Ezekiel 46:21 Kommentar

In this chapter we have, I. Some further rules given both to the priests and to the people, relating to their worship (Eze 46:1-15). II. A law concerning the prince's disposal of his inheritance (Eze 46:16-18). III. A description of the places provided for the boiling of the sacrifices and the baking of the meat-offerings (Eze 46:19-24).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 46 This chapter treats of the shutting of the eastern gate of the inner court on working days, and opening it on sabbaths and new moons, for the prince and people to worship in, Eze 46:1, gives a further account of the sacrifices of both at these seasons, and of their different ways of going in and out, Eze 46:4, delivers some rules about the prince's disposing of his gifts to his sons and servants, Eze 46:16 and describes the places for the priest's baking and boiling the sacrifices, Eze 46:19

In the four corners of the court there were courts joined,.... To the side walls of the outward court, which met in right angles: or, "were made with chimneys" (r), as some render it; that the smoke of the fire of the kitchens in them, and the steam of the boiled flesh, might ascend through them. So the Jewish writers, as Jarchi and Kimchi, from the Misnah (s), generally interpret the word, that these courts were made so as to let out the smoke, and were not roofed or floored over (t); and in which treatise and also by Maimonides (u); the uses of them in the second temple are observed: for in answer to the question, what do they serve for? it is said, at the southeast was the chamber of the Nazarites, where they boiled their peace offerings, and shaved their hair, and put them under the pot; at the northeast was the wood chamber, where the priests that had blemishes wormed the wood; and any wood, in which a worm was found, was rejected from the altar: at the northwest was the chamber of the lepers: of that which was at the southwest, saith R. Eliezer Ben Jacob, I have forgot (some render it found) of what use it is; but Abba Saul says, there they put the wine and oil, wherefore it was called the oil chamber. These four chambers, according to the same treatise, were in the four corners of the court of the women, and consisted of forty cubits long, but were not roofed; and so, they say, they will be in future time, according to this passage of Scripture. These places, as Dr. Lightfoot (w) observes, are called by the prophet "courts", and in everyone of them places to boil the sacrifices in; and yet they are allotted to other uses in the Misnah, and which seem to require that they should be roofed; all which may consist together, he says: for, grant everyone of these spaces to be built within, with chambers round about, there might be very fair chambers, and yet a good handsome open court in the middle; at either end chambers of ten cubits broad, and yet an open space of twenty cubits between; and on either side chambers of seven or eight cubits broad, and yet an open space of fourteen or sixteen cubits between: thus therefore, adds he, it seems to be, that there were fair chambers round about, which were roofed over as other buildings; and in the middle was an open court, round about which were boiling ranges, whose chimneys went up in the inner walls of the chambers, or the walls to the open place: thus the inner court served for boiling places, and the rooms round about for other uses; see the two following verses. The measure of the courts were, of forty cubits long, and thirty broad; an oblong quadrangle: these four corners were of one measure; the courts that were in these four corners were, of the same measure, as to length and breadth; denoting the equality of Gospel churches, being of the same faith, order and discipline, power and authority. (r) "atria caminata", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Cocceius; "fumosa", Tigurine version, Castalio; "fumigata", Starckius. (s) Middot, c. 2. sect. 5. (t) Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. (u) Hilchot Beth Habechira, c. 5. sect. 8. (w) Prospect of the Temple, c. 18. p. 1092, 1093.

(Verses 21-22) And he led me into the outer courtyard, and he led me around the four corners of the courtyard. And behold, there was a smaller courtyard in the corner of the courtyard, with a smaller courtyard in each corner of the courtyard. In the four corners of the courtyard, the smaller courtyards were arranged, forty cubits in length and thirty cubits in width. The measurements of each were the same: and a wall surrounded the four smaller courtyards in a circle. After this, it is written, 'And he led me into the outer court and led me around the four corners of the court. And behold, there was a small courtyard in the corner of the court, with small courtyards placed in each corner of the court, arranged in the four corners of the court.' That man, whom he often mentions, led him out from the place of the priests, which faced north or was separate, where the priests cook for transgressions, sins, or ignorance, and led him into the outer court. From this we understand that the court from which he went out was inside, and there were many courts in the Holy Scriptures, about which we read, 'You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.' And in John, 'And I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and it is necessary that I bring them also, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one fold and one shepherd.' For this in Greek is called αὐλὴ, which the simple Latin translation rendered as a sheepfold. But when he says, 'of this fold,' he shows that there is another one, which is either demonstrated in the multitude of the nations for the distinction from Israel or in heaven for the separation of the earthly fold. And according to the quality of merits, each office is assigned to a particular court, about which we have spoken more fully earlier. But this court that is now being discussed had small courtyards at each of its four corners, which the Seventy call minor, and we have called them small courtyards for the sake of easier understanding. They were forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. Concerning these numbers, I remember that I have discussed in this same work that one refers to tribulations and narrowness, the other to perfect age. For forty days, Moses, Elijah, the Lord and Savior fasted in the wilderness, and they reach the priestly office not after the twenty-fifth year of age, but after the thirtieth. Therefore, the Lord was thirty years old when he came for baptism, and in this same work, the thirtieth year is mentioned at the beginning. Wherever there is food, there is also distress and temptation through which provisions are obtained. And when we reach the perfect age of man, everything must be trampled upon, and we must say, 'Having food and clothing, let us be content with these.' And, 'If the Lord gives me food to eat and clothes to cover me.' Or certainly, 'Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will destroy both it and them.' For we will not eat or drink in the future, but we will be nourished by the bread that descends from heaven, about which it is sung in the Psalms, 'Man ate the bread of angels.' And, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me.' But concerning the measure of the small courtyards, which possessed the corners of the large court, it signifies the four regions of the world. For in the sweat of our faces we eat bread, and every laborally profiting conduces to the stomach.

Ordinances of worship prescribed for the prince and for the people, Eze 46:1-15; and the gifts he may bestow on his sons and servants, Eze 46:16-18. A description of the courts appointed for boiling or baking any part of the holy oblations, Eze 46:19-24.

CONTINUATION OF THE ORDINANCES FOR THE PRINCE AND FOR THE PEOPLE IN THEIR WORSHIP. (Eze. 46:1-24) The prince is to go through the east gate without (open on the Sabbath only, to mark its peculiar sanctity) to the entrance of the gate of the inner court; he is to go no further, but "stand by the post" (compare Kg1 8:14, Kg1 8:22, Solomon standing before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the congregation; also Kg2 11:14; Kg2 23:3, "by a pillar": the customary place), the court within belonging exclusively to the priests. There, as representative of the people, in a peculiarly near relation to God, he is to present his offerings to Jehovah, while at a greater distance, the people are to stand worshipping at the outer gate of the same entrance. The offerings on Sabbaths are larger than those of the Mosaic law, to imply that the worship of God is to be conducted by the prince and people in a more munificent spirit of self-sacrificing liberality than formerly.