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
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.