Ezekiel 40:1--41:26

Vision of the New Temple

40:1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city ¹  was struck down, on this very day, ²  the hand ³  of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there. ⁴  40:2 By means of divine visions ⁵  he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, ⁶  and on it was a structure like a city, to the south. 40:3 When he brought me there, I saw ⁷  a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand. He was standing in the gateway. 40:4 The man said to me, “Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention ⁸  to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you. ⁹  Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”

40:5 I saw ¹⁰  a wall all around the outside of the temple. ¹¹  In the man’s hand was a measuring stick 10½ feet ¹²  long. He measured the thickness of the wall ¹³  as 10½ feet, ¹⁴  and its height as 10½ feet. 40:6 Then he went to the gate facing east. He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate as 10½ feet deep. ¹⁵  40:7 The alcoves were 10½ feet long and 10½ feet wide; between the alcoves were 8¾ feet. ¹⁶  The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward was 10½ feet. 40:8 Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward as 10½ feet. 40:9 He measured the porch of the gate as 14 feet, ¹⁷  and its jambs as 3½ feet; ¹⁸  the porch of the gate faced inward. 40:10 There were three alcoves on each side of the east gate; the three had the same measurement, and the jambs on either side had the same measurement. ¹⁹  40:11 He measured the width of the entrance of the gateway as 17½ feet, ²⁰  and the length of the gateway as 22¾ feet. ²¹  40:12 There was a barrier in front of the alcoves, 1¾ feet ²²  on either side; the alcoves were 10½ feet ²³  on either side. 40:13 He measured the gateway from the roof of one alcove to the roof of the other, a width of 43¾ feet ²⁴  from one entrance to the opposite one. 40:14 He measured ²⁵  the porch ²⁶  at 105 feet ²⁷  high; ²⁸  the gateway went all around to the jamb of the courtyard. 40:15 From the front of the entrance gate to the porch of the inner gate was 87½ feet. ²⁹  40:16 There were closed windows toward the alcoves and toward their jambs within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. There were windows all around the inside, and on each jamb were decorative palm trees. ³⁰ 

40:17 Then he brought me to the outer court. I saw ³¹  chambers there, and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. 40:18 The pavement was beside the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. 40:19 Then he measured the width from before the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court as 175 feet ³²  on the east and on the north.

40:20 He measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces north. 40:21 Its alcoves, three on each side, and its jambs and porches had the same measurement as the first gate; 87½ feet ³³  long and 43¾ feet ³⁴  wide. 40:22 Its windows, its porches, and its decorative palm trees had the same measurement as the gate which faced east. Seven steps led up to it, and its porch was in front of them. 40:23 Opposite the gate on the north and the east was a gate of the inner court; he measured the distance from gate to gate at 175 feet. ³⁵ 

40:24 Then he led me toward the south. I saw ³⁶  a gate on the south. He measured its jambs and its porches; they had the same dimensions as the others. 40:25 There were windows all around it and its porches, like the windows of the others; ³⁷  87½ feet ³⁸  long and 43¾ feet ³⁹  wide. 40:26 There were seven steps going up to it; its porches were in front of them. It had decorative palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 40:27 The inner court had a gate toward the south; he measured it from gate to gate toward the south as 175 feet. ⁴⁰ 

40:28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate; it had the same dimensions as the others. 40:29 Its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches had the same dimensions as the others, and there were windows all around it and its porches; its length was 87½ feet ⁴¹  and its width 43¾ feet. ⁴²  40:30 There were porches all around, 43¾ feet ⁴³  long and 8¾ feet ⁴⁴  wide. 40:31 Its porches faced the outer court, and decorative palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.

40:32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side. He measured the gate; it had the same dimensions as the others. 40:33 Its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches had the same dimensions as the others, and there were windows all around it and its porches; its length was 87½ feet ⁴⁵  and its width 43¾ feet. ⁴⁶  40:34 Its porches faced the outer court, it had decorative palm trees on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.

40:35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it; it had the same dimensions as the others – 40:36 its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches. It had windows all around it; its length was 87½ feet ⁴⁷  and its width 43¾ feet. ⁴⁸  40:37 Its jambs ⁴⁹  faced the outer court, and it had decorative palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

40:38 There was a chamber with its door by the porch of the gate; ⁵⁰  there they washed the burnt offering. 40:39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on either side on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. 40:40 On the outside of the porch as one goes up at the entrance of the north gate were two tables, and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. 40:41 Four tables were on each side of the gate, eight tables on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. 40:42 The four tables for the burnt offering were of carved stone, 32 inches ⁵¹  long, 32 inches ⁵²  wide, and 21 inches ⁵³  high. They would put the instruments which they used to slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them. 40:43 There were hooks ⁵⁴  three inches ⁵⁵  long, fastened in the house all around, and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

40:44 On the outside of the inner gate were chambers for the singers of the inner court, one ⁵⁶  at the side of the north gate facing south, and the other at the side of the south ⁵⁷  gate facing north. 40:45 He said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple, ⁵⁸  40:46 and the chamber which faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the descendants of Zadok, from the descendants of Levi, who may approach the Lord to minister to him.” 40:47 He measured the court as a square 175 feet long and 175 feet wide; ⁵⁹  the altar was in front of the temple.

