Ezekiel 46

Ordinances for the Prince in particular in the worship of God, and for the people of the land and the prince together, verse 1.2 &c. Also, of the continual burnt-offering, 13, and of the gifts of the prince to his sons and to his servants, 16. A description of the kit chins for the priests and Levites, 19.

1. The faith of the Lord; the gate of the innermost court, [Where the altar of the burnt-offering was] that looketh towards the east, shall be shut the other fix working days, but on the Sabbath it shall be opened; [Compare Exodus 20:9. Some conceive, hat hereby is typified, that we see but afar off, and as it were through a glass darkly in this life, but we shall see face to face in the life to come, on the everlasting rest or Sabbath-day; 1 Corinthians 13:12. Hebrews 4:9, 10, 11. Compare Exodus 20:10,11. Also Colossians 2:16, 17.] It shall also be opened on the day of the new moon. Compare Isaiah 66:23.]

2. And the prince shall enter (by) the way of the porch of the gate without, and stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt-offering and his drink-offering; and he shall worship [Heb. bow down himself. See Gen. 24 on verse 26. So in the next verse] at the threshold of the gate, and (then) go forth: but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. [Compare Matthew 25:10, 11, 12]

3. Likewise the people of the land shall worship (before) the door of the gate, [Or for the people, c or that the people of the land may worship, c] on the Sabbath, and on the new moons, before the face of the LORD.

4. Now the burnt-offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD, shall be on the Sabbath day, fix perfect lambs, and perfect ram. [Compare this new ordinance with the old, Numbers 28:9,10. The old was much less because the grace of the New Testament (as some observe) is much more glorious then the former, and extended it self much wider]

5. And meat-offering, Epha for a ram, but for the lambs, the meat-offering shall be a gift of his hand: [That is, according to his ability, according as the Lord hath received of the Lord. Compare verse 7.11 and Deut. 16.] And oil, an bin to an Epha.

6. But on the day of the new moon, a bullock, a young bullock [Heb. a son of an ox] of the perfect, and fix lambs, and a ram; they shall be perfect. [Compare this new ordinance with Numb. 28.11,c. The old was greater because the light (as some interpret it) was then much less]

7. And (for) the meat-offering, shall be prepared on Epha for the bullock, and an Epha for the ram; but for the lambs so as his hand shall attain unto, [Or shall have gotten. Compare above verse 5 and the phrase with Numbers 6:21 also Leviticus 5:11. And 12.18 and 14.21 and 25.28, c] and an bi of oil to an Epha.

8. And when the prince entreth, he shall go in (by) the way of the porch of the gate, and (he shall) go forth [Or go on] (again) by way thereof. [Or his way]

9. But when the people of the land came before the face of the LORD on the appointed solemnities; he that entreth in (by) the way of the north-gate to worship, shall go out (again by) the way of the south-gate: and be that entreth (by) the way the way of the south-gate, shall go forth (again by) the way of the north-gate: he shall not return (by) the way of the gate whereby he went in, [Some compare this with Luke 17:32. ! Cor. 9.24. Philippians 1:13,14 also Galatians 4:9. and 5.7. 2 Peter 2:20, 23, 22.] But (shall) go forth straight forward [Others, they shall go forth right over against it]

10. Now the prince shall go in the midst of them, [to wit, among the people of the land] when they go in, and when they go forth, [Others, go on: and so immediately again] they shall go forth (together)

11. Moreover, on the feasts and on the appointment solemnities, the meat offering shall be an Epha to the bullock and on Epha to a ram; but to the lambs, a gift of his hand: [as above verse 5.7] and oil, an hin to an Epha.

12. And when the prince shall make a free-will-offering, a burnt-offering, or thank-offering (for) a free-will-offering unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate that looketh towards the east; and he shall make his burnt-offering and his thank-offerings, according as he shall have done on the Sabbath-day: and when he goeth forth (again) one shall shut the gate after that he shall be goneforth.

13. Moreover, thou shalt dayly prepare aperfect lamb of a year old [Heb. a son of his year] (for) a burnt-offering unto the LORD: thou shalt prepare it every morning. [Heb. in the morning, in the morning, that is, every morning. So in the sequel. Compare this ordinance with Numbers 28:3,4. Here no mention is made of the evening sacrifice. Compare Hebrews 9:26]

14. And thou shalt add thereto (for) a meat-offering every morning a fixth part of an Epha, and oil a third part of a hin, to drop the meal floure: (for) a meat-offering unto the LORD, (for) everlasting Ordinances [Heb ordinances of eternity] continually.

