They shall have linen turbans upon their heads: Turbans were ornamental headdresses worn by priests and others at times of great joy (see Exo 28.4). To wear them people would wind them around their heads (see 21.26). If turbans are not known by readers, translators may render this clause as “The cloth/clothing they wrap/wear on their heads [or, What they wear on their heads] must be made of linen.”

And linen breeches upon their loins: Breeches refers to “undergarments” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version), “underclothes” (New Century Version), “underwear” (Contemporary English Version), not “trousers” (Good News Translation, New King James Version ), which gives the impression of outer clothing instead of underwear. As in Exo 28.42, these breeches were meant to avoid the priests’ genitals being exposed as they climbed stairs or if the wind blew their robes, so they probably had two enclosed legs to make sure that the genitals were covered in all circumstances. In modern English “shorts” or “underpants” is the usual term for this item of clothing. These “underpants” had to be upon their loins, that is, over their hips from the waist down. Translators may say “the shorts they wear to cover themselves from the waist down must also be made of linen.” Both the hats and the underpants had to be made of linen.

They shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat: Strictly speaking, the Hebrew expression for gird themselves with anything refers to putting a belt around the waist (compare Good News Translation “belt”), or to tucking a long flowing robe into one’s belt to make it easier to move around, but here most of the translations take it more generally to mean “wear anything” (New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, Complete Jewish Bible). Sweat is the moisture that oozes from a person’s skin on a hot day, or when they are physically active. If someone wears a belt, or anything that holds one’s clothes close to the body, the person is more likely to sweat in those places where the clothes are touching the skin. Apparently, if the priests in the new Temple sweated, they would become ritually unclean. That is why they had to wear clothes made of linen, which is a cool material that does not cause people to sweat. A model for this clause is “[They should do this because] they must not wear anything that will make them sweat.” Good News Translation reorders the verse to make this aspect of avoiding sweating the main focus of the verse, beginning with “So that they won’t perspire….” This is acceptable. “Perspire” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version) is a more polite English word for sweat.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .