Ezekiel 46:13 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Ezekiel 46:13 kjv
Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.
Ezekiel 46:13 nkjv
"You shall daily make a burnt offering to the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish; you shall prepare it every morning.
Ezekiel 46:13 niv
"?'Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD; morning by morning you shall provide it.
Ezekiel 46:13 esv
"You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it.
Ezekiel 46:13 nlt
"Each morning you must sacrifice a one-year-old lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the LORD.
Ezekiel 46 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 29:38-39 | Now this is what you shall offer on the altar... two lambs of the first year day by day continually... | Instituted daily morning/evening offering |
| Lev 1:3 | If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd... a male without blemish he shall offer... | Requirement of unblemished male for burnt offering |
| Lev 22:19 | You shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish, of the cattle... | Sacrifice must be without blemish for acceptance |
| Num 28:3-4 | And you shall say to them, This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer... two lambs of the first year without blemish day by day... | Command for daily morning and evening lambs |
| Num 28:7-8 | With one lamb, a drink offering of a fourth part of an hin of strong wine... other lamb thou shalt offer at even... | Daily offerings were twice a day, morning and evening |
| Ps 5:3 | My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. | Morning as a time for prayer and seeking God |
| Ps 92:2 | To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night. | Morning as a time for acknowledging God's attributes |
| Isa 50:4 | The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned... He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. | Spiritual preparation/hearing from God in the morning |
| Lam 3:23 | They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. | God's mercies renewed each morning |
| Dan 8:11 | Even against the Prince of the host he exalted himself; and from him the daily sacrifices were taken away... | Cessation of daily sacrifice as a sign of desecration |
| Dan 12:11 | And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up... | Foreshadows stopping daily sacrifice due to defilement |
| Mal 1:11 | For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great... and in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering... | Prophecy of pure offerings in a future worship |
| John 1:29 | The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" | Jesus as the ultimate unblemished Lamb |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump... For indeed Christ, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us. | Christ identified as the sacrificial Lamb |
| Heb 7:27 | Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices... for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. | Christ's one sacrifice rendered daily offerings obsolete |
| Heb 9:14 | How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God... | Christ's perfect, unblemished sacrifice |
| Heb 10:1-4 | For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image... could never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. | Old Testament sacrifices were incomplete, foreshadowing |
| Heb 10:10-14 | By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... | Christ's single offering perfected forever |
| Heb 13:15 | Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. | New Testament emphasis on spiritual, continual praise |
| Rom 12:1 | I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. | Believers called to offer their lives as spiritual sacrifices |
| 1 Pet 1:19 | But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. | Christ's blood is the perfectly unblemished ransom |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. | Believers are priests offering spiritual sacrifices |
Ezekiel 46 verses
Ezekiel 46 13 meaning
Ezekiel 46:13 details a command for the continuous, daily morning offering in the visionary temple. It mandates the preparation of a young, unblemished lamb as a burnt offering to the LORD, emphasizing its consistent practice every single morning. This specific instruction underscores the necessity of ongoing, perfect worship and atonement for the people, providing a blueprint for restored devotion.
Ezekiel 46 13 Context
Ezekiel 46:13 is part of a detailed prophetic vision given to Ezekiel concerning the ideal temple, its rituals, and its administration in the eschatological or restored era of Israel. This section, specifically chapters 40-48, provides intricate architectural blueprints and ordinances for worship, purification, and the role of the prince. Given to Jewish exiles in Babylon, the vision served as a profound source of hope and instruction for a renewed covenant relationship with God after their return from captivity. It corrects past failures in worship, emphasizing a meticulous standard of purity and regular devotion. Within this immediate context, the verse describes the specific responsibility of the prince (a civic leader, distinct from the priests) to ensure the continuous provision of an atoning burnt offering each morning, underscoring constant purification and dedication in the re-established sanctuary.
Ezekiel 46 13 Word analysis
- And thou shalt prepare (וְעָשִׂיתָ – ve-'asita): This phrase conveys a divine command, establishing an imperative and an ongoing obligation. The root verb ('asah) means "to make, do, prepare," implying action and a mandated task, highlighting the prince's specific responsibility in the temple economy.
- a lamb (כֶּבֶשׂ – keves): Refers to a young male sheep, chosen for its innocence and typical role in sacrificial offerings. Symbolically represents purity and is frequently associated with atonement.
