The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 373

lations to be observed in the maintenance entered in by it, therefore it ahall be of worship (oh. xlv.); and, thirdly, of certain shut. suppleIDente.ry orders for the prince, the Ver. S.-It is for the prince conveys an erroneous impression, as if the edict, e:x- people, and the priests, when engaged in oluding all from passing through the ea.et the solemnities of their religion (oh. xlvi.). outer gate, did not apply to the prince; but In particular, the present chapter dee.ls (1) even for him the gate was not to sel'Ve as 11, with the relation of the prince to the sanc- mode of entrance into the temple, or, if so, tuo.:ry (vers. 1-S); (2) with the.t of the only on exceptional oooasions (see on eh. xlvi. 2), but merely as a plaoe to sit in. The Re- people, Levitus, and priests (vers. 4-16); vised Version accurately renders the words, a.nd (3) with the duties e.nd emoluments of As for ths prince, he shall sit therein as the priests (vers. 17-31). prince, etc. That the "prince" here alluded Vers. 1-3.-The relation of ths prince t.o to (N'i?'}CI) could not have been the Prince the sanctuary. David, i.e. the Messiah already spoken of (eh. :xxxiv. 23, 24; xuvii. 24), but must Ver. 1.-The gate of the outward sano- have denoted the civic authorities of the tue.ry-or, the outer gate of the sanctuary new community of Israel, " the civil head (Revised Version)-whioh looketh toward of the theocracy," Hii.vemiok infers from the east. To this door the prophet we.s eh. xiv. 8, 9, where the coming "prince" conducted back, by way of the inner north is contrasted with Israel's previous rulers or south gate, from the inner court, in who oppressed their subjects, from the '\>hich he he.d receh·ed the measurements absence of some such obaracteristio predi- of the altar and the instructions for its cate as "shepherd" or "king," which consecration (eh. xliii. 5). Whether Ezekiel would, he thinks, have been attached to stood upon the outside of this door, as in the word "prinoe" had it been intended to eh. xliii. I, or upon its inside, cannot as yet designate Messiah, from the prince's offering be determined; but in either case he ob- for himself a sin offering (eh. xiv. 22), from served that it was shut-again, whether on the all nsion to his sons (eh. xl vi. 16), and the eBBt side towards the temple precincts, from what is recorded a.bout his behaviour or on the west towards the outer court, is in worship (eh. xlvi. 2); but none of these not mentioned, e.nd cannot e.t this stage be statements concerning the "prince" forbids decided. What led the seer to notice that his identification with Messiah, unless on the gate was closed we.a probably the cir- the supposition that it we.s already under- cumstance that the last time he stood beside stood Messiah should be e. Divine-human it it we.a open (eh. xliiL I), though proof Personage. Thie, however, bad not then crumot be given that he passed through it been so distinctly revealed e.s to be widely (eh. xliii. 5), conjoined with the fa.et that and accurately known. Hence it seems it formed the principal entrance to the enough to say that while the "prince" temple, and as such bad been described to would he.ve hie highest e.ntitype in the him e.nd measured (eh. xl. 6). Messiah, he would also he.ve, though in a Ver. 2.-This gate shall be shut. The lower e.nd lesser degree, an antitype in every prophet must have noted this as e.n im- righteous ruler (if ever there should be such) portant di1forence between the new se.no- who might subsequently preside over Iaraol tuary e.nd the old (whether temple or (see on eh. uxvii. 25). The phrase, to ee.t tabernacle), in which the east gate stood bread before the Lord, while referring in ulways open. That the gate of the new the first instance to those sa.crificial meals temple was to be closed only on the six which, under the Law, commonly accom- working days Ewald mistakenly infers panied unbloody offerings, as the mee.t from eh . .x.lvi. 1, where he reads, after the offerings (Lev. ii. 3), the sbewbread (Lev. LXX., the outer instead of the inner court. xxiv. 9), and the unleavened loaves of the But eh. xlvi. I refers to the east gate of the Passover (Exod. :xii. 18; Lev. xxiii. 6: inuer court. Of the east ge.te of the outer Numb. uviii. 17; Dent. xvi. 3), and could court it is declared emphatically that it only be partaken of by the priests, in the 6hall not be opened, neither shall any man second instance signified to partake or enter in by it, meaning that it should be sacrificial meals in general, even of such dos&d in perpetuity; and that not, as Abe.r- as consisted of the portions of flesh which banel and Lightfoot have supposed, to ex- were eaten in connection with ordinary press the idea that the glory of Jehovah bloody offerings (Gen. :xx:xi. 54; Exod. ~110uld no more depart from the temple, but xviii. 12). If, after Kliefotb, the former abide in it for ever, but to inspire e.n exalted be adopted as the import of the phrase conception of the sanctity of the "house" here, then the thought will be that in the 1111d all its belongings, e.e Jehovah explained, new cultus the prince should enjoy B privi- Because the Lordi the God 8' IBraeI, ha.th lege which under the old was uot possessed oe. XLIV. 1-31.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 387