Ezekiel 44:3
in Ezekiel 44Only the prince himself may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He must enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before Jehovah; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
KJV
It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
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This verse in Ezekiel 44
Commentary
13 notes on this verseSuch is the greatness of his goodness and the prince of his mercy, that even though he alone sits at the closed door and eats bread before the Lord, he desires to have more companions at his table and feast, and says: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone opens to me, I will enter in and dine with him, and he with me' (Rev. 3:20). But he alone eats bread in the presence of the Lord, because his substance and divine nature are separate from all the substances of creatures.
This site's exposition
the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east
on Ezekiel 44:1-3
The east gate is to remain shut, and “no man shall enter through it” since the God of Israel has entered by it. Only the prince may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD, entering and leaving by the portico.
This site's exposition
Only the prince himself
Albert Barnes connects him with the David of 34:24 and notes that the rabbis took him to be the Messiah. Matthew Henry records a view that he was a high priest. Others point to 45:22, where the prince offers a sin offering for himself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
As the priest does not eat his food in the house or in any other place, except in the Holy of Holies, so does my Savior eat the bread, and no one can eat with him.
(Chapter 44, verses 1 onwards) And he brought me back to the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces eastward and was closed. And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be closed and shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered (or will enter) by it; it shall be closed for the prince. The prince himself shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord.
Christ himself is a virgin, and his mother is also a virgin; though she is his mother, she is a virgin still. For Jesus has entered in through the closed doors, and in his tomb—a new one hewn out of the hardest rock—no one is laid either before him or after him.… Mary is the east gate, spoken of by the prophet Ezekiel, always shut and always shining and either concealing or revealing the Holy of Holies.
Each one of us asks for "daily bread" and when asking for "daily bread" does not receive either the same bread or the same measure. So without ceasing, thanks to pure prayers and a clean conscience, in the works of justice, we eat daily bread. And if anyone is less pure, he eats the daily bread in another way.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Without seed the Son of God was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and in the Virgin's womb he formed for himself a fleshly body, animate with a reasonable and intelligent soul. From it [he came] forth in one substance but in two natures, perfect God and perfect man. It preserved undefiled, even after birth, the virginity of her that bore him. Being made of like passions with ourselves in all things, yet without sin, he took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. For, since by sin death entered into the world, he who was to redeem the world had to be without sin, and not by sin subject to death.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The Lord - That glory which was the visible sign of his presence. He - The king might sit before the Lord, others might not. Bread - That part of the sacrifice, which was allowed to the offerer.
Some by the prince here understand the high priests, or the sagan or second priest; and that he only was allowed to enter by this gate, for he was God's representative. Christ is the high priest of our profession, who entered himself into the holy place, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
It is for the prince: the prince shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The prince - Foretold under the name of David Eze 34:24. The rabbis understood this to be the Messiah. To eat bread - See Lev 2:3; Lev 24:9; according to the old Law these feasts belonged only to the priests; none of the rest of the congregation, not even the king, might partake of them.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
He represents Messiah, who entered heaven, the true sanctuary, by a way that none other could, namely, by His own holiness; all others must enter as sinners by faith in His blood, through grace. eat bread before the Lord--a custom connected with sacrifices (Ge 31:54;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנָּשִׂ֗יא | hanasi' | the prince | H5387 → | 134 times |
| נָ֥שִׂיא | nasi' | prince | H5387 → | 134 times |
| ה֛וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יֵֽשֶׁב־ | yeshev- | he will sit | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בּ֥וֹ | bo | in it | ||
| לֶאֱכָל | leekhol- | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִדֶּ֨רֶךְ | miderekh | from [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֻלָ֤ם | ʾulam | [the] porch of | H197 → | 34 times |
| הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ | hashaar | the gate | H8179 → | 374 times |
| יָב֔וֹא | yavo' | he will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ | umidarko | and from way its | H1870 → | 707 times |
| יֵצֵֽא׃ | yetze' | he will go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנָּשִׂ֗יאthe prince
hanasi'H5387 →134 times
נָ֥שִׂיאprince
nasi'H5387 →134 times
ה֛וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
יֵֽשֶׁב־he will sit
yeshev-H3427 →1079 times
בּ֥וֹin it
bo
לֶאֱכָלto eat
leekhol-H398 →810 times
לֶ֖חֶםbread
lechemH3899 →298 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִדֶּ֨רֶךְfrom [the] way of
miderekhH1870 →707 times
אֻלָ֤ם[the] porch of
ʾulamH197 →34 times
הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙the gate
hashaarH8179 →374 times
יָב֔וֹאhe will come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹand from way its
umidarkoH1870 →707 times
יֵצֵֽא׃he will go out
yetze'H3318 →1067 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 34:24I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:28
Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And…
- Ezekiel 37:27
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.
- Ezekiel 36:28
Through
Ezekiel 37:25They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 37:24
My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.
- Amos 9:15
I will firmly plant them in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God.
- Ezekiel 37:24
Through
Ezekiel 46:2The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to bow in…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 46:8
When the prince enters, he shall go in through the portico of the gateway, and he shall go out the same way.
- Ezekiel 46:8
Through
Genesis 31:54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
it leads to
- Exodus 18:12
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
- Exodus 18:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; Jerome, LETTER 48.21; John Damascene, BARLAAM AND JOSEPH 7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 14:3 and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.