Ezekiel 46:2

Eze 46:2 And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of [that] 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.

Ver. 2. And shall stand by the post of the gate.] Waiting at the posts of the gates of wisdom. {Pro 8:34} Constantine the Great stood up constantly at the time of God’s public worship for honour sake. So did our Edward VI.

Then he shall go forth.] And the people come in, {Eze 46:3} whose souls are as precious to God as his.

But the gate shall not be shut until the evening.] The gate is open till the evening; be ready therefore. When the bridegroom is once gone in, the gate is shut, and fools excluded. {Mat 25:10-12}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze 46:2-3. The prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without — The prince 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. And shall stand by the post of the gate — That is, by the entrance of the gate, where there was a seat prepared for him: see note on Eze 44:2. And the priests shall prepare his burnt-offering — Or, offer his burnt-offering, as the original word often signifies. And he shall worship at the threshold of the gate — By bowing his head, bowing down his face to the ground, or falling down upon the ground, as the posture of divine worship is elsewhere described. But the gate shall not be shut until the evening — Because the people were to pay their solemn worship in the same place, as is prescribed in the following verse. Likewise the people shall worship at the door of this gate — Here the inner porch of the east gate is assigned for their station, who came to present themselves before the Lord upon the solemn festivals, and they were to come no further into the inner court.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

46:2 The prince would have the unique privilege of going through the eastern gateway to the inner courtyard as far as the entry room to worship. This symbolized that God regarded him as more significant than the common people, but that he was still not fit to stand in God’s presence apart from mediation by the priests.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(2) Stand by the post of the gate.—The prince shall enter the sanctuary by the east gate of the outer court, pass through that court to the inner gate, and “worship at the threshold of the gate” immediately adjoining the inner court, while the priests make ready his sacrifices. But he is not to enter the inner court, or to assume any priestly functions. Afterwards he is to go forth by the same way (Eze_46:8, and Eze_44:3), and the gate stands open until evening, though no one else is to enter thereby.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (Eze_40:31; Eze_40:34; Eze_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. Eze_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 (Eze_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.).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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, Ch2 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 recorded Joh 17:1.

and the priests shall prepare his burnt offerings, and his peace offerings; that is, shall offer them. The meaning is, that the ministers shall preach Christ and him crucified, who, by his sacrifice, has made atonement for sin, and peace for his people; though some interpret this of the concern the priests had in the crucifixion and death of Christ:

and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate; of the other gate that led into the inner court, and where he could see all that was done in it: or bow (i); which it is observed he did, when he fell prostrate in the garden, and when he expired on the cross, and was at the threshold of the gate of heaven launching into eternity: worship and adoration, or bowing, be ascribed to Christ as man; see Joh 4:22,

then shall he go forth; out of this world to his Father, and be seen no more, until the restitution of all things; though this and the preceding may be understood of Christ's mystical worshipping; or of his people, who are one with him; and of their departure from public worship, when it is over:

but the gate shall not be shut until the evening; of the sabbath, or new moon; or the evening of the world, the second coming of Christ; the Gospel ministry and ordinances will continue till then, and no longer; and this is owing to his powerful and prevalent intercession in heaven, whither he is gone then the door will be shut, and not before, Mat 25:10.

(i) "incurvaverit se", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "incurvato se", Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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 2Ch 6:12-13, 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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Prince. After the captivity, although the race of David continued in Salathiel, Zorobabel, &c., yet they had not the state of kings. Hence Christians, R. David and other Jews, understand this of the Messias and the rites of his Church, with a literal allusion to the old law. (Worthington) --- Without, not proceeding into the court of the priests, chap. xliv. 2.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The prince must come in at the gate which is between the court of the Jews and the court of the priests, which is here called the

gate without, or the outer gate of that court, and so go up to the gate within, which leads into the inmost court, and rose by ten, or twelve, or fifteen stairs, say some. While this solemn service was acting to make atonement for the prince, or to offer sacrifices of peace.offerings for himself, he is directed

to stand before the Lord; in other cases he might sit: the greatest should revere that God whose mercy they need and seek.

By the post; one of the inward posts, where he might best see the sacrifice offered up, but may not go into the court; none might go in but such as were, by God’s appointment, to minister before him.

The priests shall prepare: Eze 46:22-24, it is said the prince shall prepare; here the priests must prepare; but these places speak of different preparations: the prince prepared by buying, or bringing of his own the best for sacrifice; the priest prepared by receiving, bringing the sacrifice to the altar, slaying and disposing of all things according to the rule. The householder prepares, so doth his cook prepare the feast, so that each prepares what is proper to him; and so it is here, the prince prepares, but doth not sacrifice, the priest prepares, but doth not buy, or bring the sacrifices.

He shall worship; he shall bow (as the Hebrew) himself: it is a praying posture, Exo 12:27, in which duty the prince, as all others, are to attend on God, while the expiatory sacrifice is offering, while their reconciliation is to be made; and in which posture the prince is to be all the while the priest is offering, 2Ch 29:29.

