Ezekiel 45 details the division of the holy land, specifying portions for the sanctuary, priests, Levites, city, and prince. It then commands princes to act justly, establishing righteous weights and measures for the people. The chapter concludes by outlining the specific oblations to be offered, emphasizing the prince's role in providing offerings for feasts, new moons, and sabbaths, including rituals for cleansing the sanctuary and observing Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.
¶ 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
¶ 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.
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.
¶ 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:
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Study Notes for Ezekiel 45
Verse 1
This verse introduces the concept of the 'holy portion' (terumah), a sacred area set apart for God, which is a key element of the visionary temple complex. The dimensions (25,000 reeds long, 10,000 wide) emphasize the massive, ideal nature of this future territory.
Verse 2
The sanctuary itself is centrally located within the holy portion. The measurements are given in reeds, indicating a massive scale, with a square area (500 x 500) set aside for the immediate temple structures.
Verse 4
The most sacred part of the land is reserved exclusively for the Zadokite priests, who alone are permitted to 'come near to minister unto the Lord,' reinforcing their unique status established in earlier chapters (Ezek. 44:15-16).
Verse 5
The Levites, who minister to the house but not directly at the altar, are assigned a separate, large portion of land adjacent to the priests', reflecting the graded hierarchy of service within the new temple order.
Verse 6
This dimension describes the area allocated for the capital city itself, situated adjacent to the holy portion. This area is designated for the 'whole house of Israel,' ensuring a common area distinct from the sacred priestly and Levitical territories.
Verse 7
The prince (or ruler) is given a large, clearly defined portion of land that flanks the holy oblation and the city area on both the east and west, positioning him as the guardian and steward of the sacred center.
Verse 8
The promise that princes 'shall no more oppress my people' emphasizes a key theological goal of the restoration: the establishment of just governance, contrasting sharply with the corrupt leadership that led to the exile.
Verse 9
This verse marks a sharp transition from geographical organization to ethical demand. God commands the leaders to prioritize justice and equity, demonstrating that physical holiness must be accompanied by moral righteousness.
Verse 10
The requirement for 'just balances' and standardized measures (ephah for dry goods, bath for liquids) ensures economic fairness and prevents exploitation, linking worship to honest commerce.
Verse 12
This verse standardizes the monetary system, defining the shekel (weight) and the maneh (a larger unit, likely equivalent to 60 shekels in standard practice). The varied shekel weights listed here may represent specific accounting standards for different types of payments.
Verse 13
This section outlines the specific tithes (oblations) the community must provide for the temple services, detailing the fractions of wheat and barley required, ensuring the necessary resources for worship are sustained.
Verse 15
The inclusion of 'to make reconciliation for them' highlights the enduring purpose of the sacrificial system: atonement and restoration of the covenant relationship between God and Israel, even in the ideal future state.
Verse 17
The prince is assigned the responsibility of providing the necessary sacrifices for all communal festivals. This shows the prince's role is liturgical and administrative, not priestly, ensuring the smooth operation of the cult.
Verse 18
This initiates the liturgical calendar, beginning with a purification ritual at the start of the year (Nisan 1). This 'cleansing of the sanctuary' ensures the holiness of the building before the major festivals begin.
Verse 19
The application of the sin offering blood to key physical structures (posts, altar corners, gates) symbolizes the removal of defilement that may have accumulated through human error or contact.
Verse 20
The repetition of the cleansing ritual on the seventh day addresses unintentional sins committed by the ignorant or those who 'err,' underscoring the necessity of continuous purification for the temple complex.
Verse 21
This verse confirms the observance of the traditional Passover (Pesach) and Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzot) on the 14th day of the first month, linking the visionary temple to established Mosaic Law.
Verse 22
The prince is required to provide a sin offering for himself and the people on Passover, reinforcing his mediatory role between the community and God.
Verse 25
The final regulation concerns the Feast of Booths (Sukkot) in the seventh month, mirroring the required offerings for Passover. Ezekiel's calendar emphasizes these two major pilgrimage feasts, omitting the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost).
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