Read & explore together
The Prince’s Offerings
Ezekiel 46:1–18 gives instructions about worship, offerings, movement through the gates, and the prince’s use of property. The passage reads as prophecy and teaching, showing ordered worship before Yahweh and limits placed on the prince.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
In this passage, the Lord Yahweh speaks about the inner east gate, the prince’s offerings, the people’s worship on Sabbaths, new moons, and feasts, a daily burnt offering, and rules for inheritance. The details stay focused on worship and possession within this ordered arrangement.
Ezekiel 46:1–18Main takeaway
This passage presents worship before Yahweh as carefully ordered and shows that the prince’s authority is limited so the people keep their own possession.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01The east gate and Sabbath worshipThe inner east gate is shut on the six working days, but opened on the Sabbath and the day of the new moon.
Explanation
The inner east gate is shut on the six working days, but opened on the Sabbath and the day of the new moon. The prince enters by the porch and worships at the threshold while the priests prepare offerings. The people also worship there before Yahweh on these special days.
02Offerings for Sabbaths and new moonsThe passage names the animals and meal offerings required from the prince. On the Sabbath he offers six lambs and a ram, all without defect.
Explanation
The passage names the animals and meal offerings required from the prince. On the Sabbath he offers six lambs and a ram, all without defect. On the new moon there is also a young bull. Some amounts are fixed, while for the lambs the meal offering is given according as he is able.
03Feast movement and feast offeringsThe prince enters and leaves by the gate’s porch. At the appointed feasts, the people must leave by the opposite gate from the one they used to enter, and the prince goes in and out with them.
Explanation
The prince enters and leaves by the gate’s porch. At the appointed feasts, the people must leave by the opposite gate from the one they used to enter, and the prince goes in and out with them. At these feasts and appointed holidays, the meal offering is an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.
04Freewill and daily offeringsWhen the prince brings a freewill offering, the east gate is opened for him and shut after he leaves.
Explanation
When the prince brings a freewill offering, the east gate is opened for him and shut after he leaves. The passage also commands a daily morning burnt offering of a year-old lamb without defect, with fine flour and oil. This daily offering is described as continual and perpetual.
05Inheritance and the prince’s limitsThe final verses turn from offerings to property. A gift from the prince to his sons remains their inheritance, but a gift to a servant returns to the prince in the year of liberty.
Explanation
The final verses turn from offerings to property. A gift from the prince to his sons remains their inheritance, but a gift to a servant returns to the prince in the year of liberty. The prince must not take the people’s inheritance, so they are not scattered from their possession.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What changes about the east gate on working days, Sabbaths, and new moons?
Compare the gate’s status in Ezekiel 46:1 with what happens while the prince worships in Ezekiel 46:2.
02Which parts of the offerings are fixed, and which part is described as given as he is able?
Look closely at the listed animals and measures in the Sabbath, new moon, and feast instructions.
03How does the passage place a limit on the prince’s power over land?
Notice the difference between gifts to sons, gifts to servants, and what he must not do to the people’s possession.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 46:1–18
1“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
2The prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate outside, and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.
3The people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before Yahweh on the Sabbaths and on the new moons.
4The burnt offering that the prince shall offer to Yahweh shall be on the Sabbath day, six lambs without defect and a ram without defect;
5and the meal offering shall be an ephah for the ram, and the meal offering for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.
6On the day of the new moon it shall be a young bull without defect, six lambs, and a ram. They shall be without defect.
7He shall prepare a meal offering: an ephah for the bull, and an ephah for the ram, and for the lambs according as he is able, and a hin of oil to an ephah.
8When the prince enters, he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and he shall go out by its way.
9“ ‘ “But when the people of the land come before Yahweh in the appointed feasts, he who enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he who enters by the way of the south gate shall go out by the way of the north gate. He shall not return by the way of the gate by which he came in, but shall go out straight before him.
10The prince shall go in with them when they go in. When they go out, he shall go out.
11“ ‘ “In the feasts and in the appointed holidays, the meal offering shall be an ephah for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.
12When the prince prepares a free will offering, a burnt offering or peace offerings as a free will offering to Yahweh, one shall open for him the gate that looks toward the east; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out; and after his going out one shall shut the gate.
13“ ‘ “You shall prepare a lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering to Yahweh daily. Morning by morning you shall prepare it.
14You shall prepare a meal offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour; a meal offering to Yahweh continually by a perpetual ordinance.
15Thus they shall prepare the lamb, the meal offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering.”
16“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons, it is his inheritance. It shall belong to his sons. It is their possession by inheritance.
17But if he gives of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons.
18Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession. He shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people not each be scattered from his possession.” ’ ”