Ezekiel 45

verse, and the perquisites thereto belonging, shall be to them instead of lands and cities, of which they shall not have any share, as the other tribes; (see Dent. x. 9. Josh. xiii. 14.) excepting the portion allotted to them in the beginning of the following chapter. The several portions of land appointed for the sanctuary, the city, and the prince; together with ordinances concerning the provisions for the ordinary and extraordinary sacrifices. f coth, 3 and n being easily put one for another. [These twenty chambers with apartments and storehouses, were for the use of the Levites. See 1 Chron. ix. 26. 33. 2 Chron. xxxi. 11, 12. Neh. x. 38, 39.]

Ezekiel 45:1

31.0REOVER, when ye shall divide the land by lot for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation to the Lord. The land was divided by lot in the first division of it under Joshua, and is appointed to be divided so in the partition of it, as it here follows: (see xl?ii.l4. 22.) a particular share of which was to bo God’s portion, as an acknowledgment of his sovereign dominion: (see Lev. xxv..23.) it is therefore here called trumah, or oblation; which word properly signifies the offering made to God out of the firstfruits, and other increase of the ground; (see xliv. 30. Numb, xviii. 24, &c.) because this was a sort of first-fruits of the land, or soil itself, (xlviii. 14.) The length shall be five-and-twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand.] The Hebrew doth not express either reeds or cttbits: our. translation supplies the word reeds, but many interpreters expound the place of cubits, which senso they think is plainly determined by ver. 3. wherd it is Said, Of this measure (viz. the cubit measure mentioned ver. 2.) shalt thou measure the length of five-andtwenty thousand, &c., According to this measure, the portion here set-apart will be almost seven miles square; whereas if we measure by reeds it will arise to six times as much, and can only be understood in a mystical sense.

Ezekiel 45:2

Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length,. with five hundred in breadth, square round, about. J( we understand these, dimensions of cubits, it exactly agrees.with the opinion of the Jews, that the temple stood in, an area, of five hundred cubits square. (See Dr. Lightfoot of the Temple, chap. 2.) A square figure is the emblem of solidity. (See the. note on xjii. 20.) A7id fifty: cubits round about for the siiburbs thereof] This likewise bears a suitable proportion to the content of a square of five hundred cubits.

Ezekiel 45:3

Of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five-and-twenty thousand. See the note, upon ver. 1. And in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place.] Both the outward sanctuary and the inward.oracle, or holiest of all, together with the courts adjoining, shall be placed in the centre or middle of it. (See xlviii. 10.)

Ezekiel 45:4

And it shall be a place for their houses. The priests were divided into four-and-twenty courses, (1 Chron. xxiv.) who performed the public worship by. turns; so the houses were for them to live in, who were not in their course of waiting. - And a holy place for the sanctuary.] See xlviii. 10.

Ezekiel 45:5

And the five-and-twenty thousand of length, and ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites have for themselves. The French translation renders the sense plainer thus, There shall be othqr five-and-twenty thousand, &c/ (See xlviii. 13.) This appears to be the true sense of the place, because else there will be wanting ten thousand in breadth to make an exact square of twenty-five thousand. (See the following verse.) The Levites, being very numerous, (they were reckoned thirty-eight thousand in David’s time, 1 Chron. xxiii. 3.) had as large a piece of ground allotted to them as belonged to the temple, and the whole priestly order. The word other is, upon a like occasion, supplied*by our interpreters, xlviii. 8. For twenty chambers.] Most commentators understand this of several rows of chambers, or ranges of building. The.LXX. read, UoXetg karoiKuv, cities to inhabit: such cities as were allotted to them by Moses, Numb. xxxv. 2. The copies the Septuagint followed probably read, Narim Lashebeth, instead of the present reading, Ncsharim Lesha-

Ezekiel 45:6

And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, andfive-and-ttventy thousand long, over against (or, by the side of; see xlviii. 15.) the oblation of ilie holy portion.’] This must run parallel in length with the holy portion, though but half its breadth: by which means these three portions made an exact square, (see xlviii. 20.) as you may see in the following draught. b »- NORTH. The Tribe of Judah’s Portion from west to east. The Priests’ Portion, 25000 long. The Levites Portion, 25000 long. 10000 in length, westward; Food for the city. The City Portion, square. 10000 in length, « eastward 5 ^ Food for the city, g The Tribe of Benjamin’s Portion from west to east. SOUTH. It shall be for the whole house of Israel.] The capital city, to which all the tribes shall resort upon the solemn festivals, and shall have twelve gates, according to the number of the tribes of Israel; (xlviii. 31.)

