Ezekiel 15
PATUnder the parable of a vine, which when it is barren, is unfit for any use, is shewed the utter rejection of Jerusalem. A continuation of the ordinances relating to the worship of the prince and people: and concerning the gifts he shall bestow on his sons and servants. Then follows a description of the courts appointed for boiling and baking any part of the holy oblations. [chap. xlvh. After, it shall return to the prince.) Or to his heirs, if ho be dead. Hut his inheritance shall be his sons for them.] Or, His inheritance shall belong to his sons, it shall be theirs; so as not to be alienated.
Ezekiel 15:1
JL HE gate of the inner court that looketh towards the east shall be shut the six working days. Sec the notes upon xliv. i, 2. Microsoft ® CHAP. XLVI.] UPON EZEKIEL. But on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon.’] Under the sabbath and new moon, all the other feasts may probably be comprehended. (See xlv. 17.)
Ezekiel 15:2
rrHAT is the vine-tree more than any other tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?. The latter part of the verse may be better translated thus, If it be as a branch which is among the trees of the forest; i. e. if it prove unfruitful. (See Dr. Lightfoot upon John xv. 6.) The Jewish church is often compared to a vine in the sacred writers. (See Isa. v. 1. Psal. lxxx. 8, &c.) And the prince shall enter in by the porch of that gate without] He shall go through the outer gate of that court, and so pass to the inner gate, where he may see the whole service performed at the altar. Or, the porch of the gate without may signify the farthermost porch of the gate, with respect to those that arc. coming towards the temple, which is the same with the innermost, in respect of the temple itself. In this sense the word is taken xl. 44. The word michuts, or michutsah, signifies both the hither and the farther side, both being relative terms, and applicable to. the same place, as persons are going out or coming into the temple. It signifies the hither side, xl. 19. and the farther side, ibid. ver. 44. and in this verse. So the word neber signifies both the farther and hither side of a river. (See Noldius, p. 660.) Shall stand by the post of the gate.] u e. By the entrance of the gate, where there was a seat prepared for him. (See the note upon xliv. 3.) And the priest shall prepare his burnt-offering.] Or, offer Jtis burnt-offering:.for so the verb nasah often signifies, as facio does in Latin. And he shall worship at the threshold of the gate.] By t>owing his head, and bowing down his face to the earth, or falling down upon the ground, as the posture of Divine worship is elsewhere described. (See.Gen. xxiv. 26. 52. Exod. xiL 27. 1 Chron. xxix. 20. 2 Chron. xxix. 29. Job i. 20.).. But the gate shall not be shut until the evening.] Because the people were to pay their solemn worship in the same place, as it is prescribed in the following verse. Ver* 3. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate, &c] During the continuance of the tabernacle, they that would offer any sacrifice were required to bring it to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, <ind there lay their hands upon the head ofit; (Lev. i. 3, 4.) and under the temple they came to the north or south gate of the inner court, according as the sacrifice was to be slain on the north or south side of the altar, and there presented their, sacrifice. (See Dr. Lightfoot’s Temple, chap. 34.) Here the inner porch of the east gate is assigned for their station, who came to present themselves before the Lord *ipon the solemn festivals, and they were to come no farther into the inner court.
Ezekiel 15:3
Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work, &c. The wood of a vine is of no use for building, or making any utensil. The works of that kind which Pliny takes notice of, Nat. Hist. lib. xiv. cap. 1. are rather to be looked upon as rarities, than as things of common use.
Ezekiel 15:4
Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel. The only use that dead vine-branches can be put to. (See John xv. 6.) Tliefire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it uburut.] A fit representation of the present state of Judea, when both its extremities were consumed by the ravagfes of a foreign enemy, and the midst of it, where the capital city stood, is ready to be destroyed: just as the fire still spreads towards the middle part of a stick, when once both ends are lighted. And the burnt-offering that the prince shall offer in the sabbath-day, &c] It was the prince’s part to provide sacrifices for the sabbaths and other festivals. (See xlv. 17.) This was a new ordinance, whereupon the number of the beasts that were to be offered, and the proportions of the meat and drink-offerings, are different here from those prescribed in the law: as will appear by comparing the fourth, sixth, seventh, and fourteenth verses of this chapter with Numb, xxviii. 9. 11,12. 15..
Ezekiel 15:5
And the meat-offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah. See xlv. 24. And the meat-offerings for the lambs, as he shall be able to give.] The margin reads from the Hebrew, according to the gift of his hand, i. e. as much as he shall think sufficient. (See the same expression, Deut. xvi. 17.)
Ezekiel 15:7
And they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them. Flying from one evil, another shall overtake them. Fire sometimes signifies any judgment or calamity inflicted by God. (See Amos i. 4, &c. and the note upon Jer. vii. 20.)
Ezekiel 15:8
He shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate. See ver. 2. To go in at the eastern gate was’the privilege of the prince and the priests only: the people were to enter in by the north. or south gates, as it is said in the following verse.
