Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
Read it in contextThe Duties of the Priests
Start reading at Ezekiel 44:15 (Ezekiel 44:15 to Ezekiel 44:31).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
This unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. The final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
44:15But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:
44:16They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.
44:17And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
44:18They 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.
44:19And 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.
44:20Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
44:21Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
44:22Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.
44:23And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
44:24And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
44:25And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
44:26And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
44:27And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.
44:28And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.
44:29They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering: and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs.
44:30And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.
44:31The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest and prophet among the exiles, is the named prophetic voice and traditional author. Biblical references: Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3. stated in the text
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Ezekiel 40:1–48:35): Ezekiel is shown a visionary sanctuary, ordered worship, and land arrangements, which he is to declare to the house of Israel. The priestly and tribal groups in the vision are not all physically accompanying him. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? The house of Israel, with Ezekiel speaking especially among the Judean exiles in Babylonia. Some visions concern people in Jerusalem or other nations rather than people physically present with him. Biblical references: Ezekiel 3:11; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 24:21. stated in the text
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? The Duties of the Priests. Read Ezekiel 44:15 through Ezekiel 44:31 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? This unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. The final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? The book repeatedly dates visions by years of captivity. Events pictured in a vision, the time of receiving it, and the time of later fulfillment should be distinguished. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? Ezekiel is among the exiles by the river Chebar. Visions carry him to other scenes, including Jerusalem; visionary location is not automatically ordinary physical travel. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in The Duties of the Priests (Ezekiel 44:15 to Ezekiel 44:31).
Start reading at Ezekiel 44:15. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The shepherd promise can be read alongside Jesus' teaching about the good shepherd. The connection should retain Ezekiel's concern for the scattered flock and the failure of Israel's shepherds. See Ezekiel 34:11, Ezekiel 34:23, John 10:11. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Take warnings about personal responsibility and corrupt leadership seriously. When interpreting symbolic acts or visions, begin with the explanations supplied within the book. interpretation
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Ezekiel 44
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Ezekiel locates his ministry among the exiles and dates many visions by years of captivity. Symbolic acts and visions require attention to their stated explanations; a modern identification is not supplied merely by the presence of a symbol. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Connection to the wholeThis opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. The final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
Connection to the wholeThe final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
Connection to the wholeThis unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. The final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Ezekiel
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Ezekiel locates his ministry among the exiles and dates many visions by years of captivity. Symbolic acts and visions require attention to their stated explanations; a modern identification is not supplied merely by the presence of a symbol.
Connection to the wholeThe final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.