Ezekiel Chapter 43 verse 26 Holy Bible
Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it.
read chapter 43 in ASV
For seven days they are to make offerings to take away sin from the altar and to make it clean; so they are to make it holy.
read chapter 43 in BBE
Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it, and consecrate it.
read chapter 43 in DARBY
Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.
read chapter 43 in KJV
read chapter 43 in WBT
Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it.
read chapter 43 in WEB
Seven days they purify the altar, and have cleansed it, and filled their hand.
read chapter 43 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 26. - They shall purge the altar. Smend thinks it strange that only the purification of the altar should be mentioned here, while that of the sanctuary is referred to later (Ezekiel 45:18), and finds in this an explanation (at least, perhaps) of the fact that in Exodus 29:36 only the consecration of the Mosaic altar - not of the Mosaic tabernacle - is reported. He conceives it likely that the author of Exodus 29:36 copied Ezekiel, but does not explain why Ezekiel may not have copied the author of Exodus 29:36. And they shall consecrate themselves; more correctly, they - i.e. the priests - shall consecrate it; literally, fill its hand. The phrase, מִלֵּאיָד, "to fill one's hand," sc. with gifts, occurs with reference to Jehovah (Exodus 32:29; 1 Chronicles 29:5; 2 Chronicles 29:31). It is also employed in the sense of filling the hand of another, as e.g. of a priest, with sacrificial gifts, when he is instituted into his sacred office (Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:9; Leviticus 21:10; comp, Leviticus 8:27). Here the hand to be filled is that of the altar, which is personified for the purpose (compare the use of the terms "bosom" and "lip" in connection with the altar). The meaning is that the altar, at its consecration, should have a plentiful supply of gifts, to symbolize that the offering of such gifts was the work for which it was set apart, and that it should never be without them.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(26) Shall consecrate themselves.--Our version has here followed the Masoretic emendation of the text; the literal translation of the text itself is, shall fill its hand, referring to the altar. To "fill the hand" is a synonym for consecration, commonly applied to the priests, who were consecrated by placing in their hands the gifts they were to offer to God. Here it is better to keep to the text as it stands, "filling the hand of the altar" being a strong figurative expression to denote that it shall always be supplied with sacrificial gifts. Nothing is said throughout the passage of the consecration of the priests, the whole family of Aaron having been consecrated once for all by the ceremonies of Leviticus 8.
