Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 45:7
And 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, before the oblation of the holy [portion], and before the possession of the city, from the west 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.
7. The domain of the prince. A portion of land shall fall to the prince equal in breadth (N. to S.) to the whole square assigned to the priests, Levites and city (viz. 25,000), and extending on both sides of this square to the borders of the country, to the Jordan on the E., and the sea on the W.
and the length portions ] and in length answerable to one of the portions, as R.V. The “portions” here are the tracts of land assigned to the tribes respectively (ch. 48). These stretched across the country from the Jordan to the sea. The portion of the prince in like manner stretches across the whole country, only it is interrupted in the middle by the 25,000 square tract assigned to priests, Levites and city. Cf. Eze 48:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
On either side of the 25,000 reeds a strip of land, running westward to the sea, eastward to the Jordan, formed the possession of the prince (see Eze 46:18 note). For the other tribes the limits from west to east are the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan Eze 48:8.
Eze 45:7
And the length shall be over against – Or, and in length over against.
The definition of the princes territory was to prevent the oppressions foretold (1Sa 8:14 ff), described 2Ki 23:35, and reproved Jer. 22.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. A portion shall be for the prince] nasi, he who had the authority of chief magistrate; for there was neither king nor prince among the Jews after the Babylonish captivity. For these allotments and divisions, see the plan, EE, FF, GG. See Clarke on Eze 48:35.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A portion; though not said how much, it is likely it was near fourfold to that of the city, sanctuary, or the priests and Levites.
For the prince; the king, or supreme ruler. One half of the princes portion lay on the west side of those three already set out; the other half lay on the east side thereof; so the portion of city, Levites, and priests lay in the middle of it.
Of the holy portion; of priests, and Levites, and sanctuary.
Before; it lay parallel, as broad as these three were broad, and so run on both sides in its breadth from north to south, and had its length as the other from east to west, as in this diagram.
The tribe of Judahs portion from west to east.
The tribe of Benjamins portion from west to east.
Over against; what called now over against, or parallel, or by the side all along, is called before three times together. So now you have an exact square of 25,000 cubits laid out for God, the Levites, and city, which appears thus in the breadth:
10,000 for the priests. 10,000 for the Levites. 5,000 for the city.
And the length of each 25,000, that is, some twelve miles and half square.
And the princes portion embracing or bounding all at each end, as a guard and defence both of church and state, of religion and the civil rights, which may fairly be intimated by this assigning him his portion on each end of the other three.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. The prince’s possession is toconsist of two halves, one on the west, the other on the east, of thesacred territory. The prince, as head of the holy community, standsin closest connection with the sanctuary; his possession, therefore,on both sides must adjoin that which was peculiarly the Lord’s[FAIRBAIRN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And a portion shall be for the prince,…. Meaning not the civil magistrate; though he ought to be supported in his dignity and authority, and in such manner that he may be under no temptation to oppress his subjects; and who ought to be, and at this time will be, the protector of the Lord’s people, both in their civil and church state; but the Prince Messiah, of whom see Eze 44:3, to whom God will divide a portion with the great; Jacob shall be his portion, the Heathen his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth his possession,
Isa 53:12:
on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city; on each side, both of the holy portion, in which are the sanctuary, the houses of the priests, and the chambers of the Levites, and also of the city for the house of Israel; so that his portion will lie, or he be placed, on each side both of the church state and civil state of the Lord’s people, and so be the protector of both; he will be a wall of fire round about them, a covert and a hiding place for them; he will be near them, and they to him; he will be on every side of them, and preserve them from persecuting enemies, and false teachers; they shall enjoy his word, his ordinances, and Gospel ministers, and be kept in the utmost peace and prosperity of all kinds; he will protect and defend them, both in their civil and religious liberties, and none shall make them afraid.
