The Meaning of Ezekiel 46:9 Explained

Ezekiel 46:9

KJV: But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.

YLT: And in the coming in of the people of the land before Jehovah at appointed times, he who hath come in the way of the north gate to bow himself, goeth out the way of the south gate, and he who hath come in the way of the south gate, goeth out by the way of the north gate: he doth not turn back the way of the gate by which he came in, but over-against it he goeth out.

Darby: And when the people of the land come in before Jehovah in the set feasts, he that cometh in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that cometh in by the way of the south gate shall go out by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate by which he came in, but shall go out straight before him.

ASV: But when the people of the land shall come before Jehovah in the appointed feasts, he that entereth by the way of the north gate to worship shall go forth by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth straight before him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But when the people  of the land  shall come  before  the LORD  in the solemn feasts,  he that entereth  in by the way  of the north  gate  to worship  shall go out  by the way  of the south  gate;  and he that entereth  by the way  of the south  gate  shall go forth  by the way  of the north  gate:  he shall not return  by the way  of the gate  whereby he came in,  but shall go forth  over against  it. 

What does Ezekiel 46:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When the people living in the Promised Land came to worship on the appointed feasts (Passover and Tabernacles, cf. Ezekiel 45:21-25), they were to enter the outer court by either the north or south outer gate complexes. There was no gate on the west side, and the outer east gate would be sealed (cf. Ezekiel 44:1-2). When they finished worshipping, they should depart from the opposite gate from which they entered, not the same one. This would result in an orderly traffic pattern during these crowded times (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:33).

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 46

1  Ordinances for the prince in his worship
9  and for the people
16  An order for the prince's inheritance
19  The courts for boiling and baking

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 46:9 mean?

But when come the people of the land before Yahweh on the appointed feast [days] whoever enters by way of the gate north to worship shall go out of the gate south and whoever enters shall go out of gate The north not He shall return by way of the gate through which he came in but through the opposite gate - shall go out
וּבְב֨וֹא עַם־ הָאָ֜רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֮ בַּמּֽוֹעֲדִים֒ הַבָּ֡א דֶּרֶךְ־ שַׁ֨עַר צָפ֜וֹן לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֗ת יֵצֵא֙ שַׁ֣עַר נֶ֔גֶב וְהַבָּא֙ יֵצֵ֖א שַׁ֣עַר צָפ֑וֹנָה לֹ֣א יָשׁ֗וּב דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֣א ב֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִכְח֖וֹ [יצאו] (יֵצֵֽא)

וּבְב֨וֹא  But  when  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עַם־  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֜רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָה֮  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בַּמּֽוֹעֲדִים֒  on  the  appointed  feast  [days] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
הַבָּ֡א  whoever  enters 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
דֶּרֶךְ־  by  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
שַׁ֨עַר  of  the  gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
צָפ֜וֹן  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֗ת  to  worship 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
יֵצֵא֙  shall  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
שַׁ֣עַר  of  the  gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
נֶ֔גֶב  south 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
וְהַבָּא֙  and  whoever  enters 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יֵצֵ֖א  shall  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
שַׁ֣עַר  of  gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
צָפ֑וֹנָה  The  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
יָשׁ֗וּב  He  shall  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
דֶּ֤רֶךְ  by  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙  of  the  gate 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
אֲשֶׁר־  through  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּ֣א  he  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
נִכְח֖וֹ  through  the  opposite  gate 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: נׄכַח  
Sense: be in front of adv.
[יצאו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
(יֵצֵֽא)  shall  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.