1The portion of land for the sanctuary, 6for the city, 7and for the prince. 9Ordinances for the prince.
1MOREOVER,1 when ye 2shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an 3oblation unto the LORD, an 4holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand 5reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be 6holy 7in all the borders thereof round about.
1 Forasmuch as not only the previous temple was burnt, but also the city and all the land laid waste, and the people of God carried away captive and is treated in the previous chapters of the new temple; therefore now in the sequel here mention is made of the land and people with their prince, representing a full and perfect restoration of this spiritual commonwealth under the Messiah.
2 That is, shall by the falling or casting of the lot divide the land among you. See Psalm 16:5, 6 with the annotation. Also Ezek. 47:14, 22; 48:29. In every case the manner of speech refers to the drawing of lots, thus in the sequel. And it is considerable that the tribes had their borders assigned to them not by casting of lots, as in the book of Joshua, but the express ordinance of God in the 48th chapter. Compare Mat. 25:34.
3 Or, gift. Hebr. heave an heaving, whereby it is pointed to the heave offerings of the law, which were (as it were) lifted up or taken up from the rest, and were presented and consecrated unto the Lord.
4 Namely, separating it from the rest of the land for an holy use; or, one may (with some) join these words to the word offer, thus: ye shall offer unto the Lord an holy portion of the land; also verse 4. Hebr. an holiness.
5 This, which is here inserted, is taken from Ezek. 42:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and here in the next verse, where after the first measure of the reeds, the cubits in particular are specified, for the empty or free outward space.
6 Hebr. an holiness. See Ezek. 43:12.
7 That is, as wide and far as it reaches.
28Of this there 9shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, 10with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the 11suburbs thereof.
8 This material, which is begun here and broken off in verse 9, is continued in Ezek. 48:8, etc. One may in the main suitably understand it (with some) thus, that this separate portion of land of five and twenty thousand reeds in length and breadth, and so forth, in its four squares, was further divided into three parts: the first ten thousand in breadth, for the sanctuary with its outside area and the habitations of the priests; the second ten thousand for the Levites; the remaining five thousand for the city; and what remained eastward and westward, between the south-borders of Judah, and the north-borders of Benjamin, for the officers or servants of the city (Ezek. 48:18, 19), and further mainly for the prince; which is to be heeded in the sequel.
9 Hebr. shall be, in the singular number.
10 Or, by, that is (according to the opinion of some), five hundred reeds in length with like five hundred in breadth; or, five hundred answering to other five hundred measured in the square round about. Compare Ezek. 48:20.
11 Or, outside area. See of the Hebrew word (which is otherwise translated suburbs, when there is mention made of cities) Ezek. 36 on verse 5.
3And 12of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the 13most holy place.
12 That is, with or according to this measure.
13 Hebr. holiness of holinesses. See Exod. 26:33, 34; Lev. 4:6 with the annotations.
4The 14holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the LORD: and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary.
14 As verse 1.
5And 15the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.
15 See Ezek. 48:13.
6¶And ye shall appoint the possession of the 16city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the 17oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.
16 Which is not named. See Ezek. 40 on verse 2.
17 Hebr. heave offering of holiness, whereof verse 1; so in the sequel.
7¶And a portion shall be for the 18prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, 19before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the 20west side westward, and from the east side eastward: and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border.
18 By this prince, of whom much is spoken in this and the next chapter, some understand (as Ezek. 44:3) the high priest, or our Lord Christ the Messiah Himself, Who not only dwells in His house and fills it with His glory, but also (to speak as such) encamps round about it as a King to defend and protect it, and Who, as our High Priest and Surety, having taken all our guilt upon Himself, has made full payment for the same (as if it had been His own), and has willingly offered Himself for us (as if it had been for Himself, because He stood in our stead); yea, Who is not only a King or Prince, but also a Brother and Companion of the believers, whom He makes joint-heirs with Himself, being continually in the midst of them, and with them to the end of the world, making intercession for them as their Mediator, having alone the power and the privilege to go in and out where so ever He desires, to lay down His life and to take it again, to open and to shut the gate of the sanctuary, etc. Others understand here a civil, christian prince or ruler, and thereby also all christian rulers and magistrates, whom God would grant unto His church in the New Testament, according to sundry prophecies of the Old Testament, whose first and most important care must be for the welfare of God’s church, which they ought as it were to compass about with their protection, and in the exercise of the true worship of God and due reverence and respect to the worship services in the church, to go before the people by their own example, and likewise to behave and carry themselves herein as brethren, companions, and fellow members of the church; moreover, to practice and maintain judgment and justice to do away with all injustice, oppression, tyranny and violence, and to take care that their subjects may lead a quiet and peaceable life, until perfect justice, holiness and peace do thereupon follow in that life which is to come.
19 Hebr. before, or toward the face; so in the sequel.
20 Hebr. corner of the sea, toward the sea, also in the next sea for the west.
821In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more 22oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they 23give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
21 Other, He shall have it in the land unto, etc. Or, Of the land he shall have this, etc.
22 Compare Psalm 72:2, 4, 14; Isa. 11:3, 4, 5, etc.; 29:18, 19, 20; 42:1, 3, 4; 60:17, 18; Zeph. 3:13.
23 Or, they shall leave the land, etc. Hebr. properly: give.
9¶Thus saith the Lord GOD; 24Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your 25exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
24 See Ezek. 44 on verse 6. Some understand this as if God said: Ye have land more than enough for yourselves in what I have proportioned out for you, therefore, etc. Others take it to be a rhetorical reproof of the deceased kings of Judah, to whom God speaks as if they were present; or of the anti-christian, ecclesiastical and political tyrants, who would sorely and a long while plague the people of God.