Before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city; or rather, “over against” them w, as it is rendered,
Eze 41:15 so, as the possession of the city was over against the holy portion, the portion of the prince was to be over against them both:
from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward; which explains on which sides of them it lay:
and the length shall be over against one of the portions; that is, against everyone of the portions:
from the west border unto the east border; now as there is no measure given to the portion of the prince, but the whole space eastward and westward is left for it, it shows the large extent of Christ’s kingdom; that his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth; his Gospel shall be preached everywhere; the Spirit shall be poured down upon all flesh to make it successful; multitudes shall be everywhere converted, and churches set up in all places; the kingdoms of the world will become Christ’s, even all the Pagan, Papal, and Mahometan nations; Christ will be King over all the earth, and his name shall be one; there will be but one religion everywhere,
Ps 72:8. Some of the Jewish writers interpret this of the King Messiah, to whom they suppose is here allotted the thirteenth part of the land: so Kimchi says,
“to Israel belong twelve parts or portions, and to the prince the thirteenth part; the portion of the prince is as the portion of one of the tribes in length and in breadth, excepting that within the inheritance of the prince should be an oblation,”
as in Eze 45:13, and Maimonides x says,
“the King Messiah takes out of all lands, subdued by the Israelites, one part out of thirteen; and this thing is a statute for him and his sons for ever;”
which seems plainly to refer to this passage in Ezekiel; though there are some who understand him of any anointed king of Israel, as being his right: but the learned Selden y is of opinion that he is speaking of the King Messiah, and has respect to this distribution; and rightly observes, from the same author z, that all that was subdued by him was his own, and he could dispose of it at his pleasure to his servants and soldiers.
w “contra faciem”, V. L. x Hilchot Melachim, c. 4. sect, 8. y De Jure Naturae & Gentium, l. 6. c. 16. z Maimon Hilchot Melachim, c. 4. sect. 10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
THE PORTION OF LAND FOR THE PRINCE OR RULER
Verses 7-25:
Verse 7 describes a territory of Israel’s land-grant that should be allotted to their princes or rulers. Their possessions were to be of two parts: one, on the west should extend the length of the holy parts and to the Mediterranean Sea westward; While two, that part on the east should reach from the length of the holy portion on the east to the Jordan River, Eze 48:20-22; The area of the rulers was bound on the north and south by the tribal territories of Judah and Benjamin, as cited Eze 48:22, defining the territory of the prince of the oppression, as foretold 1Sa 8:14, as described 2Ki 23:5; and as reproved, Jer 22:17; Luk 1:32; Eze 22:27; Eze 46:18.
Verse 8 directs that the Lord’s “princes” or civil rulers should no more oppress His people, as they had from Solomon to the captivity, as Samuel had prophesied they would do, 1Sa 8:10-18; and as history recorded they had done, 1Ki 12:4; 1Ki 12:10-11; 2Ki 23:35. The rest of the land the princes and priests were to see was allotted to the tribes of Israel.
Verse 9 is a call from the Lord God, directed to the princes of Israel to be satisfied with their equitable portion of the land, to remove violence and spoil as a method of their livelihood, and to judge the people with impartial judgment, no more exacting bribes for a fair hearing or resorting to extortion in their civil positions of executions of the law, Eze 44:6; Jer 22:3.
Verse 10 adds that they were to use just balances or scales, and a just ephah, and a just bath in measures of equity, Lev 19:35; Pro 11:1. This just ephah was for dry goods bought and sold, while the just bath was for liquids, as also described, Deu 25:13-15. Contrast this with evil practices of former days, as set forth Hos 12:7; Amo 8:5; Mic 6:10-11; Pro 16:11.
Verse 11 explains that this type of honesty in sales and purchases should extend to purchases and sales in all dealings among the people of Israel. Both the ephah and the bath were each one tenth of the measure of a homer, a larger vessel of measure, Lev 21:16; Num 11:32; 1Ki 4:22; Luk 16:7. The homer contained about 75 gallons, or near 32 pecks. The homer is to be distinguished from the omer of Exo 26:36. For it was only one tenth part of an ephah or bath, making an omer only one-one-hundredth part of an homer.
Verse 12 reestablishes a basis of monetary values because the standard weights were lost when the Chaldeans destroyed the temple; The variuos sizes of the shekels (with 20 making a gerah) were given as in 20, 25, and 15 shekel sizes, with their corresponding weight values. Thus it appears that 60 shekels should weigh the same as a maneh, the largest of the coins, Exo 30:13; Lev 27:25. See also 1Ki 10:17; Ezr 2:69; Neh 7:71-72.
