Bible Strands
Ezekiel 46:8
When the prince enters, he shall go in through the portico of the gateway, and he shall go out the same way.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet Ezekiel conveys a divine directive to the exiled community regarding regulated temple access. The instruction addresses the prince’s specific route during sanctuary operations.
The words — The Hebrew term אוּלָם (ulam) denotes the porch or portico of the gate, marking the transitional threshold into the sacred area. The verbs יָב֔וֹא (yavo) and יֵצֵֽא (yetze) establish a fixed entry and exit pattern for the prince.
The thread — This restriction on the prince’s movement parallels the directional mandates for the people in Ezekiel 46:9 and echoes the access protocol in Ezekiel 46:2. The closed east gate in Ezekiel 44:1 further reinforces the theme of controlled sanctuary entry.
Why it lands — The text requires strict adherence to prescribed pathways, eliminating personal choice in navigating sacred space. It establishes that access to divine presence operates under fixed boundaries rather than individual preference.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 46:2 The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to bow in worship at the threshold of the gate and then depart, but the gate must not be shut until evening.
- Ezekiel 44:1 The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut.
- Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.