Ezekiel 45:7

And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side, and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, &c. One half of the prince’s portion was to lie on the west side of the three portions laid out for the priests and sanctuary, the Levites and the city; and the other half lay on the east of it, and it lay parallel to them in breadth, from north to south. And the length shall be over against one of these portions from the west border to the east border.’] I think the words may be translated more plainly thus: And the length shall be answerable to every one of these portions, both on the ivest border and the east; i. e. it shall run parallel with them, both on the east and west side. The word leummath, translated over against, signifies likewise parallel, or answerable, as it hath been observed upon xl. 18. The word echad, one, signifies each one, or every one, and is understood so in this text by Noldius, p. 785. and the phrase, from the west border to the east, is equivalent to that expression which often occurs in the sacred “text, from small to great, which is very properly rendered, both small and great.

Ezekiel 45:8

In the land shall be his possession in Israel. Or, this shall be his possession of land in Israel: for the particle la, in laaretz, is sometimes the note of the genitive case; particularly the eighteenth and nineteenth verses of this chapter. Or, As for.land, this shall be his possession in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people.] As they formerly did: for which they are severely -reproved. (See xix. G, 7. xxi. 27. Jer. xxii. 17.). Ver* 9. Let it suffice you, O ye princes of Israel, &c] This is a reproof of the oppressions of the former kings, and their chief officers. (See the note upon xliv. G.) O ye princes of Israel.] This is to be understood of such princes as the Jews afterward had of the Asmonean race; for there were no more princes to reign of the tribe of Judah till Christ came. (See xxi. 27.)

Ezekiel 45:10

Ye shall have just balances, &c. Ye shall take care that there be no deceit in private trade: ye shall provide just measures both for buying and, selling, both dry things and liquid. (See the following verse.)

Ezekiel 45:11

The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure. The ephah was the measure of dry things,- as the bath was of liquid: the homer was about ten bushels, which amounts to about eighty gallons in liquid things. The ephah the tenth part of a homer.] We must distinguish the word homer or chomer, writ with a cheth in the Hebrew, and omer, writ with an ain. The ephah is said here to be the tenth part of a homer, whereas the onier is but the tenth part of an ephah, Exod. xvi. 36

Ezekiel 45:12

And the shekel shall be tiventy gerahs. This is made the standard of the shekel, (Exod. xxx. 13.) which confutes the common opinion, that the weights of the sanctuary were double to those of common use., Bishop Cumberland computes a gerah to be equivalent to an, Attic obolus, consisting’of almost eleven grains of silver. Theshekel is usually valued at two shillings and sixpence of our money; but the same learned author supposes it to.be in value but two shillings and fourpencc farthing of our money, and a little over. (See his treatise of Scripture Weights and Measures,p. 104, &c.) \i Twenty shekels, five-and-twenty shekels, and fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.] Maneh is the same with the Greek fxva and the Latin mina, being both derived from it. A maneh, or mina, consists of sixty shekels, i. e. thirty ounces of silver: (see ibid. p. 122.) which, reckoning. every shekel at two shillings and sixpence value, amounts to seven pounds ten shillings. The dividing the maneh into twenty, twenty-five, and fifteen shekels, supposes there were coins of these several values, which, taken all together, are to be of the same weight with the mina.'.