- of the first year (בֶּן-שָׁנָה – ben-shanah): Literally "son of a year," indicating the lamb is in its prime. This age signifies the animal's peak vigor, strength, and value, emphasizing that the finest and best is required for God's offering.
- without blemish (תָּמִים – tamim): Meaning "complete, perfect, whole, sound." This is a crucial sacrificial requirement across the Old Testament. It denotes physical perfection and soundness, representing the ideal moral purity and faultlessness necessary in approaching a holy God. Any imperfection would render the sacrifice unacceptable.
- daily (יוֹם יוֹם – yom yom): Literally "day, day," intensely emphasizes continuity, regularity, and an unceasing commitment. It highlights the non-negotiable, constant nature of this offering.
- for a burnt offering (לְעֹלָה – le-'olah): Designates a specific type of offering ('olah, meaning "that which goes up"). This sacrifice was entirely consumed by fire on the altar, ascending to God. It symbolized complete devotion, submission, consecration, and generally provided atonement for unintentional sins, signifying full surrender.
- unto the LORD (לַיהוָה – la-YHWH): Specifies Yahweh, the covenant name of God, as the sole recipient and object of worship. This reinforces the exclusive and holy purpose of the offering.
- thou shalt prepare it (תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתוֹ – ta'aseh oto): This is a reiteration and emphatic confirmation of the action. "You shall make/do it," reinforcing the certainty and continuous nature of the command given to the prince regarding the offering.
- every morning (בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר – ba-boker ba-boker): Literally "in the morning, in the morning." This precise timing further stresses the punctuality and routine, marking the start of each day with an act of atonement and dedication.
Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis
- "a lamb of the first year without blemish": This phrase combines attributes crucial for an acceptable sacrifice. It underscores purity, youth, vigor, and physical perfection. The ideal nature of the offering foreshadows the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Christ, who was without blemish and took away sin.
- "daily... every morning": The double emphasis on "daily" and "every morning" stresses the unbroken, continuous nature of worship and atonement in the visionary temple. It portrays an unceasing cycle of devotion and purification, indicating that God's people require constant reconciliation and dedicated worship. This routine establishes a rhythm of life centered on God.
- "a burnt offering unto the LORD": This specific type of offering signifies complete and total dedication, as the animal was fully consumed. The direction "unto the LORD" clarifies that all worship and offerings are exclusively directed to God, highlighting His sovereignty and sole claim over His people's devotion.
Ezekiel 46 13 Bonus section
The "prince" in Ezekiel's vision (chapters 44-46) is a figure distinct from the priests and Levites. His role here is to provide the lamb for the burnt offering, indicating his responsibility for the spiritual well-being and maintenance of proper worship within the community, even though he does not perform the sacrifice himself. This establishes a division of authority and duties between spiritual leadership (priests) and civic/provisionary leadership (prince). The offering itself, being a burnt offering, was seen as a basic expression of complete surrender and atonement for generalized or unintentional sins of the community. In Christian theology, the ceaseless daily need for such a sacrifice ultimately points to the once-for-all, all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ, which perfects believers permanently and provides access to God, thus rendering the shadow of animal sacrifices obsolete. The vision therefore represents an ideal that anticipates and points to a greater reality found in Christ.
Ezekiel 46 13 Commentary
Ezekiel 46:13 articulates a fundamental ritual in the prophet's envisioned temple, commanding a daily morning burnt offering of an unblemished lamb. This instruction, given to the prince, highlights several key theological principles. First, the emphasis on an "unblemished lamb of the first year" underscores the demand for absolute purity and the finest quality in worship offered to a holy God. This foreshadows the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. Second, the dual reiteration of "daily" and "every morning" powerfully conveys the necessity of consistent, unwavering devotion and ongoing atonement. Unlike occasional offerings, this command establishes an incessant rhythm of worship that marks the commencement of each new day with an act of dedication and reconciliation, crucial for maintaining fellowship with God. While the historical Mosaic law commanded two daily lambs, Ezekiel's singular daily lamb provided by the prince for general atonement signals a purified and highly ordered temple service. This passage, thus, functions not just as a ritualistic instruction but as a profound theological statement on God's demand for perpetual, perfect, and sincere worship from His people.