The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel 45
Chapter XLV · Vol. III, pp. 1377–1378
1 The portion of land for the sanctuary, 6 for the city, 7 and for the prince. 9 Ordinances for the prince.
1 Moreover, when ye shall divide aby lot the land1 for inheritance, ye shall offerb an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion2 of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds[≈ 69 km · 43 miles],3 and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.
a ch.47.22. Jos.13.6. Nu.34.13. Pr.16.33. Ep.2.5-9. Ps.16.5,6.
1 Heb. cause the land to fall by lot.
b ver.1-8; ch.48.8-23. Ro.12.1. 1 Pe.2.5.
2 Heb. holiness.
3 Taking the reed at 10½ feet, this oblation would constitute a square of nearly 50 miles on each side. From the north side was taken a lot of nearly 50 miles by 20 for the priests, in the midst of which was the site of the temple, about a mile square, ver.1,2. On the south lay the lot of the Levites, of the same extent as that of the priests, ver. 5; and south of this lay the lot of the city, of the same length as those of the priests and Levites, but only half the width, ver.6. Now when it is recollected that Canaan was little more than 190 miles in length, by 80 in breadth, there can remain little doubt that the whole is an emblem of that glorious state when Zion shall 'enlarge the place of her tents, lengthen her cords, strengthen her stakes, and break forth on the right hand and the left, and her seed shall inherit the Gentiles,' Is. 54. 2, 3.—Note, The word 'reeds' is not in the original, and several eminent expositors think 'cubits' should have been supplied in its stead. But that 'reeds,' and not 'cubits,' is the proper word to be supplied, is evident from ch. 42. 16, which exactly corresponds with ch. 45.2.—C.
2 Of this there shall be cfor the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits[≈ 23 m · 75 ft] round about for the suburbs4 thereof.
c ch.42.20; 48.18. He.12.22-24.
4 Or, void places.
3 And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and din it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place.
d ch.48.10.
4 Thee holy 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.
e ver.1; ch.40.46; 43.19; 44.15,16.
5 And the 5five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the gministers of the house, have for themselves, hfor a possession for twenty chambers.
6 Andi ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.
i ch.48.15-17,30,32.
7 Andj a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, kbefore the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward;6 and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border.
j ch.46.16-18; 48.21. Is.9.6; 53.12. De.32.9. Ps.2.8,9; 72.8. Zec.14.8,9. Re.11.15. Da.7.14. Is.9.6,7. Phi.2.9-11. Ep.1.20-23.
k Is.49.12,23; 60.3,10,16. Ps.72.8. Re.21.24.
6 The portion of the prince lay upon the east and the west of the oblation of the sanctuary, within which it was not lawful for him to encroach; but the breadth externally was not limited, but by that 'judgment and justice,' for the protection and enforcement of which 'the powers that be are ordained of God.'—C.
8 In the land7 shall be his possession in Israel: and lmy princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel naccording to their tribes.
A.M. cir. 3430. B.C. cir. 574.
7 The revenues of the prince shall be personal estates—an arrangement which has often prevailed in European kingdoms, and which, though as often superseded by human wisdom, may yet—when the science of political economy shall be thoroughly understood, because thoroughly Christianized—be found best fitted to mark and preserve the just limits of superiority and subjection between prince and people, and most effectually to secure the prosperity and happiness of both.—C.
l ch.1.16,18, with ch.22.27; 19.6,7; 46.18. Pr.28.16. Je.22.17, or Ps.45.16; 49.14. Da.7.27. Lu.19.17. 1 Co.6.2. Re.2.26; 5.10. Ps.72.2. Is.11.3; 29.18,20; 42.1-4. Zep.3.13.
n Jos.11.23.
9 Thus saith the Lord GOD, oLet it suffice you, O princes of Israel: premove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions8 from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
o ch.44.6. 1 Pe.4.3.
p Is.1.17,26; 60.17,18; 57.14. Je.2.3,16; 22.3. Zec.8.16. ch.33.14-16. Ne.5.1-13. 1 Co.6.7,8.
8 Heb. expulsions.
10 Yeq shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
q Le.19.35,36. Pr.11.1. Mat.7.12.
11 Ther ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons], and the ephah the tenth part of an homer[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons]: the measure thereof shall be after the homer.
12 And the shekel shall be twenty 9gerahs[≈ 11 g · 0.4 oz]; twenty shekels[≈ 230 g · 8 oz], five and twenty shekels[≈ 290 g · 10 oz], fifteen shekels[≈ 170 g · 6 oz] shall be your 1maneh.2
* The maneh is the same as the mina. This is a passage of great difficulty. Perhaps the simplest solution is this: Let not your maneh be of an uncertain, fluctuating, or local value, but fixed either to 20, 25, or 15 shekels. This may be well illustrated by a reference to avoirdupois, troy, apothecaries', and other weights, several of which vary in different districts, not according to any specific name, but according to the article sold, and which often becomes the source of inconvenience, litigation, or fraud. Note, Commercial plainness and integrity form essential characteristics of the Christian in his intercourse with the world, as humility and piety are indispensable in his communion with God.—C.
