What is happening in Ezekiel’s vision of the boiling places in the temple?

Ezekiel is brought through an entrance by the side of the gate into holy chambers for the priests. There he is shown a place where the priests will boil the trespass and sin offerings and bake the grain offering. He is then led out into the outer court and taken past each of the four corners. In every corner he sees another court with rows of buildings and boiling places under the rows. He is told these are the places where those who serve in the house boil the sacrifice of the people.

Why did the priests have special places to boil the trespass and sin offerings?

The priests are given a specific place in their holy chambers to boil the trespass and sin offerings and to bake the grain offering so that they do not carry these holy things out into the outer court. The offerings are prepared in these priestly areas rather than in the general court where the people are.

Why were the holy offerings not carried into the outer court to the people?

The passage says the priests boil and bake the offerings in their place "that they bear them not out into the outer court, to sanctify the people." The text states that keeping the offerings there prevents them from being carried into the outer court in a way that would "sanctify the people." It does not explain further how this would happen, so the exact meaning of that phrase is not fully clarified in the passage.

What are the four corner courts in the outer court used for in this passage?

In the outer court Ezekiel is caused to pass by the four corners of the court, and in every corner there is another court. Each of these corner courts is the same size, and each has a row of building around it with boiling places under the rows. Ezekiel is told that these are the places where those who serve in the house boil the sacrifice of the people.

Who are the “ministers of the house” who boil the sacrifice of the people?

The text calls them "the ministers of the house." They are the ones who use the boiling places in the corner courts of the outer court to boil the sacrifice of the people. The passage does not give further detail about their identity beyond this description of their role in boiling the sacrifices.

What does this passage show about the difference between holy and common things?

This section shows that the priests have holy chambers where they handle offerings such as the trespass offering, the sin offering, and the grain offering. These are prepared there so they are not carried out into the outer court. The passage also describes separate courts in the four corners of the outer court where the ministers of the house boil the sacrifice of the people. The handling of offerings is connected with specific places and people, rather than being mixed freely in the outer court.

What are the boiling places mentioned in this passage?

The boiling places are areas under the rows of buildings in the four corner courts of the outer court. Ezekiel sees that in each corner court there is a row of building round about, and under these rows are boiling places. He is told that these are the places where the ministers of the house boil the sacrifice of the people.

Ezek.46.19

Ezekiel 46:19

KJV

¶ 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.

The Courts for Boiling and Baking

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.