Ezekiel 46:11
And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
Original Language Analysis
וּבַמּוֹעֲדִ֗ים
and in the solemnities
H4150
וּבַמּוֹעֲדִ֗ים
and in the solemnities
Strong's:
H4150
Word #:
2 of 14
properly, an appointment, i.e., a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for
תִּהְיֶ֤ה
H1961
תִּהְיֶ֤ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
3 of 14
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
הַמִּנְחָה֙
the meat offering
H4503
הַמִּנְחָה֙
the meat offering
Strong's:
H4503
Word #:
4 of 14
a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)
לָאֵיפָֽה׃
and an ephah
H374
לָאֵיפָֽה׃
and an ephah
Strong's:
H374
Word #:
5 of 14
an ephah or measure for grain; hence, a measure in general
לַפָּר֙
to a bullock
H6499
לַפָּר֙
to a bullock
Strong's:
H6499
Word #:
6 of 14
a bullock (apparently as breaking forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof)
לָאֵיפָֽה׃
and an ephah
H374
לָאֵיפָֽה׃
and an ephah
Strong's:
H374
Word #:
7 of 14
an ephah or measure for grain; hence, a measure in general
לָאַ֔יִל
to a ram
H352
לָאַ֔יִל
to a ram
Strong's:
H352
Word #:
8 of 14
properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically an oak or other strong tree
יָד֑וֹ
as he is able
H3027
יָד֑וֹ
as he is able
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
11 of 14
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
Cross References
Ezekiel 46:5And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.Ezekiel 46:7And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
Historical Context
Israel's festival calendar (Leviticus 23) structured their worship year around agricultural seasons and redemptive history. After exile, feast observance faced challenges (Nehemiah 8), but Ezekiel's vision promises restored celebratory worship. The prophetic perfect tense suggests certainty of fulfillment.
Questions for Reflection
- How do the appointed feasts' combination of fixed requirements and flexible elements balance divine prescription with human response?
- In what ways should Christians today maintain the memorial and celebratory aspects of worship that festivals embodied?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
In the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram. The Hebrew chaggim u'mo'adim (חַגִּים וּמוֹעֲדִים, 'festivals and appointed times') encompasses annual feasts like Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. The standardized ephah per large animal during these celebrations ensures abundant provision, while to the lambs as he is able to give maintains proportional flexibility. The hin of oil per ephah enriches the offering.
These festivals commemorated God's redemptive acts—Exodus deliverance, Torah giving, wilderness provision. Ezekiel's temple worship retains memorial character while pointing forward to eschatological fulfillment. Colossians 2:16-17 identifies such observances as 'shadows' of Christ, the substance. The feasts' permanence in Ezekiel's vision suggests earthly worship will continue reflecting heavenly realities even in the millennial age.