Verses 13-15 describe the offerings that the people should present to the Lord for the expense of holy and Divine worship and service. The oblation that the people should offer, of an homer of barley, one sixth part of an ephah should be given; and the same proportion of an homer of wheat. Then concerning the oil oblation portion to be offered, the part was fixed at one tenth of a bath. With this was to be offered one lamb out of the flock of every two hundred. These were to be offered out of the fat pastures, or very best pastures of Israel, for meat, burnt, and peace offerings on behalf of, or for the purpose of reconciliation of the people with God, Lev 1:4; Rom 5:10; 2Co 5:19; 2Co 5:21; Eph 2:16; Col 1:21.
Verse 16 adds that all the people (of Israel) were to make these gifts directly to the prince, forming a permanent stock from which the prince or civil ruler should be provided to make each necessary sacrifice, on behalf of his nation of Israel, acknowledging that he was only a king-servant over the people of God, v. 17; Dan 9:24.
Verse 17 then directs the king to exercise his part in giving burnt offerings, meat offerings, and drink offerings during the national feasts, new moons, and sabbaths; He too was to prepare a 1) sin offering, 2) the burnt offering, and 3) the peace or thank offerings, for purpose of making reconciliation for the sins of the whole house of Israel, that God might extend mercy, and not judgment upon them, Joh 6:51; 2Co 5:21; Gal 3:13; Col 1:20.
Verse 18 directs Israel that in the first month and on the first day of the month (of the new year) they were to take a young bullock, without blemish (a symbol of the purity of Christ), and use it to cleanse the sanctuary of the Lord in their midst, as provided Lev 16:16; Eze 43:2; Eze 43:26; Heb 9:22-25; Heb 10:3-4. This is an addition to the former Mosaic ritual, a new temple consecration festival.
Verse 19 directs that the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering for cleansing and put it upon: 1) the posts of the house; 2) and upon the four corners of the settles (lower part) of the altar; and 3) upon the posts of the gate of the inner court, Eze 43:20.
Verse 20 further directs he shall follow the same rite on the 7th day of the same month, for or on behalf of, every one that erreth, and for him that is simple, or for sins of ignorance, Lev 4:2; Lev 4:13; Lev 4:27; Psa 19:12; Rom 16:18-19; Heb 5:2.
Verse 21 continues to instruct that on the 14th day of the same first month the passover should be observed, as a feast of seven days, during which time unleavened bread was to be eaten, as also set forth Exo 12:18; Lev 23:5-6; Num 9:2-3; Deu 16:1.
Verse 22 required that on that (14th) day of the first month of the Jewish new year the prince or ruler of Israel was to prepare for himself, and for all the people of the land, a bullock for a sin offering, to acknowledge their sins and their need of forgiveness and reconciliation to God’s favor, wherein they had offended Him, Lev 4:14; 1Jn 1:8-9.
Verse 23 adds that on the following seven days of the postpassover 7 days of the feast, the prince was to prepare and offer on each of the 7 days a burnt offering to the Lord. Seven bullocks and seven rams, each “without blemish,” was to be offered as a burnt offering, and a kid of the goats, daily for a sin offering, Lev 23:3; Num 28:15; Num 29:5.
Verse 24 adds also that the prince was to prepare a meat offering, using an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil to be added to each ephah used in each peace offering, Eze 46:5; Eze 46:7.
Verse 25 concludes that in the seventh month of Tishri or October, and fifteenth day, the prince of the land offer identical sacrifices in the “feast of seven days,” the “Feast of Tabernacles,” Deu 16:13; 2Ki 8:2. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us and we feast on Him, find our hunger satisfied in Him, as the true passover, and eternal, sustaining bread of life, 1Co 5:7-8; Joh 6:49-51; Joh 6:58.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) For the prince.The portion here assigned to the prince included all the land between the northern and southern bounding lines of the oblation continued to the Jordan on the east, and the Mediterranean on the west, not already included within the oblation itself. Two pieces of land are thus given to him, separated from each other by the whole width (47 miles) of the oblation. (See the map under Ezekiel 48)
From the west side westward.The princes position is to adjoin the oblation in its entire width of 25,000 reeds, stretching westward from its western side, and eastward from its eastern side.