40:48 Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured the jambs of the porch as 8¾ feet ⁶⁰  on either side, and the width of the gate was 24½ feet ⁶¹  and the sides ⁶²  were 5¼ feet ⁶³  on each side. 40:49 The length of the porch was 35 feet ⁶⁴  and the width 19¼ feet; ⁶⁵  steps ⁶⁶  led up to it, and there were pillars beside the jambs on either side.

The Inner Temple

41:1 Then he brought me to the outer sanctuary, and measured the jambs; the jambs were 10½ feet ⁶⁷  wide on each side. 41:2 The width of the entrance was 17½ feet, ⁶⁸  and the sides ⁶⁹  of the entrance were 8¾ feet ⁷⁰  on each side. He measured the length of the outer sanctuary as 70 feet, ⁷¹  and its width as 35 feet. ⁷² 

41:3 Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance as 3½ feet, ⁷³  the entrance as 10½ feet, ⁷⁴  and the width of the entrance as 12¼ feet ⁷⁵  41:4 Then he measured its length as 35 feet, ⁷⁶  and its width as 35 feet, ⁷⁷  before the outer sanctuary. He said to me, “This is the most holy place.”

41:5 Then he measured the wall of the temple ⁷⁸  as 10½ feet, ⁷⁹  and the width of the side chambers as 7 feet, ⁸⁰  all around the temple. 41:6 The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty in each story. There were offsets in the wall all around to serve as supports for the side chambers, so that the supports were not in the wall of the temple. 41:7 The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story; ⁸¹  for the structure ⁸²  surrounding the temple went up story by story all around the temple. For this reason the width of the temple increased as it went up, and one went up from the lowest story to the highest by the way of the middle story.

41:8 I saw that the temple had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full measuring stick ⁸³  of 10½ feet ⁸⁴  high. 41:9 The width of the outer wall of the side chambers was 8¾ feet, ⁸⁵  and the open area between the side chambers of the temple 41:10 and the chambers of the court was 35 feet ⁸⁶  in width all around the temple on every side. 41:11 There were entrances from the side chambers toward the open area, one entrance toward the north, and another entrance toward the south; the width of the open area was 8¾ feet ⁸⁷  all around.

41:12 The building that was facing the temple courtyard at the west side was 122½ feet ⁸⁸  wide; the wall of the building was 8¾ feet ⁸⁹  all around, and its length 157½ feet. ⁹⁰ 

41:13 Then he measured the temple as 175 feet ⁹¹  long, the courtyard of the temple and the building and its walls as 175 feet ⁹²  long, 41:14 and also the width of the front of the temple and the courtyard on the east as 175 feet. ⁹³ 

41:15 Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, with its galleries on either side as 175 feet. ⁹⁴ 

The interior of the outer sanctuary and the porch of the court, ⁹⁵  41:16 as well as the thresholds, narrow windows and galleries all around on three sides facing the threshold were paneled with wood all around, from the ground up to the windows (now the windows were covered), 41:17 to the space above the entrance, to the inner room, and on the outside, and on all the walls in the inner room and outside, by measurement. ⁹⁶  41:18 It was made with cherubim and decorative palm trees, with a palm tree between each cherub. Each cherub had two faces: 41:19 a human face toward the palm tree on one side and a lion’s face toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple all around; 41:20 from the ground to the area above the entrance, cherubim and decorative palm trees were carved on the wall of the outer sanctuary. 41:21 The doorposts of the outer sanctuary were square. In front of the sanctuary one doorpost looked just like the other. 41:22 The altar was of wood, 5¼ feet ⁹⁷  high, with its length 3½ feet; ⁹⁸  its corners, its length, ⁹⁹  and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.” 41:23 The outer sanctuary and the inner sanctuary each had a double door. 41:24 Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging ¹⁰⁰  leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. 41:25 On the doors of the outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and palm trees, like those carved on the walls, and there was a canopy ¹⁰¹  of wood on the front of the outside porch. 41:26 There were narrow windows and decorative palm trees on either side of the side walls of the porch; this is what the side chambers of the temple and the canopies were like.

[40:1]  ¹ sn That is, Jerusalem.

[40:1]  ² tn April 19, 573 b.c.

[40:1]  ³ tn Or “power.”

[40:1]  ⁴ sn That is, to the land of Israel (see v. 2).

[40:2]  ⁵ tn The expression introduces the three major visions of Ezekiel (1:1; 8:3; 40:2).

[40:2]  ⁶ tn The reference to a very high mountain is harmonious with Isa 2:2.

[40:3]  ⁷ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[40:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your mind on.”

[40:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “in order to show (it) to you.”

