1 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 The gate H8179 of the inner H6442 court H2691 that looketh H6437 toward the east H6921 shall be shut H5462 the six H8337 working H4639 days; H3117 but on the sabbath H7676 H3117 it shall be opened, H6605 and in the day H3117 of the new moon H2320 it shall be opened. H6605
2 And the prince H5387 shall enter H935 by the way H1870 of the porch H197 of that gate H8179 without, H2351 and shall stand H5975 by the post H4201 of the gate, H8179 and the priests H3548 shall prepare H6213 his burnt offering H5930 and his peace offerings, H8002 and he shall worship H7812 at the threshold H4670 of the gate: H8179 then he shall go forth; H3318 but the gate H8179 shall not be shut H5462 until the evening. H6153
3 Likewise the people H5971 of the land H776 shall worship H7812 at the door H6607 of this gate H8179 before H6440 the LORD H3068 in the sabbaths H7676 and in the new moons. H2320
4 And the burnt offering H5930 that the prince H5387 shall offer H7126 unto the LORD H3068 in the sabbath H7676 day H3117 shall be six H8337 lambs H3532 without blemish, H8549 and a ram H352 without blemish. H8549
5 And the meat offering H4503 shall be an ephah H374 for a ram, H352 and the meat offering H4503 for the lambs H3532 as he shall be able H3027 to give, H4991 and an hin H1969 of oil H8081 to an ephah. H374
6 And in the day H3117 of the new moon H2320 it shall be a young H1121 H1241 bullock H6499 without blemish, H8549 and six H8337 lambs, H3532 and a ram: H352 they shall be without blemish. H8549
7 And he shall prepare H6213 a meat offering, H4503 an ephah H374 for a bullock, H6499 and an ephah H374 for a ram, H352 and for the lambs H3532 according as his hand H3027 shall attain H5381 unto, and an hin H1969 of oil H8081 to an ephah. H374
8 And when the prince H5387 shall enter, H935 he shall go H935 in by the way H1870 of the porch H197 of that gate, H8179 and he shall go forth H3318 by the way H1870 thereof.
9 But when the people H5971 of the land H776 shall come H935 before H6440 the LORD H3068 in the solemn feasts, H4150 he that entereth H935 in by the way H1870 of the north H6828 gate H8179 to worship H7812 shall go out H3318 by the way H1870 of the south H5045 gate; H8179 and he that entereth H935 by the way H1870 of the south H5045 gate H8179 shall go forth H3318 by the way H1870 of the north H6828 gate: H8179 he shall not return H7725 by the way H1870 of the gate H8179 whereby he came in, H935 but shall go forth H3318 over against H5226 it.
10 And the prince H5387 in the midst H8432 of them, when they go in, H935 shall go in; H935 and when they go forth, H3318 shall go forth. H3318
11 And in the feasts H2282 and in the solemnities H4150 the meat offering H4503 shall be an ephah H374 to a bullock, H6499 and an ephah H374 to a ram, H352 and to the lambs H3532 as he is able H3027 to give, H4991 and an hin H1969 of oil H8081 to an ephah. H374
12 Now when the prince H5387 shall prepare H6213 a voluntary H5071 burnt offering H5930 or peace offerings H8002 voluntarily H5071 unto the LORD, H3068 one shall then open H6605 him the gate H8179 that looketh H6437 toward the east, H6921 and he shall prepare H6213 his burnt offering H5930 and his peace offerings, H8002 as he did H6213 on the sabbath H7676 day: H3117 then he shall go forth; H3318 and after H310 his going forth H3318 one shall shut H5462 the gate. H8179
13 Thou shalt daily H3117 prepare H6213 a burnt offering H5930 unto the LORD H3068 of a lamb H3532 of the first H1121 year H8141 without blemish: H8549 thou shalt prepare H6213 it every H1242 morning. H1242
14 And thou shalt prepare H6213 a meat offering H4503 for it every morning, H1242 the sixth part H8345 of an ephah, H374 and the third part H7992 of an hin H1969 of oil, H8081 to temper with H7450 the fine flour; H5560 a meat offering H4503 continually H8548 by a perpetual H5769 ordinance H2708 unto the LORD. H3068
15 Thus shall they prepare H6213 H6213 the lamb, H3532 and the meat offering, H4503 and the oil, H8081 every morning H1242 for a continual H8548 burnt offering. H5930
16 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 If the prince H5387 give H5414 a gift H4979 unto any H376 of his sons, H1121 the inheritance H5159 thereof shall be his sons'; H1121 it shall be their possession H272 by inheritance. H5159
17 But if he give H5414 a gift H4979 of his inheritance H5159 to one H259 of his servants, H5650 then it shall be his to the year H8141 of liberty; H1865 after it shall return H7725 to the prince: H5387 but his inheritance H5159 shall be his sons' H1121 for them.
