Ezekiel 40:1-47

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.

[40:1]  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).