Ezekiel 40:1--41:26
twenty-fifth <02568> [In the five.]
On Tuesday, April 20.
after <0310> [after.]
very <06106> [selfsame.]
hand <03027> [hand.]
visions <04759> [the visions.]
There can be little doubt, that the grand outlines of the description of the temple, in the following extraordinary vision, were taken from that of Solomon's, with all the additions made to it in after ages; and we may suppose that Zerubbabel and the other Jews had respect to it, as far as circumstances would permit, in rebuilding the temple after the captivity. There are, however, many circumstances which conclusively shew, that something infinitely superior to either the first or second temple was intended; and that the external description must be considered as a figure and emblem of spiritual blessings. Probably the more immediate accomplishment of the prophecy will be subsequent to the conversion and restoration of the Jews, the destruction of Gog and Magog, and the pouring out of the Spirit, mentioned at the close of the last chapter; but whether there will be any external forms analogous to these cannot be determined, though in some respects it seems improbable.
very <03966> [a very.]
structure <04011> [by. or, upon. as the.]
structure <04011> [frame.]
south <05045> [on the south.]
appearance ... like <04758> [whose.]
cord <06616> [with.]
watch ........... show ............. show ............ see <07200> [behold.]
Tell <05046> [declare.]
wall <02346> [a wall.]
feet <0520> [by.]
measured <04058> [so he.]
gate .............. gate <08179> [unto.]
facing <06440> [which looketh. Heb. whose face was the way. stairs.]
climbed ....... threshold <05592> [threshold.]
10½ feet <07070 0259> [one reed.]
jambs <0352> [the posts.]
alcoves <08372> [the little.]
three ........... three <07969> [they three.]
The entrance into the outer court seems to have been through a porch with doors at both ends; and on each side of this porch were three small chambers, or rooms, for the use of the porters, a reed square in size, with a passage of five cubits between them. The common cubit, termed the "cubit of a man," (De 3:11,) was about 18 inches; but the cubit used by the angel was, as we learn from ch. 43:13, "a cubit and a hand breadth," or about three inches more than the common cubit, that is 21 inches. Hence the measuring reed, which was "six cubits long, by the cubit and the hand breadth," (ver. 5,) must have been about 10« feet
barrier <01366> [space. Heb. limit, or bound.]
gateway <08179> [the gate.]
The whole arch of the east gate, measured from the southern extremity of one room to the northern extremity of the opposite room, was 25 cubits; including the dimensions of the two rooms, or twelve cubits, (ver. 7;) the spaces before the rooms, or two cubits, (ver. 12;) and the breadth of the entrance, ten cubits, (ver. 11;) making all 24 cubits, leaving one cubit for the thickness of the walls.
courtyard <02691> [the court.]
front ..... gate ........ gate <08179 06440> [the face of the gate.]
This was the whole length of the porch, from the outward front, (ch. 41:21, 25,) to the inner side which looks into the first court, (ver. 17,) including the thickness of the walls, (ver. 6,) chambers, (ver. 7,) and spaces between them.
closed <0331> [narrow. Heb. closed.]
alcoves <08372> [the little.]
porches <0361> [arches. or, galleries, or porches.]
within ................. inside <06441> [inward. or, within. palm trees.]
outer <02435> [the outward.]
chambers ............. chambers <03957> [there were.]
thirty <07970> [thirty.]
before ....... front <06440> [unto the.]
exterior <02351> [without. or, from without.]
gate <08179> [the gate.]
faces <06440> [that looked. Heb. whose face was.]
alcoves <08372> [the little.]
porches <0361> [arches. or, galleries, or porches.]
measurement <04060> [after.]
decorative palm trees <08561> [palm trees.]
up <05927> [and they.]
faced ............. in front of <06440> [before them.]
Or, "suitable to them," that is, to the arches of the east gate. The north gate into the outward court, and every thing belonging to it, were exactly the same as the east gate.
gate .......... gate .... inner ........ gate ... gate <08179 06442> [the gate of.]
That is, the gate of the inner court was opposite, and exactly answered to the gate of the outward court, both on the north and east side; and between the gates of the outward and inner court was a space of an hundred cubits.
measured <04058> [and he.]
gate <08179> [and behold.]
measured <04058> [and he.]
dimensions <04060> [according.]
