CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Ezekiel 45
Chapter 45 of 48
Chapter Overview
What happens in Ezekiel 45
God gives instructions for dividing the land. A special holy portion is set apart for the temple, the priests, the Levites, the city, and the prince. The prince is responsible for providing offerings for the festivals.
Scripture
Ezekiel 45
The Holy Portion of Land
Study note
When the land was divided, a special section about eight miles long and six miles wide would be set apart as holy. The temple would be in the center of this section, with land around it for the priests and the Levites. A section would also be set aside for the city and for the prince. This ensured the temple had adequate space and that the prince would have his own land, so he would no longer need to oppress the people to gain wealth.
1 "When you divide the land as an inheritance by drawing lots, set aside a section for the Lord as a holy district. It will be about eight miles long and about six and a half miles wide. The entire area will be considered holy ground." Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.
2 "Inside this holy area, a square plot will be set apart. It will be about eight hundred seventy-five feet on each side. It is for the sanctuary. An open strip about eighty-seven feet wide will ring it." Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof.
3 "From this holy district, measure off a strip about eight miles long and about three and a quarter miles wide. The sanctuary -- the Most Holy Place -- will sit within it." And of 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 most holy place.
4 "This will be the holy portion of the land, reserved for the priests who serve in the sanctuary and who approach the Lord. It will provide space for their homes and a dedicated area for the sanctuary." The 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.
5 "A strip of the same size goes to the Levites. They serve in the temple. It is about eight miles long and three and a quarter miles wide. It gives them towns to live in." And the 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.
6 "Adjacent to the holy district, set aside an area about eight miles long and about one and two-thirds miles wide for the city. This property will belong to all the people of Israel." And 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.
7 "The prince will get land on both sides of the holy area and the city property. It will stretch west from the western edge and east from the eastern edge. It will match the length of one of the tribal shares from border to border." 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.
8 "This land will be the prince's personal property in Israel. My princes will no longer exploit my people. They will allow the rest of the land to be distributed to the tribes of Israel." In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
Honest Weights and Measures
Study note
God commanded the leaders of Israel to stop their violence and oppression and practice justice and righteousness. He established standards for honest weights and measures, including the ephah for dry goods and the bath for liquids, both based on the homer as the standard unit. Fair business practices were a sign of a just society.
9 The Lord God says: "Enough is enough, princes of Israel! Put an end to your violence and oppression. Start doing what is just and right. Stop seizing property from my people by force, says the Lord God." Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
10 "Use honest scales, honest dry measures, and honest liquid measures." Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
11 "The dry measure and the liquid measure should hold the same volume. The liquid bath should hold one-tenth of a homer, and the dry ephah should also hold one-tenth of a homer. The homer will be the standard unit." The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer.
12 "A shekel equals twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will equal one mina." And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.
Offerings and Festivals
Study note
God specified the contributions the people would make to the prince for offerings: grain, oil, and sheep. These were for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings to make atonement for the people. The prince was responsible for providing animals and grain for the major festivals, including Passover and the Festival of Shelters. On the first month, the sanctuary would be purified with the blood of a bull.
13 "Here is the special gift you must give. Take one-sixth of an ephah from every homer of wheat. Take one-sixth of an ephah from every homer of barley." This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley:
14 "The required contribution of olive oil, measured by the bath, is one-tenth of a bath from every cor. One cor equals ten baths, which equals one homer." Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer:
15 "Also set aside one sheep from every flock of two hundred from Israel's green pastures. Use these for grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings to make things right for the people, says the Lord God." And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat 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.
16 "All the citizens of the land must give this special contribution to the prince in Israel." All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.
17 "The prince must supply all the offerings at every feast. He must provide for new moon feasts, Sabbaths, and all set feasts of Israel. He will give sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings. These will make things right for Israel." And 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 prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
18 The Lord God says: "On the first day of the first month, take a young bull with no defects and purify the sanctuary." Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary:
19 "The priest will take blood from the sin offering. He will put it on the temple doorposts. He will put it on the four corners of the altar's upper ledge. He will put it on the posts of the inner yard gate." And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the 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.
20 "Repeat this on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned accidentally or unknowingly. This will purify the temple." And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
21 "On the fourteenth day of the first month, celebrate the Passover. It is a seven-day festival during which only bread made without yeast may be eaten." In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
22 "On that day the prince will provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land." And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.
23 "Each day throughout the seven-day festival, he will provide seven bulls and seven rams, all without defects, as a burnt offering to the Lord. He will also provide a male goat each day as a sin offering." And 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.
24 "Along with each bull and each ram, he will supply one ephah of grain and one hin of oil." And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.
25 "A seven-day feast starts on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The prince will give the same sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and oil." In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast 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.
Key Themes
Themes in Ezekiel 45
The holy portion of landJust leadershipWorship and offeringsFairness and equity
Apply This Today
Living Ezekiel 45
God's instructions included provisions for the prince to lead justly and stop oppressing the people. Leadership that reflects God's character is fair, generous, and puts others first. Whether we lead in our families, workplaces, or communities, God calls us to lead with integrity.
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