Ezekiel 46:2 kjv
And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.
Ezekiel 46:2 nkjv
The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.
Ezekiel 46:2 niv
The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening.
Ezekiel 46:2 esv
The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.
Ezekiel 46:2 nlt
The prince will enter the entry room of the gateway from the outside. Then he will stand by the gatepost while the priest offers his burnt offering and peace offering. He will bow down in worship inside the gateway passage and then go back out the way he came. The gateway will not be closed until evening.
Ezekiel 46 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 45:8 | "And the prince shall have a portion on either side of the holy portion and of the possession of the city, facing the territory of Judah and facing the territory of Benjamin. And it shall be his possession." | Territorial boundaries for prince |
| Ezekiel 45:16 | "All the people of the land shall give some portion for the prince in the holy portion." | Portion from the people for prince |
| Ezekiel 45:17 | "And it shall be the prince’s duty to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the drink offerings, at the feasts, on the New Moons, and on the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He shall provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel." | Prince's responsibility in offerings |
| Ezekiel 44:3 | "It is for the prince to enter by the vestibule of the outer gate and to go out by the same way." | Prince's limited access to sanctuary |
| Ezekiel 44:17 | "And when the prince enters the inner court, he shall wear linen garments. He shall have the linen tunic on and the linen breeches on his loins, and he shall not wear anything that causes sweat. When he goes out to the outer court to the outer court to the people, he shall put off the garments in which he has ministered and lay them in the holy chambers and put on other garments, that he may sanctify the people with his garments." | Specific garments for prince's service |
| Jeremiah 23:5 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and act wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." | Messianic prophecy of righteous ruler |
| Isaiah 11:1-5 | "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. And he shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide disputes for the afflicted of the land; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faithfulness the belt of his waist." | Messianic prophecy, righteous rule |
| Psalm 110:4 | "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'" | Christ's eternal priesthood |
| Hebrews 7:24 | "but Jesus, because he continues forever, has a priesthood that will not pass away." | Christ's unending priesthood |
| Matthew 2:2 | "saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'" | Kingship and worship |
| Revelation 1:5 | "and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood..." | Christ as Ruler of Kings |
| Revelation 20:6 | "Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." | Reigning with Christ, priesthood |
| 1 Peter 2:5 | "you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." | Spiritual priesthood |
| Exodus 22:31 | "You shall be men holy to me: you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs." | Holiness and purity |
| Leviticus 19:2 | "“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.'" | Command to be holy |
| John 14:6 | "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" | Christ as mediator |
| Colossians 1:19 | "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." | Christ's atoning work |
| Romans 15:7 | "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." | Mutual acceptance in Christ |
| Acts 10:34 | "So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality," | God's impartiality |
| 2 Corinthians 5:19 | "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." | Reconciliation through Christ |
Ezekiel 46 verses
Ezekiel 46 2 Meaning
The prince shall not again trespass against My holy people by reason of the offerings, for he shall be in the sanctuary for entrance and for exit. This verse speaks of a future prince or leader in Israel. It declares that this leader will no longer unlawfully take from God's holy people, particularly concerning their sacred offerings brought to the sanctuary. His presence and actions within the sanctuary are strictly defined; he can enter and exit, implying a regulated access and service rather than unauthorized appropriation or rule. This points to a restored order of worship and leadership, free from the corruption and oppression seen in past rulers.
Ezekiel 46 2 Context
Ezekiel 46 is part of the visionary description of the restored Temple and its worship practices in Jerusalem, following the Babylonian exile. This chapter details specific regulations for the prince and the people regarding their approach to the sanctuary and their participation in offerings and festivals. The focus is on maintaining holiness, order, and proper access to God's presence. The immediate context is the discussion of gate usage, specifically the East Gate which is to remain closed except for the prince, and then only for specific purposes, emphasizing a distinguished yet regulated role for leadership within the sacred space. This passage anticipates a future period of purified worship under a righteous ruler.
Ezekiel 46 2 Word analysis
- And the prince (וְהָיָה הַנָּשִׂיא - wə-hā-yâh ha-nā-śî’):
- wə-hā-yâh (וְהָיָה): "and it shall come to pass," "and it shall be," or "and he shall be." It signifies a future condition or event.
