Who is the prince in this passage and what does he do?

The prince is the leader who stands in front of God on behalf of the people. He enters by the porch of the east gate on Sabbaths and new moons, and he brings the required burnt and peace offerings. He worships at the threshold of the gate, not inside the inner court like the priests, which shows both honor and humility. He also has a special role during feast days and can bring voluntary offerings. His position is to lead the people in worship and to use his authority in a way that honors God and protects the people.

Why is the east gate shut on workdays but opened on Sabbaths and new moons?

The east gate of the inner court is kept shut on the six working days, but opened on the Sabbath and on the day of the new moon. This shows that ordinary days and holy days are different. Workdays are for common labor, but the Sabbath and new moon are set apart for special worship. Opening the gate at those times highlights the importance of gathering before God, with the prince and people coming in an ordered way. It reminds God’s people that worship has a set time, and that rest and meeting with God are not to be treated as just another day.

What is the meaning of entering one gate and leaving by the opposite gate?

When the people come before the Lord at the great feasts, anyone who enters by the north gate must go out by the south gate, and those who enter by the south must leave by the north. They are not allowed to go back the same way. This rule keeps order in the crowded courts, but it also pictures change. When people come before God, they should not leave in exactly the same way they came. Meeting with God should shape them, guiding their steps in a new and better way as they go back to their lives.

Why are the offerings in this passage so detailed and without blemish?

The chapter lists exact numbers and types of animals for Sabbaths, new moons, feasts, and daily offerings. They must be without blemish, meaning healthy and unmarked. This shows that God deserves the best, not what is left over. The regular daily lamb offering points to constant, ongoing devotion. The richer Sabbath and feast offerings show special celebration before God. These sacrifices also point ahead to a perfect sacrifice that has no fault. The care in these instructions reminds us that approaching God is serious and should be done with respect and a sincere heart.

What do the inheritance laws for the prince teach about leadership?

The prince may give parts of his land to his sons, and those gifts stay in the family. If he gives land to a servant, it belongs to that servant only until the year of liberty, then it returns to the prince. Most importantly, the prince is not allowed to take the people’s land by force or push them out of their portion. He must provide for his sons from his own share. These rules show that God cares about fair leadership. Rulers are not to enrich themselves by hurting others, but to protect the people so each family keeps the land given to them.

Why are there special rooms for boiling and baking the offerings?

Ezekiel is shown chambers by the side of the gate where the priests boil the sin and trespass offerings and bake the grain offerings. There are also cooking courts in the four corners of the outer court. These places keep the holy parts of the offerings within the proper area so they are not carried into the outer court. This keeps what belongs to God from being treated like common food. It shows a clear line between holy and ordinary things, and it protects the people from wrongly handling what is set apart for God’s worship.

What is the purpose of the daily morning burnt offering?

Each morning a year-old lamb without blemish is to be offered, with a set amount of grain and oil. This happens every day as a continual burnt offering. It shows that devotion to God is not only for special feast days, but is part of daily life. The people’s relationship with God is pictured as steady and ongoing, like morning by morning faithfulness. This regular offering points to the need for constant mercy and reminds worshipers that their lives belong to God every day, not only when they gather for larger celebrations.

How does this passage point to Christ and worship today?

This chapter pictures a leader who stands with the people before God, brings offerings, and does not abuse his power. The pure, constant sacrifices point to a perfect sacrifice and a faithful leader who never fails. Many readers see this pointing ahead to Christ, who is both the one who leads his people in worship and the one who offers himself for them. For believers today, the ordered worship, daily devotion, and just leadership in this vision encourage a life of regular prayer, gathered worship, generous giving, and care for others under God’s rule.

Ezek.46.1

Ezekiel 46:1

KJV GOD

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 Prince’s Offerings

1 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.

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.

3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the Lord in the sabbaths and in the new moons.

4 And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the Lord in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish.

5 And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

6 And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish.

7 And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

8 And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.

9 ¶ But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.

10 And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth.

11 And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

12 Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the Lord, one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate.

13 Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the Lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.

14 And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the Lord.

15 Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.

16 ¶ Thus saith the Lord God; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance.

17 But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them.

18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.

The Courts for Boiling and Baking

19 ¶ After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.

20 Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people.

21 Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.

22 In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure.

23 And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about.

24 Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.