Ezekiel 45:13

TJiis is the oblation ye shall offer. The Hebrew word, translated oblation, is trumah: which is always dis r tinguished from the biccurim, or first-fruits, and signifies the portion belonging to the Levites out of the fruits of the earth when they were gathered in. (See xliv. 30.) For which reason, St. Jerome, upon the place, supposes the following words to express the proportion the people ought to pay the Levites out of the increase of their ground; which, by their rabbies, was determined to amount to at least a sixlieth part; in which determination they probably followed the rule laid down in this verse. (Compare ver. 11.) This sense is likewise favoured by the Chaldee paraphrase: after wliich separation, a tenth part was to be paid out of the remainder. The portions allotted to the priests and Levites were not intended only for their own maintenance, but likewise to make a constant provision for those sacrifices, both ordinary and extraordinary, which were appointed by the law. (See Mai. iii. 10.) Microsoft® [chap. xlvi. Vcr. 14. Concerning the ordinance of oil, a bath of oil, &c] Or, Concerning the ordinance of oil, even the bath of oil. The cor, and the homer, are mentioned as containing the same quantity; so a bath is the tenth part of a cor, as an ephah is the tenth part of a homer; and tho tenth part of a bath of oil is tho hundredth part of a cor, which amounts to about six pints of our measure, according to Bishop Cumberland, p. 137. Vcr. 15- And one lamb out of the flock out of two hundred.] This offering is enjoined, besides setting apart the first-bom for the use of the priests and Levites, (Numb. xviii. 15.) for making provision for the daily burnt-offering, (Numb, xxxviii. 3.) and for burnt-offerings, and peaceofferings, or sacrifices of thanksgiving, that were to be made upon proper occasions. (See xliii. 27.) Out of the fat pastures of Israel.] This implies, that these lambs were to be of the best and fattest of their kind; (sec Mai. i. 8. 14.) as all other tithes and things dedicated to God were to be. (See Numb, xviii. 12.) For a meat-offering.] These words relate to the thirteenth and fourteenth verses. The meat-offering, which might be more properly translated the bread-offering, being made of fine flour mingled with oil. (Lev.* ii. 5, 6.) To make reconciliation for them.’] This effect is ascribed to burnt-offerings, as well as to those w T hich are properly sacrificed for sin. (See Lev. i. 4.) Vcr. 16. All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince.] The marginal reading Is, with the prince, which makes the plainer sense; i. e. the prince shall join’ with the people in making these oblations; whereas those that follow, in the next verse, are to be at the sole charge of the prince.

Ezekiel 45:17

And it shall be the prince’s part to give burntofferings, and meat-offerings, and drink-offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, &c. Or, even in the new moons, as the particle van often signifies. Meat-offerings and drink-offerings were always joined with burnt-offerings*.* (Sec Numb, xxviii. 5. 7.) The particular sacrifices which the prince was to provide upon the sabbaths, and other festivals, are specified, xlvi. 4. 11, He shall prepare the sin-offering ^\ i. e. Provide it. Concerning the sin-offering, see xl. 39. To make recoriciliation for the house of Iwael.] See ver. 15.

Ezekiel 45:18

In the first month, in the first day ofthemonth, thou shalt take a young bullock and cleanse the sanctuary. The words are directed to the prince, who is commanded, on the first day of the new year, (which, according to the ecclesiastical computation, began with the month Nisan, and answers to our tenth of March; see Exod. xii. 2.) to provide a bullock for a burnt-offering, to cleanse the temple from any defilement it may have contracted, by the people’s offering their sacrifices, or coming into any of the courts belonging to* it, while they were under any legal pollution. (Sec Lev. xvi. 19.) A young bullock ivithout blemish.] Whatever was offered to God was to be perfect, without blemish, and the very best in its kind, (Sea the note upon vcr.* 15. and Lev. xxii. 20.) Vcr. 19. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin* offering.] Of the bullock which was offered for a sin-offering. (Sec xliii. 19.) The office of the priest is here distin- DigitizQu by guished from that of the prince: the prince was to provide the sacrifices, and the priest was to offer them. And put it upon the posts of the house.] Upon the lintels, or the door-posts of the house. (See xli. 21.) And upon the four corners of the settle of the altar.] See xliii. 14. 20. And upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.] Sec xlvi. 1.

Ezekiel 45:20

So shall ye do the seventh day of the month, for every one that erreth. Thcro were particular sacrifices appointed for sins of ignorance, whether of private persons, or of the whole congregation. (Sec Lev. iv. 13. 27.) So shall ye reconcile the house.] Cleanse it from any pollution it may have contracted through the ignorance of any of the common people. (See ver. 18.)

