Ezekiel 46:2

Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened ... And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate. THE PRINCE IS TO GO THROUGH THE EAST GATE WITHOUT (OPEN ON THE SABBATH ONLY, TO MARK ITS SPECIAL SANCTITY) TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE GATE OF THE INNER COURT: HE IS TO GO NO FURTHER, BUT "STAND BY THE POST" (CF. ; , Solomon standing before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the congregation; also...

In the time of Solomon, priest, king, and people each took his due part in the temple-service. Of the later kings some forsook Yahweh for false gods, some encroached upon the prerogative of the priest. Now all should be set right. The prince occupies a position analogous to that of Solomon 2 Chronicles 6:12, standing in front of the porch of the eastern gate of the inner court, and at the head of his people to lead their worship, while the priests are sacrificing before him....

EXPOSITION This chapter fails into three divisions. The first (Ezekiel 46:1) gives supplementary directions for the prince and the people of the land when engaged in solemn acts of worship; the second (Ezekiel 46:16) furnishes the prince with instructions as to how he may dispose of his portion or inheritance; the third (Ezekiel 46:19) adds particulars about the sacrificial kitchens for the priests and for the people. EZEKIEL 46:1 The supplementary directions contained in these verses relate to the worship of the prince and the people on the sabbaths and the new moons ...

AND THE PRINCE SHALL ENTER BY THE WAY OF THE PORCH OF THAT GATE WITHOUT,.... That is, by the way of the porch of the eastern gate, even the outermost gate of the porch; for, as every gate had a porch, so every porch had two gates, one at one end, and the other at the other; now this was the outermost gate of the porch, which looked to the outward court, and not that which led into the inner: AND SHALL STAND BY THE POST OF THE GATE; this denotes the presence of Christ, the Prince with his people waiting at Wisdom's gate, and watching at the posts of her door. The allusion seems to be to the king's pillar in the temple, where he used to stand, 2 Chronicles 23:13. Some understand this of Christ's incarnation, of his entrance into the world, and his standing before his Father, and praying for his people, as he did in the garden, and a little before his death, as r

CHAPTER 46 _ 1. The worship of the prince (Ezekiel 46:1) _ 2. Further instruction as to worship (Ezekiel 46:9) 3. Concerning the prince, his sons and his servants (Ezekiel 46:16) 4. A final description of places in the temple (Ezekiel 46:19)...

THE SABBATH, NEW MOON, AND OTHER FESTIVALS. On the Sabbath day, seven animals, besides meal and oil, were to be offered; on the new moon the offering was the same, with the addition of a bullock. The prince, who might not enter into the sacred inner court, watched the sacrifice being offered from his place at the threshold of its eastern gate (Ezekiel 46:1). To prevent confusion the worshippers were obliged to leave the outer court by the opposite gate from that by which they had entered (Ezekiel 46:8 f.). It was the prince's duty to provide for the daily burnt offering. When, in addition to this, he made a free-will offering, the eastern gate of the inner court was opened for him, as on the Sabbath and new moon (Ezekiel

HIS: i.e. the prince, who offers for the nation. See notes above, on Ezekiel 45:16; Ezekiel 45:17; Ezekiel 45:20; Ezekiel 45:22. BURNT OFFERING. App-43. PEACE OFFERINGS. App-43....

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 ...

THE PRINCE SHALL ENTER, &C.— It is observable, that Ezekiel never calls this future ruler of the Jews a _king;_ whereby alone those interpreters are condemned who have explained that of _Zerubbabel,_ which was foretold by the other prophets of the _king, the son of David,_ hereafter to reign; when they would have that said of Zerubbabel, which the prophets had foretold of the Messiah. Houbigant....

_3. The sabbath and new moon (46:1-7_) TRANSLATION (1) Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. (2) And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate without and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. (3) And the people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before the LORD on the sabbaths and on the new moons. (4) And the burnt-offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD shall be on the sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish; (5) and the meal-offering shall be an ephah fo...