Ezekiel 45
45
The Lord’s Portion of the Land
1 “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance, you will offer an allotment#tn Heb “a contribution.” to the Lord, a holy portion from the land; the length will be eight and a quarter miles#tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). The measuring units here are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard miles (one mile = 5,280 feet), with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes. and the width three and one-third miles.#tc The LXX reads “twenty thousand cubits.”tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers). This entire area will be holy.#tn Heb “holy it is in all its territory round about.” 2 Of this area a square 875 feet#tn Heb “five hundred cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters); the phrase occurs twice in this verse. by 875 feet will be designated for the sanctuary, with 87½ feet#tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters). set aside for its open space round about. 3 From this measured area you will measure a length of eight and a quarter miles#tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). and a width of three and one-third miles;#tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers). in it will be the sanctuary, the most holy place. 4 It will be a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary who approach the Lord to minister to him. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.#tc The LXX apparently understood “open land” instead of “sanctuary.” 5 An area eight and a quarter miles#tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). in length and three and one-third miles#tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers). in width will be for the Levites, who minister at the temple, as the place for the cities#tc The translation follows the LXX here. The MT reads “twenty.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:246. in which they will live.
6 “‘Alongside the portion set apart as the holy allotment, you will allot for the city an area one and two-thirds miles#tn Heb “five thousand cubits” (i.e., 2.625 kilometers). wide and eight and a quarter miles#tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). long; it will be for the whole house of Israel.
7 “‘For the prince there will be land on both sides of the holy allotment and the allotted city, alongside the holy allotment and the allotted city, on the west side and on the east side; it will be comparable in length to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border 8 of the land. This will be his property in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress my people, but the land will be allotted to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
9 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Put away violence and destruction, and do what is just and right. Put an end to your evictions of my people,#sn Evictions of the less fortunate by the powerful are described in 1 Kgs 21:1-16; Jer 22:1-5, 13-17; Ezek 22:25. declares the sovereign Lord. 10 You must use just balances,#sn Previous legislation regarding this practice may be found in Lev 19:35-36; Deut 25:13-16; Mic 6:10-12. a just dry measure (an ephah),#tn Heb “ephah,” which was 1/2 bushel. and a just liquid measure (a bath).#tn Heb “bath,” a liquid measure, was 5 1/2 gallons. 11 The dry and liquid measures will be the same, the bath will contain a tenth of a homer,#sn The homer was about 5 bushels as a dry measure and 55 gallons as a liquid measure. and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure. 12 The shekel will be twenty gerahs. Sixty shekels#tn Heb “twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels.” will be a mina for you.
13 “‘This is the offering you must offer: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat; a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley, 14 and as the prescribed portion of olive oil, one tenth of a bath from each kor (which is ten baths or a homer, for ten baths make a homer); 15 and one sheep from each flock of two hundred, from the watered places of Israel, for a grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offering, to make atonement for them, declares the sovereign Lord. 16 All the people of the land will contribute#tn Heb “will be.” to this offering for the prince of Israel. 17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offering, and the drink offering at festivals, on the new moons and Sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel; he will provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.
18 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you must take an unblemished young bull and purify the sanctuary. 19 The priest will take some of the blood of the sin offering and place it on the doorpost of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the doorpost of the gate of the inner court. 20 This is what you must do on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins inadvertently or through ignorance; so you will make atonement for the temple.
21 “‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you will celebrate the Passover, and for seven days bread made without yeast will be eaten. 22 On that day the prince will provide for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. 23 And during the seven days of the feast he will provide as a burnt offering to the Lord seven bulls and seven rams, all without blemish, on each of the seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 He will provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a gallon#tn Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g. of olive oil for each ephah of grain.#tn Heb “ephah.” The words “of grain” are supplied in the translation as a clarification. 25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the feast,#sn That is, the Feast of Temporary Shelters, traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles (Exod 23:16; 34:22; Deut 16:16). he will make the same provisions for the sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering, and for the olive oil, for the seven days.
