Ezekiel 44:29 - Exposition

To the priests should be allocated, in addition, what already had been assigned them by the Law for their support, the meat (or, meal) offering , consisting of flour, corn, or bread (comp. Le Ezekiel 2:1 -16; 6:16; Numbers 28:12 , Numbers 28:13 ), and the sin offering (see Le 6:25-29; Ezekiel 7:6 ; Numbers 18:9 , Numbers 18:10 ), and the trespass (or, guilt ) offering (comp. Le 7:28-38), and every dedicated (or, devoted ) thing in Israel (see Le Ezekiel 27:21 ; Numbers 18:14 ). The burnt offering is omitted, because it was entirely consumed upon the altar, with the exception of the hide or skin, which under the Law became a perquisite of the officiating priest (Le Ezekiel 7:8 ). That Ezekiel is silent about this, while the requirement of Le 7:30, that the priest should obtain the breast with the right shoulder of every fire offering, goes beyond the prescription of Deuteronomy 18:3 , that the shoulder, two cheeks, and the maw should be the priest's portion, is regarded by Wellhausen and Smend as a proof that Ezekiel stands between Deuteronomy and the priest-code. But as Ezekiel does not condescend upon the particular parts which should be reserved from the fire offerings, it is impossible to say whether he held with the Deuteronomist or the writer of the priest-code, supposing them to be different; and, inasmuch as Le 7:30 speaks of an offerings, by fire that was first paid to Jehovah and by him afterwards handed over to Aaron and his sons, while Deuteronomy 18:3 treats of the dues which should be paid by the people directly to the priests, it is clear that both practices may have existed together instead of the one (the former) coming in as an advance upon the other (the latter); see Keil on Deuteronomy 18:3 .