Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 44

The altar being consecrated, the next thing is to provide for the purity of the worship of which it is the center. The pollutions of former times had been largely introduced by the princes, and by the Levites and priests; and these classes are therefore treated in this chapter.

Only three verses are here given to the prince, since he is to be spoken of at greater length later, and the rest of the chapter is occupied with directions as to the exclusion of strangers, and the duties of the Levites and priests.

1. The gate of the outer sanctuary.— This is better rendered, the outer gate of the sanctuary. The prophet had been in the inner court, or court of the priests, where the altar stood, and is now brought back to the eastern gate of the outer court. He finds it shut, as it was ordinarily to remain; but with the exceptions mentioned in Ezekiel 44:3, and in Ezekiel 46:0.

Hath entered in by it.— See Ezekiel 43:1-2. The thought is, that the gate which had been sanctified by such a manifestation of the Divine presence, should not afterwards be used for the ordinary purposes of the entrance of the people.

The prince.—The Rabbis understood this to refer to the Messiah, and unquestionably, the same person must be meant as David intended in Ezekiel 34:23-24 and Ezekiel 37:24. This gives another and a conclusive reason for regarding the sacrificial worship of Ezekiel 46 as symbolical.

To eat bread before the Lord.—This is the common scriptural expression for partaking of the sacrifices (Exodus 18:12), and there is no reason for restricting it to the shew-bread and other unbloody offerings. The eating of the latter was an exclusively priestly prerogative, and the “prince” of Ezekiel, though greatly distinguished, is not in any way endowed with priestly functions. He is to partake of his sacrificial meals within this highly-honoured gate, while the people eat in the outer court.

There has been much discussion as to whether the prince was to go in and out by this gateway, or only, having entered by one of the others, to eat within this gate. The language here seems sufficiently plain, and if there could be any doubt, it would be removed by Ezekiel 46:1-2, Ezekiel 46:8, Ezekiel 46:10, and Ezekiel 46:12. It appears from these passages that the prince is always to enter and leave by this gate except in the solemn feasts; then he is to enter in the midst of the people, by either the north or the south gate, and go out by the opposite one.

The north gate. —The prophet is now carried to the north gate, and since this is described as before the house and was in full view of it, it must have been the gate of the inner court, the appointed place for the killing of the sacrifices, and therefore especially fitting for the announcement of the ordinances of the priests. There he saw the glory of the Lord filling the house, and was commanded to give the utmost attention to the laws now to be announced.

Strangers, uncircumcised in heart.— The heathen living in Israel, or coming to worship at the Temple, were allowed, and even in some cases required, to offer sacrifices (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 17:12; Numbers 15:14; Numbers 15:26; Numbers 15:29). This seems also to have been recognised in Solomon’s prayer at the consecration of the Temple (1 Kings 8:41–43); but the ground on which the Israelites are here censured for the license given to strangers is, that they allowed those to draw near in worship who were uncircumcised in heart as well as in flesh, i.e., ungodly men who had no real purpose to worship God.