Ezequiel 43
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Ezequiel 43:1-5
43:2 "the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east" We must remember that the glory, or the presence of YHWH, had left, moving east to be with the exiles in Babylon (cf. Ezek. 10:18-22; 11:22-24). Now He is returning to His temple. It is a way of affirming that the ancient covenant had been re-established (cf. Ps. 24:7-10). ▣ "His voice was like the sound of many waters" See notes at Ezek. 1:24 and Rev. 1:15; 14:2; 19:6. ▣ "the earth shone with His glory" The VERB (BDB 21, KB 24, Hiphil PERFECT) is used of the Shekinah Cloud of Glory during the wilderness wandering period (cf. Exod. 13:21; 14:20). This is part of the Aaronic blessing of Num. 6:25. It involved God's face (i.e. intimate presence) to shine in/on those whom He fully accepted. Special Topic: Glory Special Topic: Shekinah 43:3 This vision of the manifested glory of YHWH is the same as in the vision that Ezekiel saw in chapters 1 and 10 (i.e. the portable throne chariot of YHWH). NASB, NRSV, REB, NET "when He came" NKJV, NJB "when I came" "when God came" The MT has "when I came" (בבאי), but some Hebrew manuscripts (six) and the Vulgate have "when he came" (בבאו). There is much confusion in Ezekiel related to the PRONOUNS "I," "you"; "He" and "they." The UBS Text Project, p. 169, gives the MT a "C" rating (considerable doubt). ▣ "I fell on my face" See notes at Ezek. 1:28 and 3:23. 43:5 "the Spirit lifted me up and brought me" See notes at Ezek. 3:12 and 40:1. Special Topic: Spirit in the Bible ▣ "the glory of the Lord filled the house" This was like the Shekinah cloud that came down on Mount Sinai (cf. Exodus 19:16,18,20), the Tabernacle (cf. Exodus 40:34,35), and Solomon's temple (cf. 1 Kgs. 8:10,11; 2 Chr. 5:14; 7:1-2). This is another way of showing that YHWH was present and the covenant was reestablished. Special Topic: Shekinah
Ezequiel 43:6-9
43:6 "I heard one speaking to me from the house" From the next three verses we know it was YHWH Himself who had just returned from Babylon. This seems to imply that Ezekiel thought this message was for the post-exilic community. Surely YHWH does not stay in Babylon. ▣ "while a man was standing beside me" This refers to one of the angel guides (cf. Ezek. 40:3-4). Special Topic: Apocalyptic Literature ▣ "Son of man" See full note at Ezek. 2:1. 43:7 "the place of My throne" Normally YHWH's throne is in heaven, but since the vision of chapters 1 and 10 (YHWH's portable Throne Chariot, cf. Ezek. 1:26; 10:1), the new temple is both His throne (cf. Jer. 3:17; 14:21; 17:12) and His footstool (i.e. the space between the Cherubim on the Ark, cf. 1 Chr. 28:2; Ps. 132; 7: Isa. 66:1; Lam. 2:1). Obviously this is imagery for power and majesty and not meant to be turned into YHWH, the eternal Spirit, actually sitting on a chair/throne! Even Ps. 45:6 probably refers to the coming Davidic descendant (i.e. Messiah, cf. 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17), not God (see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 270-271). Special Topic: Cherubim Special Topic: Ark of the Covenant Special Topic: God Described As Human ▣ "the place of the soles of My feet" Although YHWH lived in heaven, His feet were between the Cherubim (i.e. Jerusalem, Mt. Moriah, cf. Exod. 25:22; Isa. 37:16) above the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies (cf. 1 Chr. 28:2; Ps. 99:5; 132:7; Isa. 60:13). This dedication service of the new temple is very similar to Solomon's in 1 Kings 8 (cf. Isa. 66:1). ▣ "where I will dwell among the sons of Israel" The VERB (BDB 1014, KB 1496, Qal IMPERFECT) is used so often in Deuteronomy of the place God will cause His name to dwell (cf. Deut. 12:11; 