25 In that ye drive them away and thrust them out of their possessions, drawing the same unto yourselves; such oppression shall ye take away from them, and free them from it. See similar speech Isa. 57:14.
10Ye shall have 26just balances,a and a just 27ephah, and a just 28bath.
26 Hebr. balance or scales of justice, and so in the sequel; as Lev. 19:36.
a Lev. 19:35, 36.
27 See Lev. 5 on verse 11.
28 See 1 Kings 7 on verse 26.
11The ephah and the bath 29shall be of 30one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an 31homer,b and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: the measure thereof shall be after the 32homer.
29 Hebr. shall, in the singular number.
30 An epha in dry, and a bath in moist wares.
31 The largest measure of dry wares. Otherwise also called cor. See verse 14; 1 Kings 4 on verse 22.
b liquid: 10 baths; about 90 gallons or 340 liters
32 As being the largest measure, according to which other measures were to be regulated.
12And the 33shekelcshall be twenty 34gerahs:d twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your 35maneh.
33 See Gen. 23 on verse 15; Gen. 24 on verse 22.
c Exod. 30:13; Lev. 27:25; Num. 3:47.
34 See Lev. 27 on verse 25. It is with us (as some have properly counted it according to our coin) as much as an half penny and a little more, whereof twenty make about half a rix-dollar, as much as a common or civil shekel, whereof mention is made here.
d 1/20th of a shekel; 0.022 ounce or 0.62 gram
35 Or, pound. Hebr. maneh, that is, mina. See 1 Kings 10:17; 2 Chron. 9:16; Ezra 2:69 with the annotations. The sense is: that sixty shekels would make a pound or mina of gold or silver. This is counted by some to be a new ordinance, in regard the old mina contained but fifty shekels of the sanctuary, and an hundred common shekels; but here is mention made of sixty, which needs be twice as much more both in the holy and civil pound or mina. Some are of the opinion that there were three such sorts of coin, that would make together a pound or mina. It implies that justice shall be maintained in the most strict and most exact manner.
13This is the 36oblation that ye shall offer; the 37sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley:
36 Or, the offerings which, etc. Hebr. the heaving that ye shall heave. Some understand this of what the people would bring in the entire year for the ordinary offerings of the temple. Others apply it to the dedication of the temple. Of the offerings in general, see Ezek. 40 on verse 39.
37 Hebr. as if one said: ye shall six, that is, give the sixth part; as tithing is giving the tenth part.
14Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the 38cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer:
38 See on verse 11.
15And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the 39fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.
39 Or, watery, that is, out of the best and fattest pastures. Other, above the wine or the drink of Israel, that is, which Israel would bring in for drink-offerings. Compare verse 17.
16All the people of the land shall give 40this oblation 41for the prince in Israel.
40 Or, shall be bound or engaged for this heave offering, of which was made mention before.
41 Or, for the prince his sake. Some understand it thus, that they by this contribution would supply what otherwise the prince was to do. Compare 2 Chron. 31:3, with the annotation. Other, with the prince; likewise unto the prince, so that the prince was not bound to it, as whose particular offerings are related in the sequel. It might also be taken as the contents or title of what follows, and add thereunto thus: Concerning the prince in Israel, or, of the prince, etc. (as such titles is found in other prophets), he shall do as follows.
17And 42it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, 43in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall 44prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
42 Hebr. it shall be upon the prince, that is, it shall be his duty.
43 Or, in all appointed assemblies.
44 Or, perform, that is, give, bring in, cause to be prepared.
1845Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a 46young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary:
45 Some have rightly observed that the ensuing ordinance was nowhere ever given unto Moses, as also, besides this, the difference that there is between several new offerings and ceremonies which are mentioned here, and the old former sacrifices and ceremonies, may plainly appear by comparing both together; which signifies the repealing of the old ceremonies and of the former priesthood by the coming, and the only perfect sacrifice of the Messiah, which is here typified by many sacrifices according to the style of the Old Testament, and the requirement of those times, when the clearness of light and the time of reformation was not yet come. See Gal. 3:23, 24, 25; 4:1, 2, 3. Likewise Heb. 9:8, 10.
46 Hebr. child or son of a bullock.
19And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the 47posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settlee of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
47 Hebr. post, and so in the sequel.
e base, pedestal, ledge*
20And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month 48for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
48 That is, for such who may through error, or simplicity, ignorance, want of understanding have offended or defiled the house of the Lord, but not through willfulness and with an high hand. This ordinance represents how we should succor and restore him who is fallen through weakness, and repents from his sins, namely, by the means of a well-ordered and christian discipline. Compare Mat. 16:19; 18:18, 21, etc. John 20:23; Rom. 14:4, 10, 13; Gal. 6:1, etc., James 5:19, 20; 1 John 5:16, etc.
21Inf the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread 49shall be eaten.
f Exod. 12:3; 23:15; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:3; 28:16, 17; Deut. 16:1.
49 Or, shall one eat. Hebr. shall be eaten.
22And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock 50for a sin offering.
50 A bullock for a sin offering. Hebr. a bullock for sin, that is, of sin offering, as continual in this material. See Lev. 4 on verse 3.
23And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering.
24And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an 51hin of oil for an ephah.
51 See Lev. 19 on verse 36.
25Ing the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do 52the like in the 53feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.
g Lev. 23:33; Num. 29:12; Deut. 16:13.
52 Hebr. according to or like that, that is, such as he would have done on the previous feast with all these offerings that are mentioned before, and are here briefly touched upon.
53 Understand the feast of tabernacles. Observe that the feast of Pentecost is here not mentioned. Compare Zech. 14:16, 19.