At the threshold: here he took his standing in the beginning of the service, here he is when it is finished; at the inner threshold of the gate, where his eye might see enough; if his understanding were enlightened with knowledge of these mysteries, he need not approach nearer to God than his faith could now carry him while at the threshold.

Then he shall go forth; not stay to gaze or talk; but as he came to worship, so having worshipped he must return. Until the evening; till all the sacrifices were offered, and the offerers reconciled; now each offerer was to bring his offering to this gate, and there give it to the priest, and there lay his hands oil the head of the sacrifice, Lev 1:3,4.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The reason for the opening of this inner east gate should be that the prince might enter it as far as its threshold, and stand there worshipping by the posts of the gate, while his burnt offerings and his peace offerings were being prepared by the priests, who, rather than the prince, were the proper ministers for conducting the sacrificial ceremony. The prince should reach his station at the threshold of the inner gate, by the way of the porch of that (or, the) gate without; but whether this signified that he should pass through the eastern gate of the outer court, and so advance towards the inner east gate, as Ewald, Keil, Kliefoth, and Plumptre assume, or, as Hengstenberg, Schroder, and Smend suppose, that he should enter the inner gate by the way of the porch of the gate, i.e. from the outside, from the outer court into which he had previously entered through either the north or the south outer gates, cannot be decided. In favor of the former may be urged the consideration that it seems more natural to apply xWhmi to the outer gate than to the outer court, since no, one could enter the inner gate except from the outer court, unless he were already in the inner court; but in favor of the latter is

(1) the stringent character of the language in Eze_44:1-3, which expressly declares that the outer east gate should not be opened, and that no man should enter in by it, thus scarcely admitting of an exception; and

(2) the statement in vers. 9, 10 of the present chapter, that in the "appointed feasts" the prince and the people alike should enter the outer court either by the north or the south gate, since, if any of these "feasts" fell upon a sabbath, this regulation would not be practicable, if the prince and the people were required to enter by different doors. The question, however, in itself is immaterial. The points of importance are that the prince should worship in the porch of the inner gate, and that, on finishing his worship, he should retire, and that the gate should not be shut; until the evening.

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON Vers. 2, 3, 10. Distinction and equality in the kingdom of God.

We have here a distinction drawn between one citizen and all the rest. The prince was to enter by the way of the porch of the east gate and stand by the post of the gate, "at the porch of the inner court," while the people were to stand at a distance, at the outer gate (vers. 2, 3); yet on other occasions the prince and the people together were to enter in and to go forth together without regard to social distinction (ver. 10). We are thus invited to consider that, in the coming kingdom, of which this whole vision was prophetic, there were to be both distinction and equality. And we have both.

I DISTINCTION WITHIN THE KINGDOM. In the gospel of Jesus Christ there are:

1. Higher posts in the Church to be occupied by a few; there have been (or are) apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons, etc.; and there is a sense in which these have a priority of position over the ordinary members of the Church.

2. Higher order of service to be rendered by some. While every citizen of the kingdom of God has to serve by living the truth, by illustrating its essential principles in daily action in every sphere, it is given to some to commend the saving truth by powerful and persuasive utterances, or by unanswerable and imperishable literature; and yet again it is given to others to contribute still nobler service by suffering, or even dying, "for the sake of the Lord Jesus" and in confirmation of the truth . (see Act_5:41; Php_1:29; Rev_7:13, Rev_7:14)

3. Longer period of service granted to some than given to others.

(1) There are those who are called and blessed from childhood to old age, who serve Christ and his cause through all the stages of human life, with the gathered wisdom of long and varied experience.

(2) There are those who have not heard the Divine summons until the greater part of life is over, and these can only bring their wasted and rapidly declining faculties to the altar of holy service. Yet is there essential

II EQUALITY IN THE KINGDOM. Inasmuch as:

1. All must enter at the same gate. To one and all alike, however favored or however denied, Jesus Christ is the one open Door by which to come. (Joh_10:7)

1. All must advance by the same spiritual course by means of watchfulness and prayer and holy usefulness, by learning of God, by gaining from God, by working for God.

2. All must give account of the? Christian life, and the use they have made of their the opportunity. (Luk_19:12-26; 2Co_5:10)

3. All will be judged on principles of perfect equity. C. (Mat_25:20-23; Luk_12:48; 2Co_8:12)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

by way of the vestibule of the gate without as he states above (40:31): “And its halls were to the Outer Court.” By way of the vestibule of the Gate of the Court, i.e., he shall enter by way of the Eastern Gate, which serves for entry and exit, and come to that wicket.

and he shall stand at the doorpost of the gate That small gate is the wicket.

his burnt offering and his peace offering The burnt offering for appearing in the Temple and the peace offering for celebrating the festivals; this verse refers to the festivals.

and he shall stand at the doorposts of the gate The inner gate; this is the wicket, as the master stated (Taanith 4:2): “Is it possible for a person’s sacrifice to be offered up when he is not standing over it?”

shall not be closed until the evening Now why should it not be closed?

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.