The length.Throughout the measurements of the land, length is from east to west; breadth from north to south. The east and west measurement of the princes portion was to be over against i.e., parallel toone of the portions of the tribes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And what is to belong to the prince will be on one side and on the other side of the holy gift and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy gift and the possession of the city on the west side westward and on the east side eastward, and in length comparable to one of the portions from the west border to the east border. As far as the land is concerned it will be to him for a possession in Israel. And my princes will no more oppress my people. But they will give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”
The reference to ‘the prince’ need not necessarily refer to the prince of the house of David. It is neutral. It is to whoever will have the highest lay authority over Israel. But the vision of Israel would be that it did refer to the future successive princes of the house of David who would be God’s servants and shepherds. That was part of their dream, even though it seemingly failed. These princes are to have their own allotted territory in the land. And it will be their permanent inheritance (Eze 46:16-18). But notice the stress on the fact that they are to have no other. While they will exercise some kind of secular authority in the land they are not depicted as overall despotic rulers. The aim is to guarantee security of tenure under God to all who possess land, so that no prince may appropriate it as Ahab did the land of Naboth (1Ki 21:1-16).
The fact that this is placed here confirms that we are to see it as part of the overall picture being painted in Eze 45:1-9. And yet it is not a part of the specific 25000 by 25000 cubit section. On the other hand we must recognise that it does conclude the passage, although also acting as a bridge to what follows. So the picture already presented, which was complete in itself, is now being augmented by the territory of the prince, which is specifically seen as attached to both sides of that portion. The prince too must have His eyes on God.
So, to summarise again. In the total picture the holy portion belongs to God for the residence of His priests. Similarly with the Levite land. The city belongs to the people under God, (and so later, do the tribal lands). Now we learn that whoever is prince over them will also have his own lands, but also under God. That does not mean that he does not have some kind of jurisdiction within the whole land as the leading lay authority, but it emphasises that he was not to consider it as his own possession to do with as he will (see Isa 5:8). He was a prince of the people, not of the land. The land was God’s, and God is supreme.
The principle enunciated here is of vital importance. God’s prince is not to see himself as supreme ruler and lord of all the land, with divine rights to do as he will. He is to have his own lands, but must otherwise recognise the rights of priest and people to their land, all under God’s sovereign control. At the commencement of the monarchy under Saul, David and at first under Solomon, the favoured title for the king was ‘prince/war-leader’ (nagid). Yahweh was king, they were His prince/war-leaders. These princes however are to be nasi’, princes and chiefs, with not quite such high authority, and certainly not kings.
It is especially interesting that these princes have no land within the foursquare land surrounding the sanctuary. Under God’s inspiration Ezekiel saw that as uniquely God’s, and the earthly princes had no part in it. This supports our view that the central portion is somehow to be seen as heavenly. It was directly under God. However, the prince’s land was east and west of it, and bordered on it. Even though not in it, it has the closest possible connection with it on both sides, east and west. This is made clear. Their hearts must be towards God.
But the dimensions of the prince’s land are not so clear. They depend on interpretation. The question is, what is the ‘length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border’. Chapter 48 makes clear that it in fact means from the Great Sea to the Jordan. So Ezekiel’s aim is to connect the prince with the foursquare section around the heavenly temple without him being an essential part of it, just as the prince is given an important though peripheral place in the temple (Eze 44:3). The latter was so as to honour the prince and exalt his status given that he was unable to enter where only priests could go. Thus a similar idea is in mind here. There was no desire to make him prince of the ‘ideal’ foursquare area that belonged to the heavenly temple. It was only future revelation that would make known that the Prince to come was also to be the Great High Priest (interestingly although unconsciously foreshadowed in future ‘history’ when the high priest became also the leader of the people).
It need hardly be stated that these things never came literally into actuality. But then it was not expected that they would. The heavenly temple was not visible to all men, only visible by faith, and the parlous state of the land and of men’s faith would not be conducive to their fulfilment. The people of Ezekiel’s time were on the whole too motivated by the world to seek to fulfil such ideals. It became rather a vision of what would be in the future. And not a practical vision if taken literally. Israel were too wedded to their own ideas and to Jerusalem. But as a vision of a future kingdom with its root in the heavenly temple it was remarkable. And one day Jesus would come proclaiming, ‘the Kingly Rule of God is at hand’, both as a present invisible Kingly Rule on earth with its source in Heaven, and as an everlasting kingdom in a new Heaven and earth where God would be all. And Ezekiel’s vision would become a reality.
