Ezekiel 43:26

26 By seven days they shall [fully] cleanse the altar, and shall make it clean, and they shall [ful]fill the hand thereof. (And so for seven days they shall fully cleanse, or shall fully purify, the altar, and shall make it clean, and they shall consecrate it.)

Ezekiel 43:26 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 43:26

Seven days shall they purge the altar, and purify it
Which denotes the perfect purity and sanctification of it; which how to be applied to Christ, (See Gill on Ezekiel 43:20); and they shall consecrate themselves:
the priests shall consecrate themselves, or devote themselves to the service of the altar; so Gospel ministers to the ministry of a crucified Christ: or they themselves should consecrate the altar by the above rites: or rather it may be literally rendered, and they shall fill its hands,
or "their own hands" ^F2; that is, either they shall fill the sides of the altar with sacrifices, as much as it could hold; or the hands of the priests with parts of the sacrifice, or with gifts, as a token of their being inaugurated into, and invested with, the priestly office: so Gospel ministers should have their hands full of, or be filled with, the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and with the knowledge of Christ, his person, offices, grace, righteousness, and sacrifice, that they may minister unto others.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 There is a double reading of the words; the Cetib or textual reading is (wdy) , "its hand"; the Keri or marginal reading is (wydy) , "their own hands".

Ezekiel 43:26 In-Context

24 And thou shalt offer those in the sight of the Lord; and (the) priests shall put salt on those, and shall offer those into (a) burnt sacrifice to the Lord (and shall offer them for a burnt sacrifice to the Lord).

25 By seven days, thou shalt make (ready) a buck of goats for sin, each day; and they shall offer a calf of the drove, and a wether unwemmed of sheep. (For seven days, each day for a sin offering thou shalt offer a goat-buck, a calf from the herd, and a ram from the sheep, all of them without blemish, or without fault.)

26 By seven days they shall [fully] cleanse the altar, and shall make it clean, and they shall [ful]fill the hand thereof. (And so for seven days they shall fully cleanse, or shall fully purify, the altar, and shall make it clean, and they shall consecrate it.)

27 Forsooth when seven days be [ful]filled, in the eighth day and further, (the) priests shall make on the altar your burnt sacrifices, and those things which they offer for peace; and I shall be pleased to you, saith the Lord God. (And when the seven days be fulfilled, on the eighth day, and afterward, the priests shall offer upon the altar your burnt sacrifices, and your peace offerings; and then I shall be pleased with you, saith the Lord God.)