15. They shall then prepare the lamb and the meat-offering, and the oil every morning, (for) a continual burnt-offering, (properly ascension) of continuance]

16. Thus saith the Lord LORD; when the prince shall give a gift (of) his inheritance unto any of his sons [Or children] his sons shall have it: [it shall continue to be his sons, they shall keep it. So in the sequel] it shall be their possession by inheritance.

17. But when he shall give a gift of inheritance to one of his servants, he shall have it to the free year; [otherwise called the year of Jubile. See Levit. 25.10, c.] Then it shall return to the prince: it is indeed his inheritance, his sons shall have it. [As for the lord Christ, he giveth to his elect and true children durable and everlasting gifts, an everlasting inheritance, and that of his own, for all that the father hath is his, John 16:15 and he is heir of all things, Hebrews 1:2. doing with his own what he will, Matth. 20.15. But unto others, which do also like servants’ minister in his house, he giveth temporal gifts. Compare Matth. 7.22,23 and 23.21,23 and 35.14, c. Luke 19:1, &c. and see John 8:35, &c. it may be also a lesson for Christian magistrates of liberality and rewarding of good services, also of justice towards their subjects: and so in general a lesson of enjoying our own possessions and such as are justly and honest gotten, &c.]

18. And the prince shall take nothing of the people’s inheritance, to bereave them [Or thrust them out] of their possession; he shall leave inheritance to his sons of his (own) possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his inheritance.

19. After that he brought the entry which was at the side of the gate of the holy chambers, [Heb. chambers of holiness] (belonging) to the priests, [or to the priests] which looked towards the north: and behold there was a place on both sides towards the west. [Heb. Toward the sea]

20. And he said unto me, this is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt-offering, and the sin-offering: [That is, the flesh of those sacrifices. So verse 24. [Heb. trespass and sin] (and) where they shall bake the meat-offering, that that they should not bring it out into the outermost court, to sanctifie the people, [that is, whereby the people should be sanctified: which might not be, since God had in a special manner chosen and sanctified the priests for the work of his holy ministry. Compare above chapter 44 on verse 19. By the priests boyling and baing the offerings in the place aforesaid, is typified the work of the ministry in all the particular churches and flocks of Christ, where the faithful teachers and pastours do feed themselves and the sheep of Christ with the wholesome and saving doctrine of the gospel, and prepare, present, and apply it unto the people, as sound and wholesome food for their souls, together with the administration of the blessed sacraments, & Christian church government, according to the exhortation, Acts 20:28. 1 Peter 5:2, c. See also Matth. 24.45. Job 21:15,16,17. 1 Tim. 3.13 and 4.16. Rev. chapter 2 and 3.]

21. Then he brought me forth into the outermost court, and carried me about in the four corners of the court: and behold, to every corner of the court (there) was another little court, [Heb. a court in a corner of the court, a court in a corner of the court, that is, in every corner of the great court there was a little court]

22. In the four corner of the court (there) were little courts with chimneys; [Or smoke-places. Heb. as if one should say, chimneyed or smoked; that is, made with chimneys or holes to convey the smoke away. Others, joined, as kitchins are often joined to the building: but this cannot take place without changing of a letter in the Hebrew word] of forty (ells) the length, and thirty the breadth: those four corner-little-courts [meaning the forementioned four kitchens that were in the corners of the court. Heb. square or cornered] had one kind of measure.

23. And there was round about in them [In the kitchins] a ring-wall [In Hebrew word signifieth properly a row, or an high building, that goeth all along like a raw. Some understand it not of a wall, but of a high sloping roof for defence of the building] round about those four: and there were made kitchins [or boiling places; or it was made (with) c.] below (at) the ring-wals [others, under the portals, or little courts: meaning that they boiled and dressed their meat below as in kitchins, and id eat above] round about.

24. And he said unto me, these are the kitchins, [Heb. the house, or the place of cooking ones of them that cook] where the ministers of the house shall cook the slay-offering [that is, the flesh of the slay-offering, as verse 20] of the people.