The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 417

var. 1), but, differently from what occurred prince. Smend thinks Ezekiel could hardly on the enbbnth, it should not remain open ho.ve had in view the year of jubilee (Lev. till the evening ( ver. 2), but should be shut xxv. 10; xxvii 24), else he would not have immediately the prince's offering was done. employed the term " liberty," which Vere. 13-15 supply closing instructions Jeremiah (xxxiv. 8, 15, 17) uses to for the daily sacrince. The daily burnt denote the freedom regained by Hebrew offering should be a lamb of the first year; bondmen in the seventh year (Exod. xxi. 2; literally, a son of his year; whereas the Law Deut. xv. 12). But (1) the seventl1 year of llfosee required a Iamb twice a day was only a year of the release of bondmen, (Exod. xxix. 38-42; Numb. xxviii. 1-8). not of the reversion of property, and to this The daily meat (or, meal) offering to accom- ro.ther than to that Ezekiel refers. (2) The pany this should be the sixth part of an year of jubilee might properly be called the ephe.h, instead of a tenth as under Moses, "year of liberty," since in it both slaves and the third part of a hin of oil, instead were emancipated and property was liberated. of a fourth as prescribed by the earlier And (3) Ezekiel's phraseology is not framed legislation, to temper with-0'17 (from o~:;,, (nor is Jeremiah's) in imitation of either a word peculiar to Ezekiel), to moisten or Exodus or Deuteronomy, the latter of wiJich mix with-the fine flour. These sacrifices in po.rticular speaks of "the year of release" should be offered every morniilg; literally, (111/17?!/'Cl T1Jo/), but adheres closely to the style morning by morning; butmot every evening of Leviticus, w!Jioh, in fact, it presupposes. as in the Mosaic Law. This difference was 1i1:liJ n~i;I oe.n only signify the year of not accidental, but intentional, though why the· release, i.e. the well-known year of in the new order of things the evening emancipation. The lo.et clo.use should bi) sacrifice should have been omitted does not rendered, as in the Revised Version, " A.s for appear. Ourrey thinks Ezekiel did not his inheritance (genero.lly), it shall be lbr intend to enumerate all the sacrifices of the his sons," or, as Keil tr:i.nslutes, " Only his Law, but only a few of them, and that, inberitanoe it is," i.e. the prince's ; "as for though not mentioned, the evening sacrifice his sons, it sho.11 be for them." may have been designed to be retained. Ver. 18.-The third regulation. The The presentation of these sacrinces was not prince in oil osses should endow his sons to be the special duty of tbe prince, but (or others) out of his own, ond not out of IJis should devolve upon the community as a subjects' possessions, of which they have whole, who are now addresoed as "thon" been violently robbed. A good rule for ot!Jer (vers. 13, 14) and "they" (ver. 15), and who princes besides this, and for owners of should net in its fulfilment through their property in genereJ. priests. Vere. 19-24.-The sacrificiol kitchens Vere.16-18.-lnstructions for the prince for the priests and for the people. Th is as to how he should deal with his property passage has been transferred by Ewuld to are summarized iu three regulntions, intro- oh. xiii, and inserted nfter ver. 14 ; but tlJe duced by the solemn formula of "Thus Exposition.will show_it must have originnlly saith the Lord" (comp. ver. l; eh. xlv. 9). stood where it is. Ver.16.-Theflretregulation. The prince Ver. 19.-After (or, and) be-i.e. the might dispose of a portion of his royal property (see oh. xiv. 7, 8) by presenting meo.suring mnn, who hud liitherto acted os part of it as a gift to any of his sons. In the prophet's conduotor-brought me through this case what was gifted should belong to the entry, whioh was at the side of the gate. his son or sons in perpetuity, slJould be his This was the inner north go.te, from which or theirs os his or their posseeaion by in- the prophet hod been conducted to the heritance ; it should never again revert to front of the house in order to receive the the prince. saorificit,I Torah ( oh. xii v. 4), o.nd to whioh; Ver. 17.-'Ihe ~econd regulation. Should when this WCIS finished, he had been seem- the prince, however, bestow a portion of his ingly led back. From this gate, then, be inheritance on one of his servants, what was taken by his guide along the ontry or was thus bestowed should not belong to passage ( oh. xiii. 9), wbioh ron towards ond thut rnrvant in perpetuity, but should be extended in front of the holy ohambers of regarded simply as a temporary loan whioh (or, for) the priests, whioh looked toward should be his till the year of liberty, mi; the north, ond whioh have ulreody been described (oh. xiii. 1-14). Arrived at the i'li:1q, i.e. the yeo.r of free flowing i~ western corner of the ohambers, he per- general-oomp. Exod. Xll. 23, ,;,,-,Q, ceived e. plaoe on the two eides-{)r, on the pure myrrh (Authorized Version) or flowing hinder part (Revised Version)-westward. myrrh (Revised Version)-hcnce the year of The tronslution in the Authorized Version release; o.ftor whioh it should return to the was obviously suggested by the dual form 432 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [oH. XLVI, 1-24.