That is, according to the measures of the eastern and northern gates. There does not appear to have been any gates on the west, though the courts seem to have extended to the western wall
windows .......... windows <02474> [windows.]
long <0753> [the length.]
seven <07651> [seven.]
decorative palm trees <08561> [palm trees.]
inner <06442> [in the.]
measured <04058> [and he.]
brought <0935> [he brought.]
As the outward court inclosed the inner, the prophet was led from the south gate of the outward court to the south gate of the inner, which was opposite it, and so into the inner court itself.
dimensions <04060> [according.]
alcoves <08372> [the little.]
The entrance into the inner court seems to have been through a portico, exactly like that at each gate of the outward court; but the ascent was by eight steps, instead of seven.
windows <02474> [and there.]
porches <0361> [the arches.]
These are supposed to have been built over the spaces which separated the little chambers, or porters' lodges.
43¾ ..... 8¾ <02568 06242> [five and.]
43¾ feet .... 8¾ feet <0520 02568> [five cubits.]
Instead of five cubits, it seems evident, from the parallel places, that we should read twenty-five: the word {ˆsrim} appears to have been lost out of the text.
wide <07341> [broad. Heb. breadth.]
decorative palm trees <08561> [and palm.]
eight <08083> [eight.]
inner <06442> [into the.]
87½ <02572> [it was.]
decorative palm trees <08561> [palm trees.]
That is, probably, the capital of each pillar was ornamented with sculpture, representing leaves or branches of the palm tree.
eight steps <04609 08083> [eight steps.]
north <06828> [to the.]
measured <04058> [measured.]
The north gate, as well as the east, was built in the same manner, and of the same dimensions, as the south gate. See the parallel passages.
alcoves <08372> [little.]
jambs .............. jambs <0352> [the posts.]
outer court <02691 02435> [the utter court.]
That is, "the outer court," as the word utter primarily denotes.
chamber <03957> [the chambers.]
washed <01740> [where.]
This place, where the legs and entrails of the sacrifices, especially of the burnt offerings, were washed, was just within the portico of the north entrance to the inner court, or court of the priests. An allusion to this is most probably made by the inspired apostle when writing his Epistle to the Hebrews, at the 10th chapter and 22nd verse. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
tables ........ slaughter <07979 07819> [tables on that.]
burnt offering <05930> [the burnt.]
sin offering <02403> [the sin.]
guilt offering <0817> [the trespass.]
outside ....................... side <03802> [at the side.]
Two tables were on each side, as you come into the porch of the gate; and two on each side of the inner part of the gate that looked towards the altar; in all eight tables, on which they slew and cut up the victims. It does not appear that any such tables were used either in the tabernacle or temple; and this seems to intimate the introduction of a new and more spiritual dispensation: See the referemces.
goes up <05927> [as one goeth up. or, at the step.]
house <01004> [within.]
These were probably for hanging up the victims in order to flay them.
hooks <08240> [hooks. or, end-irons, or, the two hearth-stones. upon.]
inner .......... inner <06442> [the inner.]
chambers <03957> [chambers.]
chamber <03957> [chamber.]
The word chamber probably here denotes a row of chambers, of which there seems to have been three: one for the singers; one for the priests who in their courses took charge of the sacred vessels and treasures; and one for the priests who attended on the altar and sacrifices.
faces <06440> [whose.]
keep <08104> [the keepers.]
charge <04931> [charge. or, ward, or, ordinance, and so ver.]
keep <08104> [the keepers.]
descendants ...... descendants <01121> [these.]
approach <07131> [which come.]
court <02691> [court.]
This was the inner court, or court of the priests, which was of the same dimensions with each division of the outer court; and the altar stood directly before the porch of the temple.
175 ... long ... 175 feet <03967 0520 0753> [an hundred cubits long.]
porch ........... porch <0197> [the porch.]