At the return from exile things might at first have seemed promising. Zerubbabel, grandson of King Jehoiachin (1Ch 3:19; Mat 1:12), became Israel’s Davidic prince, and there were certainly great expectations concerning him as we have already seen (Hag 2:1-9; Hag 2:20-23). But the people’ minds again became bogged down in Jerusalem, and after Zerubbabel, the history of the princes of the house of David, although not the names, is unknown. It is lost in the mist of the past possibly never to be known. Even when Israel was restored to independence for a while there appears to have been no serious intention of re-establishing the Davidic line, and certainly no princes thought in terms of fulfilling Ezekiel’s vision. To be fair it would have been difficult. They did not know where the heavenly temple was. All they had was a replica on earth. But nor was there the attitude of heart which the vision required. It is true that they did not have the vision which was required to recognise it as referring to a heavenly kingdom, but they did know basically what they had to do, and that was to be obedient to the God of the covenant. And that they were not. Had they been the vision of the heavenly kingdom might have been brought home to the.
‘As far as the land is concerned it will be to him for a possession in Israel. And my princes will no more oppress my people. But they will give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.’ This is the final summary of what is initially to be expected of Israel’s rulers on the return from exile. They are to have their own possession within the land, but they are not to oppress the people. Rather they are to ensure that they receive land in accordance with their tribal numbers. Oppression was to be a thing of the past, and they must rule wisely in combination with the sons of Zadok in order to see the better land.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 45:7. And the length shall be, &c. Shall be answerable to every one of these portions on the west border, and on the east border.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
There is a striking difference in what is said here, between the Prince, and princes. The Prince is evidently spoken of as one particular person. Princes in the plural, differ totally from this identical one. Dan_8:25; Dan_9:25-26 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 45:7 And 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, before the oblation of the holy [portion], and before the possession of the city, from the west 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.
Ver. 7. And a portion shall be for the prince. ] See on Eze 44:3 . Understand it of the civil magistrate, who is lord keeper of both tables of the law, and ought to have a special care of the Church’s welfare. Here his portion is said to lie on both sides of the oblation of the holy portion; and Son 8:9 magistrates are required to hem ministers in with boards of cedar, i.e., to provide for their security, that they may be “without fear among them,” as Timothy. 1Co 16:10
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 45:7-8
7The prince shall have land on either side of the holy allotment and the property of the city, adjacent to the holy allotment and the property of the city, on the west side toward the west and on the east side toward the east, and in length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. 8This shall be his land for a possession in Israel; so My princes shall no longer oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
Eze 45:7-8 The prince shall have land The allotment for the royal leader is described in Eze 45:7-8, which is adjacent to the holy common area for the people.
The purpose of the land is twofold.
1. symbolizes closeness to YHWH
2. symbolizes he is a servant of the people (i.e., outside the common area)
It is also a way of providing status and authority without oppressing the people (cf. Eze 45:9; Eze 22:27; Eze 46:18).
This prince is an administrator fulfilling Isa 9:6-7 and Mic 5:2-5. However, the princes (cf. Eze 45:8-9) are governmental leaders who must be admonished to live and act appropriately. Ezekiel takes seriously the corruption of the leadership which occurred regularly in the past. This very point shows that this does not directly refer to an ideal Messianic period, but future Israeli history. The results of the fall potentially continue and must be guarded against.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
before = in front of.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eze 34:24, Eze 37:24, Eze 46:16-18, Eze 48:21, Psa 2:8, Psa 2:9, Isa 9:5, Isa 9:6, Luk 1:32, Luk 1:33
Reciprocal: Jos 19:49 – gave 1Sa 8:9 – the manner
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 45:7. The measurements of this verse are virtually within the restrictions already Indicated. The added thought is the use to be made of this strip which is for the prince, which means the man in a leading position before the people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 45:7-8. And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side, &c. One-half of the princes portion was to lie on the west side of the three portions laid out for the priests and sanctuary, the Levites and city; and the other half to be on the east side of it, and to run parallel to them in breadth from north to south. And the length shall be over against one of the portions Or, as the words may be more intelligibly rendered, And the length shall be answerable to every one of these portions, both on the west border and on the east; that is, it shall run parallel with them, both on the east and west side. In the land shall be his possession in Israel Or, this shall be his possession of land in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people As they formerly did: for which they are severely reproved: see the margin.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The prince (cf. Eze 44:3) would also receive a special land allotment to the west and to the east of the city portions and the holy areas occupied by the Zadokites and the Levites (cf. Eze 48:21-22). There was no specially designated area in which the kings of Israel lived in former times except the royal palaces, which were much smaller.