Ezekiel 43:26
Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.
Seven days shall they purge the altar, and purify it,.... Which denotes the perfect purity and sanctification of it; which how to be applied to Christ, See Gill on "Ezekiel 43:20";
and they shall consecrate themselves: the priests shall consecrate themselves, or devote themselves to the service of the altar; so Gospel ministers to the ministry of a crucified Christ: or they themselves should consecrate the altar by the above rites: or rather it may be literally rendered,
and they shall fill its hands, or "their own hands" {b}; that is, either they shall fill the sides of the altar with sacrifices, as much as it could hold; or the hands of the priests with parts of the sacrifice, or with gifts, as a token of their being inaugurated into, and invested with, the priestly office: so Gospel ministers should have their hands full of, or be filled with, the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and with the knowledge of Christ, his person, offices, grace, righteousness, and sacrifice, that they may minister unto others.
{b} There is a double reading of the words; the Cetib or textual reading is wdy, "its hand"; the Keri or marginal reading is
wydy, "their own hands".