Ezekiel 46:1-7. Offerings for the Sabbath and new moon

The prince was under obligation, besides providing for the great festivals of unleavened bread or passover and tabernacles (Ezekiel 45:21; Ezekiel 45:25), and for the special new moons in the first and seventh months (Ezekiel 45:18; Ezekiel 45:20), to furnish offerings also for the sabbaths and the ordinary new moons. The east gate of the inner court was kept shut six days of the week (the outer was always shut), but opened on the sabbaths and also on the new moons (Ezekiel 46:1). On these days the prince came by way of the porch and advanced as far as the door-posts of the inner gate, where he worshipped while the priests were offering the burnt and peace-offerings (Ezekiel 46:2). The gate remained open till the evening. While the prince could come as far as the threshold of the inner gate the people stood without before the inner east gate to worship (Ezekiel 46:3).

2. porch of that gate without] porch of the gate without. It is difficult to decide whether “without” describes porch or gate. If porch, then the porch of the inner gate is meant, which lay “without,” i.e. towards the outer court (Ezekiel 40:31; Ezekiel 40:34; Ezekiel 40:37). If “without” refers to gate, then the porch of the outer gate is meant. In the latter case the prince would cross the outer court from the porch of the outer gate and enter the inner gate, cf. Ezekiel 44:3. Neither is it certain whether the “posts” and “threshold” are those at the outer end of the inner gate, or those at the end opening into the inner court. The technical “threshold” lay at the inner end, inasmuch as the inner gate was the outer gate reversed (Ezekiel 40:6). It is possible that the prince was allowed to enter the inner gateway and advance to the inner end of it so as to have a full view of the operations of the priests at the altar, without, however, being permitted to set his foot in the inner court. In this case “porch” would be that of the inner gate (as A.V.).

4–6. On the sabbath the burnt-offering shall be six lambs and a ram, and the meal-offering an ephah of flour for the ram and what the prince thinks good for the lambs; and the libation a hin of oil.

7. For the new moons the burnt-offering shall be a young bullock, and the same meal-offering and libation as for the sabbath.

8, 9. The gates by which prince and people shall come in and go out. The prince shall come in by way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out the same way, i.e. probably the porch of the inner east gate, and he shall go back as he entered, without passing into the inner court. The people shall not go out by the gate at which they came in, but by the opposite gate—those entering by the N. gate shall leave by the S. and conversely.

the solemn feasts] appointed seasons.

10. shall so forth] Go must be read, the prince being subject. Heb. text reads: when they go forth they shall go forth (i.e. prince and people; R.V. to make this plain supplies together). This is a very unnatural reading. Read in either way the words mean that the prince and people come in and go out simultaneously. This would suggest that the worshipping of the prince and people was contemporaneous with the act of the priests in offering, and that when this act was over the people dispersed and the prince departed. The Syr. followed by Corn. reads: but the prince in their midst, by the gate at which he came in shall he go out—finding a repetition of Ezekiel 46:8, giving a freedom to the prince denied to the people (Ezekiel 46:9).

11. General regulation in regard to the meal-offering, it shall be the same both at the feasts proper (Ezekiel 45:21; Ezekiel 45:25) and at the solemnities or stated seasons, such as new moons, &c.

12. Regulation when the prince presents a free-will offering. The east (inner) gate shall be opened for him on such occasions as on the sabbaths and new moons. Cf. Leviticus 7:16, Ezekiel 33:28; Numbers 15:3; Numbers 29:39; Deuteronomy 12:6; Amos 4:5.

13. thou shalt … prepare] LXX. he shall prepare; so Ezekiel 46:14. Cf. Ezekiel 45:17.

13–15. The daily offering

There shall be a daily offering, a lamb for a burnt-offering, with one-sixth of an ephah of flour and the third part of a hin of oil for a meal-offering. This shall be presented every morning. In earlier times the daily offering in practice appears to have been a burnt-offering in the morning and a meal-offering in the evening (2 Kings 16:15, cf. 1 Kings 18:29; 1 Kings 18:36). In Numbers 28:3; Numbers 28:8 the daily offering is a lamb morning and evening, with one-tenth of an ephah of flour and one-fourth of a hin of oil morning and evening for meal-offering; to which is to be added one-fourth of a hin of wine for drink offering. Ezek. nowhere refers to wine in the offerings.

14. to temper] Probably as R.V. to moisten, or, besprinkle the fine flour. Song of Solomon 5:2, drops of the night.

16–18. Case of the prince alienating any part of his landed property to his sons or servants

If given to his sons the gift shall remain with them as their inheritance (Ezekiel 46:16); if given to any of his servants it shall revert to the prince at the year of liberty (Ezekiel 46:17).

17. year of liberty] In Jeremiah 34:14 the year of liberty is that of the freeing of the bondservant in the seventh year; and this year may be meant here. Cf. Isaiah 61:1. Otherwise the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year, is referred to, when all landed property that had been alienated reverted to its original owner, Leviticus 25:10; Leviticus 27:24.

but his inheritance … them] lit. but (or, only as for) his inheritance, his sons, it shall be theirs, i.e. the portion of his inheritance which the prince may bestow on his sons shall remain theirs, without reverting to the prince (Ezekiel 46:16). LXX., Syr. more clearly; the inheritance of his sons, it shall be theirs.

19. through the entry] the entrance way, viz. that mentioned Ezekiel 42:9. Since Ezekiel 44:4 the prophet had been before the house. The holy chambers are those described, Ezekiel 42:1-14.

a place on the two sides] a place in the Innermost part westward; i.e. at the western extremity of the court. In Fig. 3 the kitchens, LL, should probably be extended back to the wall.

to sanctify the people] Cf. Ezekiel 44:19.

19–24. The kitchens for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19-20), and people (Ezekiel 46:21-24)

The kitchens for cooking the sin and trespass offering and baking the meal-offering, the holy things to be consumed by the priests (Ezekiel 44:29), were situated in the inner court at the furthest part of the court westward, to the west of the holy cells (Ezekiel 42:1-14), and on both sides of the erection called the “building” (Ezekiel 41:12-13) which lay behind the house, Fig. 3, L. The inner court on the west reached back to the boundary wall of the outer court, which on that side was the wall of the inner court, and in the two corners, N. and S., the priests’ kitchens were placed. The prophet is brought to those on the N. side; those on the S. were similar.

21–24. The kitchens for cooking the sacrificial meals of the people. These were situated in the four corners of the outer court. In each of the four corners was a small enclosure or court 40 cubits long and 30 broad (Ezekiel 46:21-22); and in these were situated the kitchens, where the “ministers of the house,” the subordinate officials (Ezekiel 44:10-14), boiled the people’s offering for their sacrificial meal (Ezekiel 46:23-24), Fig. 3 M.

22. courts joined] The term “joined” is obscure, not occurring elsewhere. Possibly: enclosed courts. LXX. appears to have read: small (the words differ in one letter).

these four corners] lit. the four of them had one measure, they being in the corners. The word in the corners, or, cornered, is deleted in the Heb. tradition by points over it, and not rendered in LXX. and Vulg.

23. The description is brief. The “row” is probably not a series of separate buildings running round the court, but a continuous course of building, in which at the bottom (“under” the row) were recesses in which were the hearths where the pots were set in which the sacrifices were cooked. The hearth usually consisted of some stones within which the fire was put and upon which the pot was set.

24. The “ministers” are the subordinate officials—the Levites.