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1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Ezekiel 45
45
Consecration of the Land
1“When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the Lord, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide.#45:1 LXX; the holy portion was to be approximately 8.3 miles long and 6.6 miles wide (13.3 kilometers long and 10.7 kilometers wide). Hebrew 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 wide. See also verses 3 and 5 and Ezekiel 48:9. This entire tract of land will be holy.
2Within this area there is to be a section for the sanctuary 500 cubits square,#45:2 500 (long) cubits is approximately 875 feet or 266.7 meters. with 50 cubits#45:2 50 (long) cubits is approximately 87.5 feet or 26.7 meters. around it for open land.
3From this holy portion, you are to measure off a length of 25,000 cubits and a width of 10,000 cubits,#45:3 The portion was to be approximately 8.3 miles long and 3.3 miles wide (13.3 kilometers long and 5.3 kilometers wide); similarly in verse 5. and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.#45:3 Or the Holy of Holies 4It will be a holy portion of the land to be used by the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who draw near to minister before the Lord. It will be a place for their houses, as well as a holy area for the sanctuary.
5An adjacent area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide shall belong to the Levites who minister in the temple; it will be their possession for towns in which to live.#45:5 LXX; Hebrew their possession, twenty chambers
6As the property of the city, you are to set aside an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long,#45:6 The property of the city was to be approximately 1.7 miles wide and 8.3 miles long (2.7 kilometers wide and 13.3 kilometers long). adjacent to the holy district. It will belong to the whole house of Israel.
The Prince’s Portion
7Now the prince will have the area bordering each side of the area formed by the holy district and the property of the city, extending westward from the western side and eastward from the eastern side, running lengthwise from the western boundary to the eastern boundary and parallel to one of the tribal portions. 8This land will be his possession in Israel.
And My princes will no longer oppress My people, but will give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes. 9For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease your violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing My people, declares the Lord GOD.’
Honest Scales
10You must use honest scales, a just ephah,#45:10 An ephah is a dry measure of approximately 20 dry quarts or 22 liters. and a just bath.#45:10 A bath was a liquid measure of approximately 5.8 gallons or 22 liters.
11The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer, and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure for both.#45:11 A homer was a dry measure of approximately 6.24 bushels or 220 liters; also in verses 13 and 14.
12The shekel will consist of twenty gerahs.#45:12 20 gerahs is equivalent to one shekel (approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams). Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will equal one mina.#45:12 That is, 60 shekels total; elsewhere, the common mina was 50 shekels. Sixty shekels weighed approximately 1.5 pounds or 683.8 grams.
Offerings and Feasts
13This is the contribution you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley.#45:13 That is, a sixtieth of the harvest of wheat and of barley; a sixth of an ephah was approximately 3.3 dry quarts or 3.7 liters. 14The prescribed portion of oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath from each cor#45:14 That is, one percent of one’s oil; a tenth of a bath was approximately 2.3 quarts or 2.2 liters. (a cor consists of ten baths or one homer, since ten baths are equivalent to a homer). 15And one sheep shall be given from each flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These are for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for the people, declares the Lord GOD.
16All the people of the land must participate in this contribution for the prince in Israel. 17And it shall be the prince’s part to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings for the feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths— for all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings,#45:17 Or purification offerings; also in verses 19, 22, 23, and 25 grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.
18This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary. 19And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. 20You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple.
21On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22On that day the prince shall provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land. 23Each day during the seven days of the feast, he shall provide seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord, along with a male goat for a sin offering. 24He shall also provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin of olive oil for each ephah of grain.#45:24 Literally a hin of oil for each ephah; that is, approximately 0.97 gallons or 3.67 liters of oil for each ephah of grain 25During the seven days of the feast that begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month,#45:25 That is, Sukkot, the autumn feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; also translated as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Shelters and originally called the Feast of Ingathering(see Exodus 23:16 and Exodus 34:22). he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and oil.’[’’]
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