Ezekiel 44:18

Eze 44:18 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.

Ver. 18. They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads.] In token of constant subjection to God. {1Co 11:6-7; 1Co 11:10}

They shall have linen breeches.] For honesty sake; and to admonish them to procure and "provide for things honest not only in the sight of the Lord, but in the sight of men." {2Co 8:21}

With anything that causeth sweat.] That they may not have an ill savour, or seem to do God’s work to their own trouble: the Lord loveth a cheerful giver.

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.

bonnets--turbans.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

18. Sweat is regarded as uncleanness.

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.

And they shall have linen bonnets upon their heads,.... Denoting gravity and modesty, subjection to God, and authority among men under him; and also purity of doctrine, and clearness of light and knowledge:

and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; expressive of chastity; see Exo 28:40,

they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat; so not with wool, which is apt to cause sweat; and is thought to be the reason why it is forbidden in the preceding verse; and so this girdle must be different from the priest's girdle under the law, for that had wool in it: sweat is of an ill smell, and very offensive; and may denote unsound doctrine and immorality in life and conversation, which give offence, and cause the ministry to be blamed, to which is opposed the girdle of truth and holiness, Eph 6:14. The Talmudic doctors interpret this of the place of girding, which is liable to sweat; and they say (o),

"they used not to gird neither below the loins, nor above the arm holes; but over against, or about the armholes;''

which is observed by Jarchi and Kimchi on the text; and the Targum is,

"they shall not gird upon or about the loins, but about the heart;''

that is, about the breast or paps; hence Christ our great High Priest is described as girt about the paps with a golden girdle, Rev 1:13 so these are girt that are made priests by him; denoting their hearty zeal and affection for the truths of his Gospel, and the honour of his name, and their readiness to serve and glorify him: or,

they shall not gird themselves loosely (p); in a negligent manner, which is both indecent, and hinders business.

(o) T. Bab. Zevachim, fol. 18. 2. & 19. 1. (p) "non cingent seipsos modo instabili, nempe neglectim circumponendo cingulum nimis laxum", Gussetius, p. 315. The Tigurine version is, "quae non adstringent arctius".

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

Sweat, or so as to make them perspire. Septuagint, "girded violently." (Haydock) --- They must have liberty to move, (St. Jerome) and have the girdle about their breast. (Braun.)

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).

This verse recounts but two garments of linen, the bonnet and the breeches, but Exo 28:39; 1Sa 2:18,28; 14:3, mention a linen coat, or ephod; so they had three linen garments, and a girdle of fine twined linen about to gird the coat fast, yet so as not to make them sweat, or smell offensively.

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

In particular the priests should have linen bonnets upon their heads literally, linen tires shall be upon their heads and linen breeches upon their loins. To infer from the use of twOBgmi in Lev_8:13 and of raep) here for the head-dress of the priests, that Ezekiel was composed before Leviticus, is not convincing. Smend explains the latter term as the customary headdress of common people, and the former as a specially ornamental tiara or turban. Gesenius reverses this meaning, making the former the ordinary round cap, and the latter a tiara (see for the former, Exo_28:40 Exo_29:9 Exo_39:28; and for the latter, Exo_39:28; Isa_61:10; Eze_24:17, Eze_24:23) In addition, the priests should not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat; literally, should not gird themselves in, or with sweat, which was another way of forbidding them to wear woollen clothing, which might cause them to sweat and so lead to uncleanness.

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

hats [Heb. פַאֲרֵי.] c(h)apelas in O.F., hats, head dress.

they shall not gird themselves in a place that sweats We learned in a baraitha (Zeb. 18b, 19a): They do not gird themselves in a place where they sweat, neither above their elbows nor below their loins, which is a place of sweat, en la suor in O.F., on (whatever causes) sweat. Another explanation: The Torah prohibited the priests from wearing woolen raiment because wool causes the body to sweat (not found in some editions).

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.