Ezekiel 44:3

Ezekiel 44:3 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way."
• New King James Version (NKJV)As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”

Context of Ezekiel 44:3

1Then the man took me back to the outer east gate of the holy place, and the gate was shut. 2The Lord said to me, “This gate will stay shut and will not be opened. No one may enter through it because the Lord God of Israel entered through it. It must be kept shut. Only the prince may sit there and eat food in the presence of the Lord. He will enter through the entrance hall of the gateway and leave the same way.” 4The man brought me through the north gate in front of the temple. When I looked, I saw the Lord’s glory fill the Lord’s temple. I immediately bowed down. 5The Lord said to me, “Son of man, pay close attention. Look, and listen to everything I’m going to tell you. Listen to all the rules and regulations for the Lord’s temple. Pay close attention to everyone who enters the temple and leaves from the holy place.

Ezekiel 44:3 word by word

אֶֽת־הַנָּשִׂ֗יא נָ֥שִׂיא ה֛וּא יֵֽשֶׁב־בּ֥וֹ לֶאֱכָל לֶ֖חֶם לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה מִדֶּ֨רֶךְ אֻלָ֤ם הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ יָב֔וֹא וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ יֵצֵֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• for the princeנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
• he shall sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in it to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• he shall enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• of the porchאוּלָם'ûlâm 'ûlâm · PorticoH197
• gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• and shall go outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318

Cross-references for Ezekiel 44:3

• Ezekiel 46:2The prince must enter from the outside through the entrance hall of the gateway. He must stand by the doorposts of the gateway. Then the priests must prepare the prince’s burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He must worship at the entrance of the gateway and then leave. The gate must not be closed until evening.
• 2 Chronicles 23:13She looked, and the king was standing by the pillar at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by his side. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. The singers were leading the celebration with songs accompanied by musical instruments. As Athaliah tore her clothes ⌞in distress⌟, she said, “Treason, treason!”
• 2 Chronicles 34:31The king stood in his place and made a promise to the Lord that he would follow the Lord and obey his commands, instructions, and laws with all his heart and soul. He said he would live by the terms of the promise written in this book.
• Ezekiel 45:22At that time the prince must prepare for himself and for all the common people a young bull as an offering for sin.
• Ezekiel 45:8This land will belong to the prince in Israel. Then my princes will no longer oppress my people. They will give land to each tribe of the nation of Israel.
• Ezekiel 46:18The prince must not take any of the people’s property. He must not force them to give up their property. He must give his own property as an inheritance to his sons so that none of my people will be separated from their property.’ ”
• Ezekiel 34:24I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be their prince. I, the Lord, have spoken.
• Ezekiel 37:25They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They, their children, and their grandchildren will live in it permanently. My servant David will always be their prince.
• Zechariah 6:12Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is the man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is, and he will rebuild the Lord’s temple.
• Genesis 31:54and offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He invited his relatives to eat the meal with him. They ate with him and spent the night on the mountain.
• Exodus 24:9Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s leaders.
• Deuteronomy 12:7There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families will eat and enjoy everything you’ve worked for, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Isaiah 23:18Her profits and her earnings will be turned over to the Lord for his holy purpose. It won’t be stored or hoarded. Her merchandise will belong to those who live in the presence of the Lord so that they will have plenty of food and expensive clothing.
• Isaiah 62:9Those who harvest grain will eat it and praise the Lord. Those who gather grapes will drink wine in my holy courtyards.
• 1 Corinthians 10:18Look at the people of Israel from a human point of view. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices share what is on the altar?
• Revelation 3:20Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 44:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The prince - Foretold under the name of David Ezekiel 34:24. The rabbis understood this to be the Messiah. To eat bread - See Leviticus 2:3; Leviticus 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. The new system gives to the “prince” a privilege which he did not before possess; the prince, as the representative of the Messiah, standing in a higher…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The prince had the special privilege of being the only one allowed to feast in the Lord’s presence inside the east outer gateway. However, he could only enter and leave the portico from the outer court. He was not to enter from outside the temple complex through the gate, as the Lord had. The earthly ruler is a man, not God, and he must submit to God. The prince must also remember that the temple is God’s palace, not his own private chapel.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. the prince--not King Messiah, as He never would offer a burnt offering for Himself, as the prince is to do (Eze 46:4). The prince must mean the civil ruler under Messiah. His connection with the east gate (by which the Lord had returned to His temple) implies, that, as ruling under God, he is to stand in a place of peculiar nearness to God. He represents Messiah, who entered heaven, the true sanctuary, by a way that none other could, namely, by His own…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Desire of All Nations
• Ezekiel
• Leviticus
• Priests and Levites
• Temple

Commentaries on Ezekiel 44

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings