e) Theatrum Terrae Sanct. Jerusalem, No. 92. p. 161. (f) Shebet Judah, fol. 43. 2. Ed. Gentii, p. 464. (g) Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 1. (h) Bartenora in ib. (i) De Success. in Pontif. Heb. l. 2. c. 7. Vid. ib. de Synedriis, l. 3. c. 11. sect. 6. & Braunium, de Vestitu Sacerdot. Hebr. l. 2. c. 25. (k) Ad Codicem Joma, c. 7. sect. 1. p. 78, 79.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Compare Lev 16:23.

Those things which are for the people - namely, the outer court.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

People. Chap. xliv. 17., and Exodus xxxiii. 42. Christian priests use their vestments only when they are officiating. (Durand and Durant Rit. ii. 9.) (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

When, at the time of their service, the priests, and Levites also, who assisted, enter therein, come into the court of the temple or inmost court in their priestly garments to offer sacrifice, or to do any other part of their office,

then, when they have done their office,

shall they not go out, in their priestly garments, of the holy place, the court of the priests, not of the temple, into the utter court, the court of the people.

There; in some one of the chambers of south or north buildings, which is a wardrobe for them. Lay their garments; lay up, either for other priests, whose course came next, or for themselves against the next return of their course.

Wherein they minister; expressly directed by God, Exo 28:40-43.

They are holy; consecrated, ceremonially and relatively holy, for they are not capable of inherent holiness.

Shall put on other garments when they go out of this court into the outer, or outmost, they must put on common garments.

Shall approach to those things, and so they may, as they have occasion, and see good,

which are for the people; which common people may meddle with, which the priests may in their ordinary garments intermeddle with, and not be guilty, but may not touch while in the garments of their ministration..

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Holy garments.

The priests were to keep their holy garments in their holy chambers, wearing them in the sacred offices of the temple, and exchanging them for their common clothing before mixing with the people. This regulation was a necessary part of the Old Testament ceremonial, with its suggestions of separateness and external holiness. But it was susceptible of abuse, and some of the modern reproductions of it are certainly far from being commendable.

I THE ANCIENT SIGNIFICANCE OF HOLY GARMENTS.

1. The necessity of holiness in all worship. God must be worshipped with clean hands and a pure heart in the beauty of holiness". (Psa_96:9) The old heathenish divorce of religion from morality could not be permitted under the Jewish economy. All that was most formal and external was intended to keep before the minds of the worshippers a clear perception of God"s horror of sin, and a vivid presentation of his supreme love for righteousness.

2. The experience of holiness by individual men. Not only were the chambers in which the priests ate the sacrificial meals to be holy, but even the garments worn by the priests were also to be sacred. The sanctity attaches to the person. The very bodies of Christian people are temples of the Holy Ghost. (1Co_6:19)

3. The renewal of holiness in every act of worship. It is necessary to see that we are in a fit condition to approach God. It is not sufficient that we were once pardoned and cleansed. Unhappily, fresh defilement is repeatedly contracted. It is therefore necessary that renewed cleansing should be received. This was suggested by Christ"s washing his disciples". (Joh_13:4) By Christ we can be fitted for entering the presence of God.

II THE COMMON ABUSE OF HOLY GARMENTS.

1. In distinction of persons. The priest in his robes appeared as a more holy man than the common worshipper in his every-day dress. This was inevitable under the old Jewish system, but it should not be permitted in the present day. Yet what is called "the cloth" is often supposed to carry a certain sanctity, and clerical attire is thought by the superstitious to mark a spiritual separateness. But no such separateness exists in the Christian Church, all the members of which constitute "an holy priesthood". (1Pe_2:5)

2. By observing seasons. The priests wore their holy garments for a time, and then laid them aside and assumed their ordinary apparel. Some people put on their religion as they put on their Sunday clothes. They are saints at church, and sinners in the world; holy on Sunday, and profane on the weekdays. This is all delusive. No man can live two honest lives. Religion claims our whole being and time. For the true Christian all days are sacred to Christ"s service.

3. With mere external profession. The holiness resides only in the garment; the religion is nothing better than a clothing it is no inspiration. Such religion, like that of the Pharisees who cleansed the outside of the cup and platter, is hypocrisy.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Which are - Which common people may meddle with.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

When the priests arrive, etc. Once they enter those chambers to eat.

they shall not go out of them, which are holy.

into the Outer Court with the holy raiment that is upon them.

but shall there leave their garments, etc., and they will approach those of the people And they may approach to touch the peoples’ garments if they wish, but they must not touch the [garments of] people with the priestly raiment, for they have higher degrees of ritual purity, and ordinary garments have midras contamination on them.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.