Ezekiel 40:16

The description of the gateway building concludes with a ref. to the way in which it was lighted.

narrow windows Heb. closed, i.e. fastened, not capable of being opened like ordinary windows (2 Kings 13:17). Windows were usually openings with lattice-work. Here they may have been loop-holed, widening out toward the inside. For little chambers, guardrooms.

to their posts i.e. those of the guardrooms. The ref. is to the 5 cubit thick wall fronts between the guardrooms. Cf. Ezekiel 40:10.

to the arches Probably: and to the porch there of, i.e. of the gate. There are three words in this chapter which need to be distinguished: (1) "post" (ail), the meaning of which is certain from Ezekiel 40:9. It means the front face (thickness) of a wall that projects forward (Ezekiel 40:9), especially the jamb (on each side) of an entrance, e.g. Ezekiel 40:48, of the entrance to the porch of the house, and Ezekiel 41:3 of the entrance to the house itself, cf. 1 Kings 6:31. It seems also certainly used of the front (thickness) of any wall that springs forward, the side of which bounds a space, and so of the fronts of the walls which bounded the guardrooms (previous note and Ezekiel 40:10). (2) The second is "porch" (ulam), the meaning of which is also clear. It refers to the large apartment which lay at the inner end of the outer gate (Ezekiel 40:8), and at the outer end of the inner gate, and also to the apartment which formed the outmost of the three divisions of the house (Ezekiel 40:48). (3) The third word is that rendered "arch" (ailam), R.V. marg., colonnade. The term occurs only in this chapter. The punctuators always make it plur., though the text appears to make it sing.: except Ezekiel 40:16; Ezekiel 40:30 (fem. plur.; in Ezekiel 41:15 mas. pl. of ulam). These plurals are of doubtful authenticity. In regard to the word it appears, (1) that it is clearly distinguished from "post" (ail), Ezekiel 40:21; Ezekiel 40:24; Ezekiel 40:29; Ezekiel 40:33; Ezekiel 40:36. (7) The LXX. does not know the pronunciation ulam, uniformly transliterating ailam. (3) Even Heb. uses ailamin the sense of ulam(porch), e.g. certainly Ezekiel 40:31; Ezekiel 40:34; Ezekiel 40:37 (and probably Ezekiel 40:23; Ezekiel 40:26), where it is said that the "porch" (ailam) was towards the outer court There is no evidence that the word has any other sense than "porch." The pronunciation ailam (êlam) is Assyr. also, the word meaning "anything in front" (Frd. Del., Baer Ezek.).

and windows Probably: and the windows.

each postwere palm trees The "post" here is that of Ezekiel 40:9, viz. the wall front or jamb on each side of the egress from the porch into the outer court, Fig. 1, no. This alone was decorated with palm trees.