Ezekiel 40:38

38 And by all chambers a door was in the posts of gates; and there they washed burnt sacrifice. (And the chambers, or the rooms, and their doors, were by the gateposts; and they washed the burnt sacrifice there.)

Ezekiel 40:38 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 40:38

And the chambers, and the entries thereof, were by the posts
of the gates
Of the north gate; the plural for the singular; for not at the other gates, only at the north gate, were the sacrifices slain and washed; as under the law, only on the north side of the altar, ( Leviticus 1:11 ) , now, by the posts of this gate, or at the entrance of it on one side, stood a cell or chamber, and a door into it
^F15, as the words may be rendered; for they are singular in the text: where they washed the burnt offering;
its legs and inwards, ( Leviticus 1:9 ) , according to the law, there were lavers in Solomon's temple, to wash the sacrifices in, ( 2 Chronicles 4:6 ) , but there was no such cell or chamber there for such a purpose as here: and as this refers to Gospel times, and to the church in the latter day, no legal sacrifice can be intended here, which are all abolished; but this must be mystically and spiritually understood, and designs no other than the sacrifice of Christ, a sweet smelling savour to God: that this kind of offering was typical of the sacrifice of Christ is clear from ( Hebrews 13:11-13 ) , which whether of the herd, a bullock, represented Christ in his strength and laboriousness; or of the flock, and was either a sheep, an emblem of the innocence and patience of Christ; or a goat, which pointed him out as in the likeness of sinful flesh, traduced as a sinner, and made so by imputation; or of fowls, turtle doves, denoting his meekness and modesty; and all without spot or blemish signified the purity of his, nature and life; and these being burnt with fire were expressive of the pain and shame he endured when he bore our sins, and the wrath of God was poured on him as fire; the washing of the burnt offering denotes the purity of Christ's sacrifice, being offered up without spot. Some, as Polanus, have thought the ordinance of baptism is here designed, as the Lord's supper is by the tables next mentioned; and it is a note of Starchius upon the passage, that,

``he who is washed in the divine laver may be regaled with the heavenly feast.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (hxtpwhkvlw) "et cubiculum, et ostium ejus", Pagninus, Montanus; "caeterum fuit cella, et ostium ejus", Tigurine version.

Ezekiel 40:38 In-Context

36 the (little) chamber[s] thereof, and the post(s) thereof, and the porch thereof, and the windows thereof by compass; the length of fifty cubits, and the breadth of five and twenty cubits. (its little chambers, and its posts, and its porch, and its windows all around; the length of fifty cubits, and the breadth of twenty-five cubits.)

37 The porch thereof beheld to the outermore foreyard; and the engraving of palm trees was in the post(s) thereof, on this side and on that side; and in eight degrees was the ascending thereof. (Its porch faced the outer courtyard; and palm trees were carved on its posts, on this side and on that side; and the stairway that went up to it had eight steps.)

38 And by all chambers a door was in the posts of gates; and there they washed burnt sacrifice. (And the chambers, or the rooms, and their doors, were by the gateposts; and they washed the burnt sacrifice there.)

39 And in the porch of the gate were two boards on this side, and two boards on that side, that burnt sacrifice be offered on those, both for sin and for trespass. (And on the porch of the gateway were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, so that the burnt sacrifice could be slaughtered on them, and also the sin offering, and the trespass offering.)

40 And at the outermore side, which ascendeth to the door of the gate that goeth to the north, were two boards; and at the tother side, before the porch of the gate, were two boards. (And on the outside, as one goeth up to the opening of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side, in front of the porch of the gateway, were two more tables.)