Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Ezekiel 46:9

in Ezekiel 46

When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship must go out by the south gate, and whoever enters by the south gate must go out by the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each must go out by the opposite gate.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But when the people of the land shall come before Jehovah in the appointed feasts, he that entereth by the way of the north gate to worship shall go forth by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth straight before him.

KJV

But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.

⋯

This verse in Ezekiel 46

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The worshippers were on the great feasts to pass from one side to the other, through the temple courts, in order that, in such a throng as should attend the festivals, the ingress and egress should be the more unimpeded, those going out not being in the way of those coming in.

This site's exposition

go in through the portico of the gateway

on Ezekiel 46:8-10

The prince goes in “through the portico of the gateway” and goes “out the same way”. At the feasts “whoever enters by the north gate to worship must go out by the south gate”. When the people enter, “the prince shall go in with them”.

This site's exposition

each must go out by the opposite gate

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explain the rule by the festival crowds, so that those leaving would not meet those arriving. The north and south gates of the outer court were measured in 40:20 to 27. Each worshipper crosses the whole court.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Ezekiel · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verse 9) And when the people of the land enter in the presence of the Lord on the appointed festivals, the one who enters through the north gate to worship shall exit through the south gate, and the one who enters through the south gate shall exit through the north gate. They shall not return through the gate they entered, but rather shall exit opposite it. But the people only enter and exit the markets and solemnities: and not through the same path, but through one and then another.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

13 ) and not to look back, and, in our attendance upon ordinances, not to go back as we came, but more holy, and heavenly, and spiritual. It is appointed that the people shall worship at the door of the east gate, where the prince does, he at the head and they attending him, both on the sabbath and on the new moons (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number

But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the solemn feasts,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

He that entereth in by the way of the north, etc. - As the north and the south gates were opposite to each other, he that came in at the north must go out at the south; he that came in at the south must go out at the north. No person was to come in at the east gate, because there was no gate at the west; and the people were not permitted to turn round and go out at the same place by which they came in; for this was like turning their backs on God, and the decorum and reverence with which public worship was to be conducted would not admit of this. Besides, returning by the same way must have occasioned a great deal of confusion, where so many people must have jostled each other, in their meetings in different parts of this space.
The whole body of the people gathered together in the outer court, and from thence bodies went in turn into the inner court to worship, and then again out into the outer court.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

The prince When he enters the Temple Court through the southern wicket of the Heichal to prostrate himself, he too must make the Temple Court a short-cut.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Ezekiel 46:10:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And the prince shall be in their midst: when they enter, he shall enter; and when they exit, they shall exit together.
Targum · Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel 46:10, via Sefaria, Sefaria Community Translation

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

33 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וּבְב֨וֹאand when comes

    uvevo'H935 →2568 times

  • עַם־[the] people of

    ʾam-H5971 →1873 times

  • הָאָ֜רֶץthe land

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before

    lifneiH6440 →2123 times

  • יְהוָה֮Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • בַּמּֽוֹעֲדִים֒at the appointed times

    bamoadimH4150 →223 times

  • הַבָּ֡אthe [one who] comes

    haba'H935 →2568 times

  • דֶּרֶךְ־[the] way of

    derekh-H1870 →707 times

  • שַׁ֨עַר[the] gate of

    shaarH8179 →374 times

  • צָפ֜וֹן[the] north

    tzafonH6828 →153 times

  • לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֗תto bow down

    lehishtachavotH7812 →172 times

  • יֵצֵא֙he will go out

    yetze'H3318 →1067 times

  • דֶּרֶךְ־[the] way of

    derekh-H1870 →707 times

  • שַׁ֣עַר[the] gate of

    shaarH8179 →374 times

  • נֶ֔גֶב[the] south

    negevH5045 →112 times

  • וְהַבָּא֙and the [one who] comes

    vehaba'H935 →2568 times

  • דֶּרֶךְ־[the] way of

    derekh-H1870 →707 times

  • שַׁ֣עַר[the] gate of

    shaarH8179 →374 times

  • נֶ֔גֶב[the] south

    negevH5045 →112 times

  • יֵצֵ֖אhe will go out

    yetze'H3318 →1067 times

  • דֶּרֶךְ־[the] way of

    derekh-H1870 →707 times

  • שַׁ֣עַר[the] gate

    shaarH8179 →374 times

  • צָפ֑וֹנָהnorth -ward

    tzafonahH6828 →153 times

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • יָשׁ֗וּבhe will return

    yashuvH7725 →1056 times

  • דֶּ֤רֶךְ[the] way of

    derekhH1870 →707 times

  • הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙the gate

    hashaarH8179 →374 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־which

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • בָּ֣אhe came

    ba'H935 →2568 times

  • ב֔וֹby it

    vo

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • נִכְח֖וֹopposite it

    nikhchoH5227 →25 times

  • יֵצֵֽא׃he will go out

    yetzeu'H3318 →1067 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Deuteronomy 16:16Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed.10 worksExodus 34:23Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.3 works2 Peter 2:20–21If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.3 worksExodus 23:14–17Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.3 worksPsalms 84:7They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.3 worksEzekiel 40:24Then he led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway facing south. He measured its side pillars and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others.3 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Hebrews 10:38But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”2 worksEzekiel 1:17As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.2 worksMalachi 4:4“Remember the law of My servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him for all Israel at Horeb.2 worksPhilippians 3:13–14Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,2 worksEzekiel 8:14Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.2 worksEzekiel 1:12Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Deuteronomy 16:16

    Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 3:9–10

      Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;

    • Psalms 96:8

      Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and enter His courts.

    • Haggai 1:9

      You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you…

    • Exodus 23:14–17

      Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.

    • Matthew 2:11

      On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…

  • Through

    Psalms 84:7

    They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 4:18

      The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.

    • 2 Corinthians 3:18

      And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

    • Isaiah 40:31

      But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

About Ezekiel

Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel: the study guide →Read Ezekiel 46 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.

Read on in Ezekiel 46 →