Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it: Seven days are the same seven days referred to in the previous verses. The pronoun they refers to the priests. This clause summarizes the purpose of the activities on those seven days, namely, to make atonement for the altar and purify it, that is, make it ritually clean. For make atonement, see verse 20.

And so consecrate it states the result of those activities. In Hebrew this clause is literally “and they shall fill its hands” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh footnote). This figurative expression is used in Exo 28.41 to refer to the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests. It refers to the action of setting a person or object apart for God and making the person or object ready for God’s use. This clause may be rendered “In this way they will make it ready for my use” (similarly Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .