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Ezekiel 44:20

Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

Neither shall they shave their heads - as mourners used to do, and as the Levitical priests were forbidden to do (Leviticus 21:1). The worshippers of the Egyptian idols Serapis and Isis shaved their heads; another reason why Yahweh's priests are not to do so.

Nor suffer their locks to grow long - as the luxurious, barbarians, and soldiers in warfare did (Jerome).

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See also Ezekiel 44:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ezekiel 44:20. _NEITHER SHALL THEY SHAVE THEIR HEADS_] The priests of _Isis_ shaved their heads close to the skin; the priests of _Budhoo_ do so still, their ordinances oblige them to shave the...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Regulations as to the priests’ services. The garments of the priests are defined and various rules prescribed in the Law are repeated with some additions in order to denote additional care to avoid un...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 44 _ 1. The outward eastern gate for the prince (Ezekiel 44:1) _ 2. The charge concerning the strangers and the rebellious tribes (Ezekiel 44:4) 3. The charge concerning the priests, the so...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PRIESTS. (_Their duties.) The_ only officials qualified to bear the name or discharge the duties of priests especially the duty of sacrifice are the Zadokites, _i.e._ the descendants of the Zadok...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    NEITHER SHALL THEY, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 21:5). App-92. ONLY POLL. surely clip....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The priests shall poll or cut the hair of their heads, and neither shave their heads bald nor let the hair flow loose. Shaving the head bald was a sign of mourning (Leviticus 21:5; Leviticus 21:10, cf...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    NEITHER SHALL THEY SHAVE, &C.— The Jews understand this as an expression of mourning for the dead. The words in the original contain a general prohibition, including the times of mourning, as well as...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _3. The regulations for the Zadokite priests (44:15-27_) TRANSLATION (15) But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES Standing at the inner northern gate Ezekiel again saw the glory of God filling the Temple and was again addressed by the divine voice (Ezekiel 44:4). The Speaker first rebu...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Cp. Leviticus 21:5....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EZEKIEL’S LAST *VISION EZEKIEL CHAPTER S 40 TO 48 _COMMENTARY: KEITH SIMONS; TRANSLATION: IAN MACKERVOY._ CHAPTER 44 THE EAST GATE – EZEKIEL 44:1-3 V1 Then the man brought me back to the outer...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The priests must behave in a careful manner. It is interesting to compare the instructions for Christian leaders in 1 Timothy 3:2-7....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEIR LOCKS TO GROW LONG. — The law forbade the shaving of the head (Leviticus 21:5), but only condemned letting the hair grow long by implication, providing for it in the exceptional case of the vow...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ רֹאשָׁם֙ לֹ֣א יְגַלֵּ֔חוּ וּ פֶ֖רַע לֹ֣א

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE PRIESTHOOD Ezekiel 44:1 IN the last chapter we saw how the principle of holiness through separation was exhibited in the plan of a new Temple, round which the Theocracy of the future was to be co...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The next section described the service of the new Temple. It commenced with the command that the eastern gate, through which Jehovah entered, must be kept closed, and that no man should be allowed to...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Neither shall they (f) shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut [the hair of] their heads. (f) As did the infidels and heathen....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Shave, like the priests of Isis. (Juvenal vi.)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Here are very important commissions given to the Prophet to deliver to the people, all which are plain and express, and in which we find the sacred jealousy the Lord hath for his holy name and ordinan...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Chapter 44 makes known the fact that Jehovah is returned to His house, and the memorial of His having done so is preserved in that the door by which He entered is to remain for ever shut. The Prince a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    NEITHER SHALL THEY SHAVE THEIR HEADS,.... As the priests and worshippers of Isis and Serapis did, as Jerom on the text observes; and as the Romish priests now do, from whom the Lord's faithful ministe...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. Ver. 20. _Neither shall they shave their heads._] What can the Popish shavelings say to th...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _When they shall enter in at the gates of the inner court_ The court just before the temple, where the altar of the burnt-offering stood; _they shall be clothed with linen garments_ The ephod, breeche...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Neither shall they shave their heads, which was a heathenish custom and therefore forbidden to priests of old, Leviticus 21:5, NOR SUFFER THEIR LOCKS TO GROW LONG, Leviticus 10:6; THEY SHALL ONLY POLL...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ORDINANCES FOR THE PRIESTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    _ To shave their heads was forbidden_, LEVITICUS 19:27, LEVITICUS 21:5. Hair is given for an ornament, and the priests should not disfigure themselves, nor imitate idolatrous heathens. NOR SUFFER THEI...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ezekiel 44:20 shave H1548 (H8762) heads H7218 hair H6545 long H7971 (H8762) hair H7218 well H3697 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    “Nor shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut the hair of their heads. Nor shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court. Nor shall they...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ONLY THE SONS OF ZADOK MAY PERFORM THE FULL PRIESTLY FUNCTIONS (EZEKIEL 44:15). “But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went a...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Gate for the prince. God's glory filling the temple. The priests. CHARACTERS: God, Ezekiel, sons of Zadok, prince. CONCLUSION: In the great temple of Jehovah in the kingdom age, Israel sha...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ezekiel 44:5. _Mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears._ Every thing seen in this vision of the temple, adumbrates celestial glory, and therefore demanded the most profound att...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 44:15 The privilege of serving at the altar and in the sanctuary itself BEFORE the Lord (v. Ezekiel 44:15) falls to the Zadokite priest

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE RELATION OF PRINCE AND PRIESTS TO THE TEMPLE (Chap. 44) EXEGETICAL NOTES.— Ezekiel 44:1. “THE GATE OF THE OUTWARD SANCTUARY”—the court of the priests as distinguished from the Temple itself. “THIS...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION The prophet, having finished his account of the temple, or place of worship, proceeds, in the second section of his vision (Ezekiel 44-46.), to set forth the culture, or ritual, to be perfo...

  • The Typology of Scripture by Patrick Fairbairn

    CHAPTER 44. ORDINANCES FOR THE PRINCE AND THE PRIESTHOOD. Ezekiel 44:1. _And he brought me again by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, that looks toward the east, and it was shut._ Ezekiel...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now as we get to chapter 44, we come to a prophecy that is so often misinterpreted. And I must confess to you that I have often misinterpreted this prophecy. And as I read it more carefully and have r...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 11:14; Deuteronomy 14:1; Leviticus 21:5; Numbers 6:5...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    To grow long — Priding themselves in it, as Absalom. Shall only poll — When the hair is grown, they shall cut the ends of their hair, and keep it in moderate size....

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