The length of the porch was twenty cubits, the same as the breadth of the temple, and the breadth eleven cubits, that is, one cubit more than in Solomon's temple. Two bivalve, or folding doors, each leaf of them being three cubits wide, seem to have formed the entrance; which, with five cubits, perhaps of brick or stone work, one each side, called "the post of the porch," amount to sixteen cubits; and the other four cubits may be supposed to have been the distance from these posts to the outside walls of the temple.
steps <04609> [The steps.]
This was a flight of steps which led from the inner court into the temple.
pillars <05982> [pillars.]
brought <0935> [he brought.]
outer sanctuary <01964> [to the temple.]
jambs <0352> [the posts.]
These were probably a sort of door-case on each side of the entrance; and the tabernacle perhaps was a kind of covering to the door, of the same dimensions.
entrance .......... entrance <06607> [the door. or, the entrance.]
This was the door out of the porch into the sanctuary, which seems to have been wider than that from the court to the porch.
length <0753> [the length.]
3½ feet ..... 10½ feet ......... 12¼ feet <08147 0520> [two cubits.]
This was the thickness of the partition wall between the sanctuary (ver. 2) and holy of holies (ver. 4); the breadth of the wall on each side of the gate being seven cubits, and the entrance into the holy place six cubits in width.
35 feet ...... 35 feet <0520 06242> [twenty cubits.]
most holy <06944> [This.]
chambers <06763> [side chamber.]
side chambers ..... stories ........................ side chambers <06763> [one over another. Heb. side chamber over side chamber. thirty in order. or, three and thirty times, or feet.]
We find by Josephus, that around Solomon's temple were chambers three stories high, each story consisting of thirty chambers; which are supposed to have been on the north, south, and east sides of the temple.
offsets <0935> [and they.]
[have held. Heb. be holden.]
supports ......... supports <0270> [but.]
That is, the beams or supporters, of the chambers were not let into the main wall of the temple; but rested on projections of the outer wall, which became a cubit narrower at every story, leaving a ledge of one cubit, to support the beams.
wider <07337> [there was. Heb. it was, made broader, and went round.]
wider <07337> [an enlarging.]
In the same proportion in which the thickness of the wall decreased, the chambers increased, so that the middle story was one cubit larger, and the upper story two cubits larger, than the lower rooms; and a winding staircase, which widened in the same manner as the rooms, ascended from the bottom to the top.
full <04393> [a full.]
8¾ <02568> [was five.]
<03240> [that which.]
This appears to have been a walk, or gallery of communication between the chambers, five cubits broad, into which the doors opened.
chambers <03957> [the chambers.]
As the word rendered chambers is different from that used before, it is supposed there was another row of buildings, parallel with the side chambers, with a passage of twenty cubits between.
width <07341> [and the breadth.]
temple courtyard <01508> [separate.]
wall <07023> [the wall.]
This appears to have been a building erected at the west end of the temple.
measured <04058> [he measured.]
These verses (13-15) seem to intimate, that all the buildings of the temple occupied an area of 100 square cubits.
galleries <0862> [galleries. or, several walks, or walks with pillars.]
interior <06442> [with the.]
narrow <0331> [narrow.]
[ceiled with wood. Heb. ceiling of wood.]
windows .................... ground ..... windows .... windows <02474 0776> [from the ground up to the windows. or, the ground unto the windows. covered.]
Probably either by jutting out of the main wall of the temple; or by lattice work, or curtains, or by both.
entrance <06607> [To that.]
That is, the windows were placed above the height of the door, at the east end of the temple, and thus continued, at the same height, and at measured distances, along both sides of the holy place, to the wall of the inner sanctuary, in which there were no windows.
measurement <04060> [measure. Heb. measures.]
cherubim ............ cherub ... cherub <03742> [with cherubims.]
decorative palm trees .... palm tree <08561> [palm trees.]
cherubim ............ cherub ... cherub <03742> [and every.]
doorposts <04201> [posts. Heb. post.]
altar <04196> [altar.]
This must signify the altar of incense; which, both in the tabernacle and Solomon's temple, was covered with plates of gold. It is very remarkable, that in this temple described by Ezekiel, there is not the least mention of gold or silver, though there was such a profusion of these metals in the former; which may probably imply, that a glory of a more spiritual nature was intended under these emblems.
table <07979> [This is.]
before <06440> [before.]
cherubim <03742> [cherubims.]
