Ezekiel 46:20 - Exposition

The "place" was designed as a kitchen where the priests should boil the trespass and the sin offerings and bake the meat (or, meal) offering, i.e. cook the portions of the sacrifices they should eat in their official capacity (see Ezekiel 42:13 ). The Law of Moses (Le 8:31) required the flesh to be boiled (and probably also the flour to be baked) at the tabernacle door. The last clause, that they , i.e. the priests, bear them, i.e. the offerings, not out into the utter (or, outer) court, to sanctify the people , is by most interpreters understood in the sense of Ezekiel 44:19 (which see). To this, however, Kliefoth objects that the conception of deriving ceremonial sanctity from contact with such offerings is completely strange to the Old Testament (see Haggai 2:12 ), and accordingly he connects the words. "to sanctify the people," with the "baking" and "boiling" of the preceding clause.