He that entereth in by the north gate to worship, shall go out by the way of the south gate. The words imply the reason why the people were not to come in at the east gate, because there being no passage or thoroughfare out of the temple westward; if they had entered in at the east gate, they must have returned back the same way they came in, which would have been turning their back upon God, and the place of his residence. (See the note upon viii. 16.) Dr. Spencer mentions this as a rule in the Tal-’ mud, that they xvho come within the holy mount, should enter in by the way of the right hand, and go out by the left; understanding the right hand of the northern part of the temple, and the left hand of the southern: so he is of opinion that God designed to take away that superstitious distinction between the several gates of the temple, by commanding that every one should go out the opposite way to that by which he came in, whether it were towards the north or south. (See lib. iv. de Leg. Hebr. cap. 8.)
And the prince in the midst of them when they go in, shall go in. He shall pay the same attendance xipon God’s worship with the people, since all men are equal in the sight of God. <
When the prince shall prepare. a voluntary burnt-offering. The foregoing verses gave orders about the sacrifices the prince was enjoined to offer upon solemn days:• this gives directions concerning free-will-offerings. (Concerning which, see Lev. xxii. 18. 21.) One shall then open him the gate, &c.] When the service is performed he shall go back the same way; (see ver. 8.) and the porter shall shut the gate after him, because it may not stand open upon ordinary days, (ver. 1.).
Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt-offering unto the Lord. — Thou shalt prepare it every morning. -The daily evening sacrifice is generally supposed to be here implied, according to prescription of the law, Numb.xxviiK 3, 4. and both together called by the name of the daily sacrifice, Dan. viii. 11, 12. The daily oblation seems to have been provided at the joint charge of prince and people. - (See xlv. 16, 17.)
The sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil. In Numb, xxviii. 5. the proportion re-, quired is (he tenth part of an ephah, and the fourth part of a hin of oil. By a perpetual ordinance unto the Lord.] So the law of tho Passover is called a perpetual ordinance, Exod. xii. 17. and likewisfe ordinances about the first-fruits, Lev. xxiii. 14. The Hebrew word olam is used in each of these places: but that docs not always denote perpetuity in a strict sense, but only a remarkable period or succession of time; accordingly the Jews themselves divide the duration of the world into three olams, or ages; that before the law, that under the law, and the times of the Messias.
It shall be his to the year of liberty. So the year of jubilee is called by the namo of liberty, Lev. xxv. 10. because it freed both men’s persons from the service of their masters, and their estates from any engagements, by which the right of them was transferred from their proper owners.*
Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression. AsAhab did, 1 Kings xxi. 16. (Compare xlv. 8.) That my people be not scattered every man from his possession,] Lest being turned out of their own, they be forced to wander up and down the country for a livelihood.
Aflerioard he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked towards the north. This entry or private passage (see xlii. 9.) led to the priests’ chambers, which were.on the north side of the inner court, and are described xl. 44. 46. Behold, there ivas a place on the two sides tvestward;] Or, on their sides westward: i. e. there was an enclosure on the west sides of these chambers: if we follow the sense of the English translation, we may suppose a walk or way between these western buildings, which divided them into two rows, or equal parts. (See chap. xlii. 4.)
This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass-offering and the sin-offering. See xlii. 13. xliv. 29. The flesh of the sacrifices which were to be eaten was to be boiled, except the flesh of the passover. (See 2 Chron. xxxv. 13,) So it is taken notice of as a piece of daintiness, and an over nice palate in the. sons of Eli, that they would not have the flesh which came to their share sodden, but roasted, (1 Sam. ji. 15.). Where they shall bake the meat-offering.] According to the directions given Lev. ii. 4, 5. 7. That they bear them not into the outer court, to sanctify the people.] The flesh of those sacrifices, and the remainder of the meat-offering, was accounted most holy; (see Lev. vi. 17. 29. vii. 6.) and consequently did convey some holiness to those that touched it. (See the note on xliv. 19.)..
Tlien he brought me forth to the outer court. The court of the people, mentioned in the foregoing verse. Ajidy behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.] At every corner where the side walls met in right angles there was another little court.
In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad. These little courts were in the shape of an oblong square, joined with inner walls to the outside walls of the greater court. The Hebrew word keturoh, translated joined, is rendered in the margin, made with chimneys; which sense very well agrees with the description that follows of the uses for which these courts were designed.
And there was a row of buildings round about in the?n. On the inside of these courts. ■.
Tliese are the places where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people. As there was a place in the inner court for boiling the trespass and sinoffering, (ver. 39, 20.) so these boiling places might be appointed for boiling the peace-offerings, which were esteemed inferior in holiness to those abovementioned, (see the note upon xlii. 13.) and therefore, perhaps, were dressed by tho boiled by the priests in the court properly belonging to them. Although it must be granted, the priests and Levites are often taken promiscuously in this prophecy. (See tho note upon xl. 45.)