- ha-nā-śî’ (הַנָּשִׂיא): "the prince" or "the leader." This term refers to a ruler or chieftain, specifically the one appointed in this future, idealized state of Israel. Its use suggests a monarchical or executive authority in this envisioned community.
- shall not again trespass (לֹא־יִשְׂנֶה - lō’-yiśneh):
- lō’ (לֹא): "not." A negative particle.
- yiśneh (יִשְׂנֶה): "to repeat," "to do again," "to add unto," or "to transgress," "to do wrong." The root conveys the idea of multiplying or doing more of something. In this context, it strongly implies that the prince will no longer repeat wrongful actions or commit further transgressions, particularly against the sanctity of God's people or property. This contrasts with past rulers who overstepped their bounds.
- against My holy people (בְּעַם־קָדְשִׁי - bə-‘am-qā-ḏə-šî):
- bə- (בְּ): "in," "with," "against," "by." A preposition indicating the object of the transgression.
- ‘am (‘am) (עַם): "people," "nation."
- qā-ḏə-šî (קָדְשִׁי): "My holy." Rooted in qōḏeš (קֹדֶשׁ), meaning "holy," "sacred," "set apart." This emphasizes the special, consecrated status of God's people. The trespass would be against those set apart by God.
- by reason of the offerings (לְמִנְחֹת - lə-min-ḥō-ṯ):
- lə- (לְ): "to," "for," "concerning," "by reason of."
- min-ḥō-ṯ (מִנְחֹת): "offerings," "gifts." Specifically, the noun minḥâ (מִנְחָה) often refers to a grain offering or cereal offering, which was a common type of sacrifice in Israel, representing worship and sustenance. The transgression here could involve the prince improperly claiming or mismanaging these offerings, or using his position to unlawfully benefit from them.
- for he shall be (כִּי־הוּא־יָבֹא — kî-hû-‘yā-ḇō’):
- kî (כִּי): "for," "because," "that." It introduces a reason or explanation.
- hû’ (הוּא): "he," "it." Refers to the prince.
- yā-ḇō’ (יָבֹא): "he shall come," "he shall enter." Future tense, referring to his presence.
- in the sanctuary (אֶל־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ — ’el-ham-miq-dāš):
- ’el- (’el-) (אֶל): "to," "into." Indicates direction or destination.
- ham-miq-dāš (הַמִּקְדָּשׁ): "the sanctuary," "the holy place," "the temple." The sacred precinct.
- for entrance and for exit (לָבֹא וּלְצֵאת — lā-ḇō’ û-lə-ṣē’ṯ):
- lā-ḇō’ (לָבֹא): "to enter." Infinitive form.
- û- (וּ): "and."
- lə-ṣē’ṯ (לְצֵאת): "to go out," "to exit." Infinitive form. This phrase indicates that the prince's movement into and out of the sanctuary is permitted, but strictly within bounds, implying his presence is functional for specific temple services, not for sovereign control or appropriation.
Ezekiel 46 2 Bonus section
The future reign envisioned here, where the prince reveres holy people and their offerings, aligns with prophetic visions of a Messiah who would rule with justice and righteousness. Scholars note the contrast with kings of Israel like Saul, David, or certain priestly families, who sometimes overstepped their authority or were criticized for their actions concerning the temple and its resources. This passage is a testament to the deep longing for a Davidic descendant who would embody true faithfulness and godly governance. The precise regulations for the prince’s access in the sanctuary reflect the meticulous nature of Old Testament worship, designed to maintain God’s holiness and prevent human presumption. It's also seen as pointing towards Christ, the ultimate Prince of Peace, whose eternal priesthood transcends any temporal limitations, and in whom all of God’s people, through faith, also enter into God's presence.
Ezekiel 46 2 Commentary
This verse paints a picture of a future leader who reveres God and respects the boundaries of sacred things and the sanctity of God’s people. Unlike corrupt leaders of the past who exploited their positions and infringed upon God’s rights and His people's contributions, this prince will exercise his authority righteously within the divinely appointed sanctuary. His access is regulated, demonstrating subservience to God’s order and a renewed emphasis on legitimate priestly or princely service without misappropriation. It underscores the ideal of leadership as stewardship and service, not dominion and exploitation, particularly in the context of worship and offerings, signifying a restoration of right relationship with God and His people.