14:23; 16:2,6,11; 26:2). This promise is also found in Ezek. 37:26-27. It goes back to Exod. 25:8 (YHWH gave them a detailed pattern of the tabernacle, also Exod. 25:9; 29:45-46). This same covenant language is continued when the coming Messiah is called Emmanuel (i.e. God with us) in Isa. 7:14 (cf. Matt. 1:23). This is another way of showing that the covenant has been reestablished (cf. Ezek. 16:60-63; 37:24-28). YHWH is with His people. Special Topic: Eden ▣ "forever" See Special Topic: Forever ('olam). ▣ "Israel will not defile My holy name" This is a recurrent issue in Ezekiel. YHWH wants His name revealed to the nations, not profaned among them (cf. Ezek. 20:9,14,22,39; 36:21,22; 39:7; 43:7,8)! Israel was meant to be a kingdom of priests, but they turned into a kingdom of idolaters! This will change; a new day is coming! There will be no distinction between Jew and Gentile anymore (cf. Eph. 2:11-3:13). Joel 2:28 has been realized (cf. Acts 2:14-21). Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan Special Topic: "The Name" of YHWH (OT) ▣ "the corpses" This term (BDB 803, KB 910) has several possible meanings. the bodies of dead kings in their tombs/monuments in the vicinity of the temple (cf. Lev. 26:30) the offering of dead bodies to Molech (same consonants as "king"; see Special Topic: Molech) the place and practice of ancestral idolatry (cf. Ezek. 43:8; 8:3,16) The parallelism suggests #3. "when they die" "on their high places" NRSV, JPSOA "at their death" TEV, NJB, Peshitta "by burying the corpses of their dead kings" "with the monuments raised to dead kings" "the murders of their princes in the midst of them" The only difference between the two options is the vowel points of the MT scholars. The Hebrew consonants are the same. The question is, "Does the context refer to idolatry (cf. Ezek. 5:11; 23:36-45) or the monuments (stele) of dead sinful kings?" The The IVP Bible Background Commentary (OT), p. 726, suggests: "These lifeless idols" are probably not corpses but refer to a pagan cult of the dead, similar to that of Lev. 26:30. Ezekiel probably had in mind a veneration of the spirits of Israel's royal ancestors, much like a cult of the royal dead at Ugarit. Whether the kings were considered deified at either place is not clear." Special Topic: Masoretic Text 43:8 "their threshold by My threshold" The IVP Bible Background Commentary (OT), p. 726, has a good explanitory note: "The statement here in verse 8 corresponds with the description of the Solomonic temple in 1 Kings 6-7. The original temple was built as one element of the entire Solomonic palace complex. Only a wall separated the temple and palace, and they bordered "threshold to threshold, and doorpost to doorpost." ▣ "abominations" See Special Topic: Abomination (OT) ▣ "So I have consumed them in My anger" See Special Topic: God Described As Human (anthropomorphism). 43:9-11 There is a series of commands. put away harlotry, Ezek. 43:9, BDB 934, KB 1221, Piel IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense describe/declare, Ezek. 43:10, BDB 616, KB 665, Hiphil IMPERATIVE be ashamed of iniquities, Ezek. 43:10, BDB 483, KB 480, Niphal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense make known to them, Ezek. 43:11, BDB 393, KB 390, Hiphil IMPERATIVE write, Ezek. 43:11, BDB 507, KB 503, Qal IMPERATIVE observe, Ezek. 43:11, BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense 43:9 "Now let them" Ezek. 43:9, 11 show the conditional nature of Ezekiel's covenant, as most covenants in the OT were conditional on mankind's appropriate response to God in repentance, faith, obedience, and perseverance. Special Topic: Covenant ▣ "and I will dwell among them forever" See note at Ezek. 43:7.
