Ezekiel 44:19
in Ezekiel 44When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments.
KJV
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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This verse in Ezekiel 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThey must not go among the people with their holy garments on, lest they should imagine themselves sanctified by the touch of them; or, They shall sanctify the people, that is (as it is explained, ch. xlii. 14 ), they shall approach to those things which are for the people, in their ordinary garments.
This site's exposition
they are to wear linen garments
on Ezekiel 44:17-19
The priests who minister in the inner court wear linen, with no wool or anything “that makes them perspire.” Before going out to the people they leave their garments “in the holy chambers.” The aim is “so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.”
This site's exposition
so that they do not transmit holiness to the people
Matthew Henry gives two readings: the people might think themselves made holy by touching the garments. Or the phrase means the priests approach the people's things in ordinary clothes, as in 42:14. Haggai 2:12 puts a related question to the priests about holy meat carried in a garment.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verses 17 onwards) And when they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments (or robes); they shall not wear anything made of wool (or they shall not wear garments made of wool) when they minister at the gates of the inner court and inside. Linen turbans shall be on their heads (or they shall have linen turbans on their heads) and linen undergarments shall be around their waists, and they shall not be bound in sweat (or forced).
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And when they go forth into the utter court,....
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּ֠בְצֵאתָם | uvetzetom | and when go out they | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הֶחָצֵ֨ר | hechatzer | the courtyard | H2691 → | 191 times |
| הַחִיצוֹנָ֜ה | hachitzonah | <the> outer | H2435 → | 25 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הֶחָצֵ֣ר | hechatzer | the courtyard | H2691 → | 191 times |
| הַחִיצוֹנָה֮ | hachitzonah | <the> outer | H2435 → | 25 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעָם֒ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יִפְשְׁט֣וּ | yifshetu | they will take off | H6584 → | 43 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּגְדֵיהֶ֗ם | bigdeihem | clothes their | H899 → | 217 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵ֙מָּה֙ | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| מְשָׁרְתִ֣ם | mesharetim | [were] serving | H8334 → | 97 times |
| בָּ֔ם | bam | in them | ||
| וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ | vehinichu | and they will set down | H5117 → | 142 times |
| אוֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּלִֽשְׁכֹ֣ת | belishkhot | in [the] rooms of | H3957 → | 47 times |
| הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ | hakodesh | <the> holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְלָֽבְשׁוּ֙ | velaveshu | and they will put on | H3847 → | 110 times |
| בְּגָדִ֣ים | begadim | clothes | H899 → | 217 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֔ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְקַדְּשׁ֥וּ | yekadeshu | they will consecrate | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בְּבִגְדֵיהֶֽם׃ | bevigdeihem | by clothes their | H899 → | 217 times |
וּ֠בְצֵאתָםand when go out they
uvetzetomH3318 →1067 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הֶחָצֵ֨רthe courtyard
hechatzerH2691 →191 times
הַחִיצוֹנָ֜ה<the> outer
hachitzonahH2435 →25 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הֶחָצֵ֣רthe courtyard
hechatzerH2691 →191 times
הַחִיצוֹנָה֮<the> outer
hachitzonahH2435 →25 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָעָם֒the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
יִפְשְׁט֣וּthey will take off
yifshetuH6584 →43 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בִּגְדֵיהֶ֗םclothes their
bigdeihemH899 →217 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֵ֙מָּה֙they
hemahH1992 →553 times
מְשָׁרְתִ֣ם[were] serving
mesharetimH8334 →97 times
בָּ֔םin them
bam
וְהִנִּ֥יחוּand they will set down
vehinichuH5117 →142 times
אוֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
בְּלִֽשְׁכֹ֣תin [the] rooms of
belishkhotH3957 →47 times
הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ<the> holiness
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
וְלָֽבְשׁוּ֙and they will put on
velaveshuH3847 →110 times
בְּגָדִ֣יםclothes
begadimH899 →217 times
אֲחֵרִ֔יםother
ʾacherimH312 →166 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְקַדְּשׁ֥וּthey will consecrate
yekadeshuH6942 →171 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
בְּבִגְדֵיהֶֽם׃by clothes their
bevigdeihemH899 →217 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 30:29You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
it leads to
- Leviticus 6:18
Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the offerings made by fire to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 29:37
For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will become most holy; whatever touches the altar will be holy.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 23:17
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 6:18
Through
Exodus 29:37For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will become most holy; whatever touches the altar will be holy.
it leads to
- Matthew 23:19
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 40:10
Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it shall be most holy.
- Matthew 23:19
Through
Ezekiel 46:20and said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 35:13
They roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the regulation, and they boiled the other holy offerings in pots, kettles, and bowls and quickly brought them to all the people.
- Leviticus 2:4–7
Now if you bring an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must consist of fine flour, either unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers coated with oil.
- Ezekiel 44:29
They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.
- 2 Chronicles 35:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel

This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
