The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 377

niok Keil Dclit.zsch, 1md others, that it Ezekiel may have felt there was no occa- goes' bnck 'to Zadok's fidelity to the throne sion for him to use other than the generio of David at the time of Absalom's rebellion term for" linen," which ,11;1~'!> (pishteh) seems (2 Sam. xv. 24-29), a fidelity exhibited to have been (comp. Lev: xiii. 47, 48, 52, also by Abiatha.r, or to his ~?herenc~ to 59; Deut. xxii. 11; Jer. xiii. 1). 'fhnt Solomon in preference to Adom1ah (I Kings this was so is suggested by the statement i. S, 39), this time without Abiathar's. ~on- that no wool, ip~. "perhaps so called from currence, rather in the face of his opposition. its being shorn off" (Gesenius), should oome In neither of these instrrnces was Zadok's upon them whiles they ministered in the fidelitv specially directed towards J ehovah's gates of the inner oourt, or within the sanchiarv, but concerned expressly and court itself, or the house- the contrast exclusiveh David's throne. Hence the being between what was of vegetable and commendation of the Zadokites' fidelity ca.n what wns of animal production. The reason only signify that, while the priesthood as a. for the prohibition of wool is hinted at in body were corrupt like the people, there ver. 18-it wns apt to cause sweat, aud thus ~·ere among them, as among the people, entail impurity; the clean white linen, on some who, like Ezekiel, continued steadfast the other hand, was designeJ both for to Jehovah's sanctnary; that these faithful hygienic reasons and as an emblem of few were Zadokites (see eh. xlviii. 11), and purity (comp. Rev. :xix. 8, 14). that to these shonld be entrusted the priest- Ver. 18.-In particular the priests should hood in the new sanctuary. But, e.t this have linen bonnets upon their heads-lite- point, a second question starts- Was it in- rally, linen tires shall be upon their heads- tended to declare that the new priesthood and linen breeches upon their loins. To elwrild be ZadolciteJ; in body, i.e. in respect of infer from the use of n\Jli~I? in Lev. viii. 13 lineal descent, or only in soul, i.e. in respect and of iNe here for the head-dress of the of moral and religious excellence? The former is contended by Knenen, Wellhau- priests, th~t Ezekiel was composed before sen, Smend, and others, who see in the Leviticus, is not convincing. Smend ex- vision-sanctuary a plan of the second, or plains the latter term as the customary post-exilic temple, and in its ordinances a bend-dress of common people, and the former programm~ for the establish!Ilent of ~he as a specially ornamental tiara or turban. Lcvitical hierarchy; but tins contention Gesenius reverses this meaning, making shatters itself on the fact that no proof the former the ordinary round cap, and the exists either that the second temple was latter a tiara ( see for the former, Exod. constructed after Ezekiel's as a moJel, or x.xviii. 40 ; xxix. 9 ; xx.xix. 28 ; and for the tho,t those who served in it were exclusively latter Exod. xx.xix. 28 ; Isa. lxi. I O; eh. flesh and blood Zadokitee. The latter xxiv. b, 23). In addition, the priests should opinion, favoured by Kliefoth, al?~eare the not gird themselves with any thing that more correct, that moral and spiritual re- caneeth sweat ; literally, should not gird semblance to the sons of Zadok should form themselves in, or with sweat, which Wl19 tlie first qualification for the priesthooJ in another way of forbidding them to wear this ideal sanctuary of the future (see note woollen clothing, which might cause them e.t the end of eh. xlvili). to sweat and so lead to uncleanness. Ver. 19.-When the priests retired from Vere. 17-31.-The dmie, and emolumenf.8 the inner court, and before they passed into of the priests. the outer court to mingle with tbe people, they were cnjoine_d_ to lay !I-side their Ver. 17.-Deginning with their attire official robes, depoe1tmg them lD tho holy when engaged in temple service, this v:erse chambers already described (eh. xlii. 1- states, in a general way, that the pneats 14) and to put on other, i.e. their ordinary, should be clothed with linen garments, as clothes (comp. Lev. vi. 11). The re!Lson the priests were under the Law (~xod. for this injunction was that they °;light x.xviii 40-43: :x:xxi:x. 27-29; Lev. v1. 10), not sanctify the people (comp. eh. xlv1. 20) with this difference. that whereas under the through the pcople'd comin/1' in _contact with Law the terms ewployed were Iii~, the white their garments. These, bemg m o. manner, byssus of Egypt, and ,~,"fine white linen," i.e. ceremonially, holy, would impart to the l1ere the word is ;inllic: or" flax "-a difference people a levitical or ritualistic B1_Lnctity which which assii,ts ne~~/ critics to perceive in would disqualify them, for a time? at le~st, th" so-called priest-code a refinement ou from attending to the common duties of life, Ezekiel, 11.ud therefore an evidence that o.s under the Law those were who touohed tl,e priest-code arose later than Ezekiel. the sacrificial flesh (Lev. vi. 18, 27), the But if the i,o-callcd prieet-c:>de had already altar (Exod. :xxix. 37), o.nd the vessels of indicated that the linen for priests' gar- the sanctuary (Exod. xxx. 29). ments sllould be of the finest quality, Ver. 20.-The next rubric concerned the 011. XLIV. 1-81.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL.