The Meaning of Ezekiel 46:2 Explained

Ezekiel 46:2

KJV: And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, 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 forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.

YLT: and come in hath the prince the way of the porch of the gate at the outside, and he hath stood by the post of the gate, and the priests have made his burnt-offering, and his peace-offerings, and he hath bowed himself by the opening of the gate, and hath gone forth, and the gate is not shut till the evening.

Darby: And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate from without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall offer his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate, and shall go forth: but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.

ASV: And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate without, 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 forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the prince  shall enter  by the way  of the porch  of [that] gate  without,  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 forth;  but the gate  shall not be shut  until the evening. 

What does Ezekiel 46:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

On these special days, the prince would lead the people in worship. He would enter the inner east gate complex and stand in its vestibule. Evidently he will not be able to enter the inner court because he will not be a priest (cf. Numbers 28:3-8), but he will be able to view the inner court and the altar from the doorway at the western end of the gate complex. The vestibule would be the site of his worship as he presented his burnt and peace offerings (symbolizing his personal dedication and his gratitude for God"s fellowship respectively). After he finished worshipping, he would depart from that gate into the outer court, but the gate would remain open until the evening.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 46

1  Ordinances for the prince in his worship
9  and for the people
16  An order for the prince's inheritance
19  The courts for boiling and baking

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 46:2 mean?

And shall enter the prince by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside and stand by post the gatepost and shall prepare the priests - his burnt offering and his peace offerings and He shall worship at the threshold of the gate and he shall go out but the gate not shall be shut until evening
וּבָ֣א הַנָּשִׂ֡יא דֶּרֶךְ֩ אוּלָ֨ם הַשַּׁ֜עַר מִח֗וּץ וְעָמַד֙ עַל־ מְזוּזַ֣ת הַשַּׁ֔עַר וְעָשׂ֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים אֶת־ עֽוֹלָתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־ שְׁלָמָ֔יו וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוָ֛ה עַל־ מִפְתַּ֥ן הַשַּׁ֖עַר וְיָצָ֑א וְהַשַּׁ֥עַר לֹֽא־ יִסָּגֵ֖ר עַד־ הָעָֽרֶב

וּבָ֣א  And  shall  enter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַנָּשִׂ֡יא  the  prince 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
דֶּרֶךְ֩  by  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אוּלָ֨ם  of  the  vestibule 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אוּלָם  
Sense: porch.
הַשַּׁ֜עַר  of  the  gateway 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
מִח֗וּץ  from  the  outside 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
וְעָמַד֙  and  stand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
מְזוּזַ֣ת  post 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מְזוּזָה  
Sense: doorpost, gatepost.
הַשַּׁ֔עַר  the  gatepost 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
וְעָשׂ֣וּ  and  shall  prepare 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֽוֹלָתוֹ֙  his  burnt  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
שְׁלָמָ֔יו  his  peace  offerings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלֶם  
Sense: peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship.
וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוָ֛ה  and  He  shall  worship 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
עַל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִפְתַּ֥ן  the  threshold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִפְתָּן  
Sense: threshold.
הַשַּׁ֖עַר  of  the  gate 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
וְיָצָ֑א  and  he  shall  go  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וְהַשַּׁ֥עַר  but  the  gate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
יִסָּגֵ֖ר  shall  be  shut 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעָֽרֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.