18 Moreover the prince H5387 shall not take H3947 of the people's H5971 inheritance H5159 by oppression, H3238 to thrust H3238 them out of their possession; H272 but he shall give his sons H1121 inheritance H5157 out of his own possession: H272 that my people H5971 be not scattered H6327 every man H376 from his possession. H272
19 After he brought H935 me through the entry, H3996 which was at the side H3802 of the gate, H8179 into the holy H6944 chambers H3957 of the priests, H3548 which looked H6437 toward the north: H6828 and, behold, there was a place H4725 on the two sides H3411 westward. H3220
20 Then said H559 he unto me, This is the place H4725 where the priests H3548 shall boil H1310 the trespass offering H817 and the sin offering, H2403 where they shall bake H644 the meat offering; H4503 that they bear H3318 them not out into the utter H2435 court, H2691 to sanctify H6942 the people. H5971
21 Then he brought me forth H3318 into the utter H2435 court, H2691 and caused me to pass by H5674 the four H702 corners H4740 of the court; H2691 and, behold, in every H4740 corner H4740 of the court H2691 H2691 there was a court. H2691
22 In the four H702 corners H4740 of the court H2691 there were courts H2691 joined H7000 of forty H705 cubits long H753 and thirty H7970 broad: H7341 these four H702 corners H7106 were of one H259 measure. H4060
23 And there was a row H2905 of building round about H5439 in them, round about H5439 them four, H702 and it was made H6213 with boiling places H4018 under the rows H2918 round about. H5439
24 Then said H559 he unto me, These are the places H1004 of them that boil, H1310 where the ministers H8334 of the house H1004 shall boil H1310 the sacrifice H2077 of the people. H5971
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 46
Commentary on Ezekiel 46 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 46
Eze 46:1-24. Continuation of the Ordinances for the Prince and for the People in Their Worship.
2. The prince is to go through the east gate without (open on the Sabbath only, to mark its peculiar sanctity) to the entrance of the gate of the inner court; he is to go no further, but "stand by the post" (compare 1Ki 8:14, 22, Solomon standing before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the congregation; also 2Ki 11:14; 23:3, "by a pillar": the customary place), the court within belonging exclusively to the priests. There, as representative of the people, in a peculiarly near relation to God, he is to present his offerings to Jehovah, while at a greater distance, the people are to stand worshipping at the outer gate of the same entrance. The offerings on Sabbaths are larger than those of the Mosaic law, to imply that the worship of God is to be conducted by the prince and people in a more munificent spirit of self-sacrificing liberality than formerly.
9. The worshippers were on the great feasts to pass from one side to the other, through the temple courts, in order that, in such a throng as should attend the festivals, the ingress and egress should be the more unimpeded, those going out not being in the way of those coming in.
10. prince in the midst—not isolated as at other times, but joining the great throng of worshippers, at their head, after the example of David (Ps 42:4, "I had gone with the multitude … to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day"); the highest in rank animating the devotions of the rest by his presence and example.
12-15. Not only is he to perform official acts of worship on holy days and feasts, but in "voluntary" offerings daily he is to show his individual zeal, surpassing all his people in liberality, and so setting them a princely example.
16-18. The prince's possession is to be inalienable, and any portion given to a servant is to revert to his sons at the year of jubilee, that he may have no temptation to spoil his people of their inheritance, as formerly (compare Ahab and Naboth, 1Ki 21:1-29). The mention of the year of jubilee implies that there is something literal meant, besides the spiritual sense. The jubilee year was restored after the captivity [Josephus, Antiquities, 14.10,6; 1 Maccabees 6:49]. Perhaps it will be restored under Messiah's coming reign. Compare Isa 61:2, 3, where "the acceptable year of the Lord" is closely connected with the comforting of the mourners in Zion, and "the day of vengeance" on Zion's foes. The mention of the prince's sons is another argument against Messiah being meant by "the prince."
19-24. Due regard is to be had for the sanctity of the officiating priests' food, by cooking courts being provided close to their chambers. One set of apartments for cooking was to be at the corners of the inner court, reserved for the flesh of the sin offerings, to be eaten only by the priests whose perquisite it was (Le 6:25; 7:7), before coming forth to mingle again with the people; another set at the corners of the outer court, for cooking the flesh of the peace offerings, of which the people partook along with the priests. All this implies that no longer are the common and unclean to be confounded with the sacred and divine, but that in even the least things, as eating and drinking, the glory of God is to be the aim (1Co 10:31).
22. courts joined—Fairbairn translates, "roofed" or "vaulted." But these cooking apartments seem to have been uncovered, to let the smoke and smell of the meat the more easily pass away. They were "joined" or "attached" to the walls of the courts at the corners of the latter [Menochius].
23. boiling places—boilers.
under the rows—At the foot of the rows, that is, in the lowest part of the walls, were the places for boiling made.