[40:5]  ¹⁰ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[40:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[40:5]  ¹² tn Heb “a measuring stick of six cubits, [each] a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Therefore the measuring stick in the man’s hand was 10.5 feet (3.15 meters) long. Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.

[40:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “building.”

[40:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “one rod [or “reed”]” (also a second time in this verse, twice in v. 6, three times in v. 7, and once in v. 8).

[40:6]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “the one threshold 10½ feet deep.” This is probably an accidental duplication of what precedes. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:517.

[40:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters) according to the “long” cubit. See the note on the first occurrence of the phrase “10½ feet” in v. 5.

[40:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “eight cubits” (i.e., 4.2 meters).

[40:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).

[40:10]  ¹⁹ sn The three alcoves are parallel to the city gates found at Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer.

[40:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).

[40:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “thirteen cubits” (i.e., 6.825 meters).

[40:12]  ²² tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).

[40:12]  ²³ tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).

[40:13]  ²⁴ tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:14]  ²⁵ tn Heb “made.”

[40:14]  ²⁶ tc The MT reads “jambs” which does not make sense in context. Supposing a confusion of yod for vav, the text may be emended to read “porch.” See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:518.

[40:14]  ²⁷ tn Heb “sixty cubits” (i.e., 31.5 meters).

[40:14]  ²⁸ tn The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for sense.

[40:15]  ²⁹ tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).

[40:16]  ³⁰ sn Decorative palm trees were also a part of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 6:29, 32, 35).

[40:17]  ³¹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[40:19]  ³² tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[40:21]  ³³ tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).

[40:21]  ³⁴ tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:23]  ³⁵ tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[40:24]  ³⁶ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[40:25]  ³⁷ tn Heb “as these windows.”

[40:25]  ³⁸ tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).

[40:25]  ³⁹ tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:27]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[40:29]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).

[40:29]  ⁴² tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:30]  ⁴³ tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:30]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).

[40:33]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).

[40:33]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:36]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).

[40:36]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).

[40:37]  ⁴⁹ tc The LXX reads “porches.”

[40:38]  ⁵⁰ tc The MT reads “jambs of the gates” which does not make sense in a context discussing one chamber. The emendation to “porch” is similar to v. 14. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:530.

[40:42]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).

[40:42]  ⁵² tn Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).

[40:42]  ⁵³ tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).

[40:43]  ⁵⁴ tc This reading is supported by the Aramaic Targum. The LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac read “shelves” or some type of projection.

[40:43]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “one handbreadth” (7.5 cm).

[40:44]  ⁵⁶ tn “One” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for clarity in the translation.

[40:44]  ⁵⁷ tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”

[40:45]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “the house.”

[40:47]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, a square” (i.e., 52.5 meters by 52.5 meters).

[40:48]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).

[40:48]  ⁶¹ tn The LXX reads “fourteen cubits” (i.e., 7.35 meters). See following note.

[40:48]  ⁶² tc The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “the width of the gate was three cubits,” the omission due to haplography.

[40:48]  ⁶³ tn Heb “three cubits” (i.e., 1.575 meters).

[40:49]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).

[40:49]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “eleven cubits” (i.e., 5.775 meters).

[40:49]  ⁶⁶ tc The LXX reads “ten steps.”

[41:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).

[41:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).

[41:2]  ⁶⁹ tc The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “the width of the gate was three cubits,” the omission due to haplography.

[41:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).

[41:2]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “forty cubits” (i.e., 21 meters).

[41:2]  ⁷² tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).

[41:3]  ⁷³ tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).

[41:3]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).

[41:3]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “seven cubits” (i.e., 3.675 meters).

[41:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).

[41:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).

[41:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “house” throughout Ezek 41.

[41:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).

[41:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “four cubits” (2.1 meters).

[41:7]  ⁸¹ tc The Hebrew is difficult here. The Targum envisions a winding ramp or set of stairs, which entails reading the first word as a noun rather than a verb and reading the second word also not as a verb, supposing that an initial mem has been read as vav and nun. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:549.

[41:7]  ⁸² tn The Hebrew term occurs only here in the OT.

[41:8]  ⁸³ tn Heb “reed.”

[41:8]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).

[41:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).

[41:10]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).

[41:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).

[41:12]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “seventy cubits” (36.75 meters).

[41:12]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).

[41:12]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “ninety cubits” (i.e., 47.25 meters).

[41:13]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[41:13]  ⁹² tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[41:14]  ⁹³ tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[41:15]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).

[41:15]  ⁹⁵ tc Some Hebrew mss read “and its outer court.”

[41:17]  ⁹⁶ tc The LXX does not have the word “by measurements.” The word may be a technical term referring to carpentry technique, the exact meaning of which is unclear.

[41:22]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “three cubits” (i.e., 1.575 meters).

[41:22]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).

[41:22]  ⁹⁹ tc So the Masoretic text. The LXX reads “base.”

[41:24]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “turning” leaves.

[41:25]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “railings.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:218.