The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 400

wheat, the sixth part of an ephah of (out, these generous offerings will bo witilheld; of, or from) an homer; i.e. the sixtieth part and perhaps all that is really signified by of an homer, equal to about one-tenth of a them is tl111t the liilerality of J ehovah's bushel (ver. 13). (2) Of barley, the so.me people in the future age should greatly (vcr. 13). (3) Of oil, a tenth part of a exceed that which had Ileen pmotieed a.t bath out of the oor, or homer of ten baths, any former time. i.e. the hundredth part of every_ homer, Ver. 16.-All the people of the land shall eq ue.l to a little more than he.If A g.1.llon give (literally, shall be for) this oblation (or, (ver. H). (4) Of the flock, one lamb or teru.mal,) for the prinoe in Israel. Assum- kid (:'l!', meaniug either) out of the 11.ock, ing that the prince here refers to the ordin- out of two hundred, out of the fat-or well- ary civil ma~istrate, Hengstenberg founds watered (see Gen. xiii. 10)-pastures of on this o.u nrgument in support of state Israel, i.e. one of every two hundred, and Churches: "This is also the general doc- never the worst, but always the best. trir.('~ that the magistrate shall take first These oblations should be made for the of .. ~l from the taxes levied the means for maintenance of the necessary sacrificial the proper observance of Divine worship." worship in the new temple, for the meal, But if the oblations above referred to were burnt, and peace or thank offerings that not properly taxes, and if the prince was should there be presented to make recon- not properly an earthly sovereign of the ciliation or atonement for the house of ordinary type, this argument falls to the Israel. Compared with the offerings pre- ground. scribed by the Law of Moses, these discover Ver. 17.-The prince, as receiver-general important ve.rie.tions. (I) Of flour, the Le.w of the people's offerings, should devote demo.nded one-tenth of e.n ephah of fine them to maintaining (literally, it should be flour with a lamb (Exod. :xx:i..x. 40), with u.pon him, and so form part of his d11ty to a ram two-tenths (Numb. :xv. 6), with a. maintain) the sacrifieial worship of the n0~ bullock three-tenths (Numb. :xv. 9); of temple, in the feasts (c•~;:i, or joyous cele- wheat and of barley Ezekiel's Torah re- quires one-sixteenth of e.n ephah for each, brations), and in the new moons, and in the i.e. one-third in all. (2) Of oil, the Mosaic se.bbaths, and generally in all solemnities (□•:iv,10, or appointed times, hence festal ordinance was, with a lamb should be pre- sented one-fourth of a hin, i.e. one-twenty- seasons) of the house of Israel (comp. 1 fourth of a bath; with a re.m, one-third of Kings viii. 62; Ezra vii. 17), that thereby a bin, i.e. one-eighteenth of a bath ; with a he might make reconcilie.tion (or, atonement) bullock one-half of a hin, i.e. one-twelfth of for the house of Israel. This combination a bath. Ezek:iel's ordinance we.a in every of the kingly and priestly offices in the case one-tenth of a bath. (3) Of o,nimals, person of the prince (David) obviously typi- the Pentatenchal legislation left the neces- fied the similar union of the sBme offices in sary victims, whether rams, goats, or bul- David's Son (Christ). locks, to be provided by the offerers at Vers. 18-25.-These verses allude to the their own free-will, stipulating as com- institution of o. new feast-cycle, whose pulsory only the firstborn of the flocks aud herds (Exod. xiii. 2, 12 ; xxii. 29, 30 ; Lev. deviations from that of the Penta.teuch will :xxvii. 26; Numb. iii. 13; viii. 17; Deut. be best exhibited in the course of exposi- xv. 19), the first ripe fruits of the earth tion. Whether three festive.ls are referred (Exod. :nil. 29; Numb. xviii. 12), o.nd the to or only two is debated by expositors. tithes, or tenths, of seed, fruit, the herd und Fairbairn, Hii.vernick, Ewa.Id, Keil, Schro- flock (Lev. xxvii. 30-33); the Ezekelia.n omits the latter, but ordains in lieu of the der, and Plumptre decide for three-the former tl,at one animal out of every two festival of the new yee.r (vers. 18-20), the hunclred in every flock shall be obligatory Passover (vers. 21-24), und the Feast of on Jehovah's worshippers. Thus the de- Ta.barnacles (ver. 25). Kliefoth, Smend, mands of Ezokiel'd Torah surpass those of and Currey find only two - a Passover the earlier or Mosaic Torah in quantity as well as quality. That these demands are and e. Feast of Tabernacles. Hengstenberg definitely specified does not prove they sees in the solomnHies of tho first and should partake rather of the nature of a. seventh de.ye of the new year a special tax than of a free-will offering. That they consecration service for the new tcm pie, were uut to be regnrded as taxea is shown not to bo ropoatcd, corresponding to the by the absence of any allusion to penalties for negleet of payment; that tiley were de- dedication of the tabornaole on the first signed to be looked upon as free-will offer- de.y of the first mouth (Exod. xl. I, 17), or in~s is plain from the circumstance that of the Solomonio tcmplo in the sevouth Jehovah never supposes for a. moment that month (1 Kings viii, 2 ; 2 Ohrou. vii. 8}, OH, XLV. 1-25,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 415