Ezequiel 43:10-12
43:10 This elaborate plan of the new temple was meant to remind them of the Exodus (a detailed pattern from YHWH of a place of worship and its procedures, cf. Exodus 25-31; Special Topic: Repentance [OT]) cause them to repent (cf. Ezek. 6:9; 16:61,63; 20:43; 36:31; 43:11) give them an opportunity for obedience (i.e. "and do them," Ezek. 43:11; Special Topic: Keep) "let them measure the plan" NKJV, NRSV "let them measure the pattern" "let them study the plan" "(let them draw up the plan of it)" "let them measure its design" LXX, RSV, NEB "and its appearance and plan" The MT is reflected in the NKJV, NRSV. The UBS Text Project, p. 171, supports the MT over the LXX, but only with a "C" rating (considerable doubt). 43:11 Notice the parallelism between design, BDB 849, KB 1017, only in this chapter, possibly drawing, plan, or form statutes, BDB 349, cf. Ezek. 43:18 laws, BDB 435, cf. Ezek. 43:12(twice) YHWH is giving them a new temple (i.e. to build) and new procedures (i.e. to act on) to test their obedience. They failed the tabernacle test; they failed Solomon's temple test; they will fail Zerubbabel's and Herod's tests also! Only after the new covenant of chapter 36 and the restoration of chapter 37 can Israel be obedient. Special Topic: Terms for God's Revelation
Ezequiel 43:13-17
43:13 "cubit" See Special Topic: Cubit NASB, NKJV, NRSV, JPSOA, LXX, NET "height" "rim" NJB, Peshitta "edge" JPSOA footnote, NET footnote "bulge" The MT has "back" (BDB 146; it suggests "anything that is convex"). back, rim ‒ גב height ‒ גבה (KB 170) The UBS Text Project, p. 173, gives the MT a "C" rating (considerable doubt). This term relates to the rim of the altar. 43:15 "and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns" There are numerous references to the four horns (i.e. like cow horns) of the sacrificial altar in the OT (cf. Exod. 27:2; 29:12; 30:10; 1 Kgs. 1:50; 2:28). Even the incense altar had four horns. This was the most holy part of the sacrificial altar on which a small portion of the blood was smeared (cf. Exod. 29:12; Lev. 4:7,18,25; 9:9; Ezek. 43:20) before the rest was poured out at the base of the altar of sacrifice. Special Topic: Altar of Sacrifice Special Topic: Altar of Incense 43:16 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NEt "altar hearth" "the top of the altar" REB, JPSOA, NJB "hearth" LXX, Peshitta "the altar" The MT has BDB 72, KB 87 I, which occurs only here in vv. 15,16. KB suggests a related form which denotes an altar for burnt sacrifices.
Ezequiel 43:18-21
43:18 This clearly states that the altar was for the purpose of atonement (i.e. Lev. 1:5,11; 3:2,8,13), not a memorial (cf. Ezek. 45:15, 17, 20). This is superseded by the NT book of Hebrews (esp. Heb. 9-10), which sees Jesus as the last sacrifice needed to atone for mankind's sin. Special Topic: The Superiority of the New Covenant Over the Mosaic Covenant 43:19 Originally, only the family of Aaron could act as priests serving the altar, but in the post-exilic period there was not enough of this family to serve so other Levitical families begn to share the task. Special Topic: Levitical Priests 43:20 "cleanse it" This VERB (BDB 306, KB 305, Piel PERFECT with waw) is repeated in Ezek. 43:22 (twice) and the Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT in Ezek. 43:23. The Piel denotes cleansing by means of a blood sacrifice (cf. Lev. 8:15; Ezek. 45:18) as does the next VERB "make atonement" (BDB 497, KB 493, Piel PERFECT with waw, cf. Ezek. 43:26; 45:20). The altar must be inaugurated with a blood sacrifice (cf. Lev. 16:18). Ezekiel was very familiar with Levitical rituals.
Ezequiel 43:22-27
43:24 "salt" Usually salt was put with the grain offerings (cf. Lev. 2:13) and here with blood offerings. Because of Ezek. 6:9 it possibly was put on all offerings. It was a symbol of the Israelite's covenant with YHWH (cf. Num. 18:19; 2 Chr. 13:5). Special Topic: Salt 43:25 "for seven days" This purification and dedication procedure parallels Exod. 29:35-37; Lev. 8:33-36. Holy things had to have a special initiation and also rigid procedures for maintaining their holiness. The Mosaic legislation (and also that of Ezekiel) was keen on maintaining a strict separation between the holy and the mundane, the clean and the unclean. This ritual separation reflected their theology of the world and life, the physical and spiritual. ▣ "goat" Goats were not used in the Mosaic system for dedication offerings. 43:26 "so shall they consecrate it" This is literally "fill the hands" (BDB 569, KB 583, Piel PERFECT with waw; cf. Exod. 29:24). 43:27 "peace offering" This was the fellowship meal where God symbolically ate with the offerer (Leviticus 3). It was eaten in the temple setting and is a foreshadowing of the Lord's Supper. Special Topic: Peace Offering ▣ "I will accept you, declares the Lord God" This was the purpose of Ezekiel's sacrificial cultus (i.e. reunite sinful national Israel with their holy God). Ezekiel sees it in terms of ancient sacrificial ritual (i.e. Leviticus 1-7). Remember, he was a trained priest. The VERB (BDB 953, KB 1280, Qal PERFECT) is also used in Ezek. 20:40,41 of an accepted sacrifice. Because YHWH was with His people, purity, holiness, ceremonial cleanness must be maintained!