9 Ex.30.13. Le.27.25. Nu.3.47; i.e. sixty shekels in all, but in weight fifty, 1 Ki.10.17. 2 Ch.9.16.
1 Or, pound.
2 See note * in first column.
13 This is the soblation that ye shall offer, the sixth part3 of an ephah[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons] of an homer[≈ 220 litres · 6 bushels] of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons] of an homer[≈ 220 litres · 6 bushels] of barley.
s Ga.6.6. 1 Co.9.13-15. 1 Ti.5.17.
3 A sixtieth part.
14 Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part4 of a bath[≈ 2.2 litres · 3.9 pints] out of the cor, which is an homer[≈ 220 litres · 6 bushels] of ten baths[≈ 220 litres · 6 bushels]; for ten baths[≈ 220 litres · 6 bushels] are an homer[≈ 220 litres · 6 bushels]:
4 An hundredth part.
15 And one lamb5 out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the tfat pastures of Israel, for a meat-offering, and for a burnt-offering, and for peace-offerings,6 to umake reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.
5 Or, kid.
t Pr.3.9. Mal.1.8,14. Nu.18.12,29.
6 Or, thank-offerings, ver.27.
u Le.1.4. He.9.22,23; 13.16. Tit.2.12-14.
16 All the people of the land shall give 7this voblation for8 the prince9 in Israel.
7 Heb. shall be for.
v Ex.30.14,15.
8 Or, with, Is.16.1.
9 For the prince, rather 'to the prince' as a religious tribute, to enable him to provide for the necessary services of the sanctuary.—C.
17 Andx it 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, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall yprepare the sin-offering, and the meat-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings,1 to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
18 Thus saith the Lord GOD, zIn the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take aa young bullock without blemish, and bcleanse the sanctuary:
19 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering, and put it upon cthe posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
c ch.41.21; 43.14,20; 46.1.
20 And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that derreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye ereconcile the house.
21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, gye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
22 And hupon that day shall the prince prepare for himself, and for all the people of the land, a ibullock for a sin-offering.2
h Mat.20.28. Tit.2.14. 1 Pe.2.24; 3.18. Mat.xxvi. xxvii. Mar.xv. xvi. Lu.xxii. xxiii. Jn.xviii. xix.
i Le.4.14.
2 It is impossible to understand 'the prince' to mean 'Messiah the prince;' for this prince offers not only for the people's sin, but for his own. Whereas, though Christ was made sin for us, he himself knew no sin, and so for himself needed no sin-offering.—C.
23 And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt-offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams jwithout blemish, daily the seven days; and a kkid of the goats daily for a sin-offering.
24 And he shall prepare la meat-offering of an ephah[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons] for a bullock, and an ephah[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons] for a ram, and an hin[≈ 3.7 litres · 6.5 pints] of oil for an ephah[≈ 22 litres · 4.8 gallons].
Notes
Ver. 1-8; with ch. 47. 13-23; and xlviii. Canaan, on the west of Jordan, about 180 miles from north to south, and 50 from east to west, is represented as thus divided. Beginning from the north, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah, had their portions, all of them extending from Jordan on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. All along the south side of Judah's portion is represented a sacred portion of 25,000 reeds[≈ 69 km · 43 miles] broad. Of this, in the middle of the country, a portion of 25,000 reeds[≈ 69 km · 43 miles] from east to west, and 10,000 from north to south, is allotted for the priests, in the middle of which a square of 500 reeds[≈ 1.4 km · 4,500 ft] is allotted for the temple and its appurtenances. On the south side of the priests' portion another of the same dimensions is allotted for the Levites. On the south of the Levites' portion, a portion equally long, but only half as broad as that of the priests or Levites, is assigned for the holy city; i.e. a square of 5000 reeds[≈ 14 km · 8.5 miles] for the city to stand on, and a portion of 10,000 reeds[≈ 27 km · 17 miles] in length and 5000 in breadth on the east side, and another on the west side of the same extent assigned to the office-bearers in the city. All of the country that remained on the east side and on the west side of this sacred square of 25,000 reeds[≈ 69 km · 43 miles], divided between the priests, Levites, and city, is allotted to the prince. And southward of that portion, in the middle of which the city stood, and of the land appointed for the prince at the east and west sides, the tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad, had their portions, each extending from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. This division is entirely different from that made by Joshua, Jos. xiii.-xxi.
Ver. 13-25. The oblations here mean Christ, as offered in sacrifice to God, and represented as a Saviour to sinners; and his people giving up themselves, and all that they have, to God through him. The sacred festivals may point out the seasons of Christ's incarnation, suffering, and pouring out of the Holy Ghost, and the solemn ordinances of gospel worship, in which Christ and his people hold solemn fellowship, to the honour of God.
Reflections.—God ought to be honoured with the first and best of our substance; and his ministers and magistrates should be so provided for as that they may constantly attend to their work. Wherever religion thrives true liberty and strict honesty will abound. Magistrates and people, as well as ministers, ought, in their places, to lay out all their influence in promoting true and practical religion; and none shall receive mercies from God without grateful returns, according to what they have received. Though our great sacrifice of atonement was offered but once for all, our spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving to God through Christ ought to be daily continued, especially when he allows us the more solemn ordinances of his worship.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.