The big picture
Ezekiel 45 opens in verse 1 with “Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 13 with “This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of…”, and closes in verse 25 with “In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the…” Repeated or prominent terms include offering, ephah, five, holy, Israel. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Ezekiel · King James Version · 25Ezekiel 45:1-7
1–7: Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall…
Ezekiel 45:1–7 opens with “Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto…” and reaches “And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 45 develops its own movement around offering, ephah, five, holy, Israel, with particular weight carried by holy, five, length.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD , an holy…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Ezekiel 45:1-7
King James Version1Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD , an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.
2Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof.
3And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place.
4The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the LORD : and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary.
5And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.
6And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.
7And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward: and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border.
Ezekiel 45:8-14
8–14: In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no…
Ezekiel 45:8–14 opens with “In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people…” and reaches “Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 45 develops its own movement around offering, ephah, five, holy, Israel, with particular weight carried by homer, bath, ephah.
Context that brings the passage to life
“In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD ; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Ezekiel 45:8-14
King James Version8In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
9Thus saith the Lord GOD ; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD .
10Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
11The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer.
12And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.
13This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley:
14Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer:
Ezekiel 45:15-21
15–21: One lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures…
Ezekiel 45:15–21 opens with “And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat…” and reaches “In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 45 develops its own movement around offering, ephah, five, holy, Israel, with particular weight carried by offering, month, offerings.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Ezekiel 45:15-21
King James Version15And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD .
16All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.
17And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
18Thus saith the Lord GOD ; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary:
19And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
20And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
21In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
Ezekiel 45:22-25
22–25: Upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the…
Ezekiel 45:22–25 opens with “And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a…” and reaches “In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 45 develops its own movement around offering, ephah, five, holy, Israel, with particular weight carried by offering, seven, days.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Ezekiel 45:22-25
King James Version22And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.
23And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD , seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering.
24And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.
25In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Ezekiel 45:1 begins with “Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD , an holy portion of the land: the length shall be…”
Where the chapter turns
Ezekiel 45:13 forms a natural hinge: “This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of…”
The final note
Ezekiel 45:25 leaves the reader with “In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words offering, ephah, five, holy, Israel, twenty help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What two explanations does Joseph hold together?
His brothers sold him, and God worked through the events to preserve life.
How does reconciliation become practical?
Joseph provides food, a place to live and transport for the whole household.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.