Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 44:3

"As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before Jehovah; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same." — Ezekiel 44:3 (ASV)

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.