Ezekiel 45:22

And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself, &c. See ver. 17.

Ezekiel 45:23

And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt-offering to the Lord. Moses, in some places, speaks of the feast of unleavened bread, which lasted seven days, as distinct from the day wherein the passover was to be eaten; (see Lev. xxiii. 5, 6.) which is agreeable to the injunction of this and the foregoing verse; and the words may be easily reconciled with those texts, which include the whole solemnity within the compass of seven days, by supposing the passover to be eaten early in the evening, on the fourteenth day, between the two evenings, as the Hebrew text hath it, Exod. xii. 6. Immediately after which ceremony was over, they reckoned the fifteenth day to begin; for they reckoned their days from one evening to another. (Sec Lev. xxiii. 32.) Seven bullocks, and seven rams.] Seven was a number often used in religious rites: most of the feasts, under the law, continued seven days; and this number of sacrifices seems to be derived from patriarchal institution, because such a custom prevailed where Moses’s law was not known. (See Numb, xxiii. 1, 2. Job xlii. 8.) And a kid of the goats daily for a sin-offering.] This was the sin-offering most commonly prescribed. (Sec Numb. xxviii. 15. 22. 30. xxix. 5. 11. 16. 19, &c.)

Ezekiel 45:24

And he shall prepare a meat-offering of an ephah, &c. See vcr. 11. 15. And a hin of oil for an ephah.] For each ephah. of fine flour. A hin was the sixth. part of an ephah or bath; which contains one gallon and two pints, according to Bishop Cumberland, in the forecited place. Vcr. 25. In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month.] When the feast of tabernacles was kept (Sec Lev. xxiii. 34.)

They shall eat the meat-offering, and the sinoffering, and the trespass-offering. They shall have their share of it, after God’s part hath been consumed upon the altar. (See Lev. vi. IS. 29. vii. G.) And every delicate thing shall be theirs.] Whatsoever men dedicate to God, the use of it shall accrue to the priests: if it be a living creature, it shall be killed, and the priest shall have the benefit of it: if it be a piece of land, it shall belong to the priests. (See Lev. xxvii. 27, 28. Numb, xviii. 14.)

And the first of all first-fruits of all things, and every oblation of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s. The words translated first-fruits and oblations, are in the Hebrew bicenrim and trumah. The former imports the first ripe, or best of the fruits, while they were growing in the field; (compare Exod. xxiii. 19. with Numb. xviii. 12.) the latter denotes an oblation out of the product of the ground, after it was made fit for use: as out of the corn, after it was thrashed and laid in heaps in the floor or granary: and so of oil and wine, after they were pressed and fitted for spending. These oblations are by some authors, particularly by Mr. Selden in his treatise of Tithes, chap. 2. esteemed to amount tothe sixtieth part of the whole produce. Schindler rates the biccurim at the lowest proportion to be the sixtieth part, and computes the trumah at the fiftieth. Dr. Comber supposes the biccurim to amount to a hundredth part, and the trumah at a medium to be the fiftieth. (See his treatise of Tithes, par. i. chap. 2. and the notes on xlv. 13.) Ye shall also give xinto the priest the first ofyotir dough.] The first dough that you bake of the new corn every year shall belong to the priests, in the samq proportion to be observed here, as in other first-fruits, viz. a sixtieth part. (See Numb. xv. 20.) That he may cause a blessing to rest in thine house.] That the priest, whose office it is to bless the people in God’s name, (see Numb. vi. 23. Deut. x. 8.) may procure a blessing upon thee from him, according to the promise he hath made of blessing those with an extraordinary degree of plenty, who. conscientiously pay their tithes and offerings, as grateful acknowledgments to God, the giver of all good things. (See 2 Chron. xxxi. 10. Prov. iii. 9, 10. Mai. iii. 10. compare Deut. xxvi. 33 — 15.)

The priest shall not cat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn. A command given to all the Jews, Exod. xxii.3L and more particularly to the priests, Lev. xxii. 8.