Ezekiel 44:1-6

Gate for the Prince

1 Then He brought me back by the way of the ¹outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut.

2 The LORD said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the ²LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.

3 "As for the ³prince, he shall sit in it as prince to ⁴eat bread before the LORD; he shall ⁵enter by way of the ⁶porch of the gate and shall go out by the same way."

4 Then He brought me by way of the ⁷north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the ⁸glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD, and I ⁹fell on my face.

5 The LORD said to me, "Son of man, ¹⁰mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the ¹¹statutes of the house of the LORD and concerning all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary.

6 "You shall say to the ¹²rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "¹³Enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel,

Ezekiel 44:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 44

This chapter treats of the eastern gate of the temple being appropriated to the use of the prince, Eze 44:1-3, of the sin of the Lord's people, in admitting strangers and unholy persons into the sanctuary, either to officiate or communicate there, Eze 44:4-9 of the degrading of the Levites, that went astray, assigning them inferior posts and service in the house of God, Eze 44:10-14 and of the establishment of the sons of Zadok in their ministry, who were faithful, Eze 44:15,16, then follow various laws relating to their garments; shaving of their heads; drinking wine; their marriage; performance of their ministerial work; their regard to the dead, and their food and maintenance, Eze 44:17-31.

Cross References

• 1. Ezekiel 40:6, 17; Ezekiel 42:14
• 2. Ezekiel 43:2-4
• 3. Ezekiel 34:24; Ezekiel 37:25
• 4. Genesis 31:54; Exodus 24:9-11
• 5. Ezek 46:2, 8-10
• 6. Ezekiel 40:9
• 7. Ezekiel 40:20, 40
• 8. Isaiah 6:3, 4; Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 43:4, 5; Haggai 2:7
• 9. Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 43:3
• 10. Deuteronomy 32:46; Ezekiel 40:4
• 11. Deuteronomy 12:32; Ezekiel 43:10, 11
• 12. Ezekiel 2:5-7; Ezekiel 3:9
• 13. Ezekiel 45:9; 1 Peter 4:3

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "by his way"
• [b] Lit "set your heart on"
• [c] Lit "set your heart on"
• [d] Lit "rebellion"
• [e] Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch