Third Section. Ch. 40 48. Final condition of the redeemed people This concluding section of Ezekiel's prophecy is in many ways remarkable, and the main idea expressed by it needs to be carefully attended to. The passage is separated by an interval of twelve or thirteen years from the latest of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_our captivity_ that of Jehoiachin, in which the prophet himself had been carried away (b.c. 597). With the exception of ch. Ezekiel 29:17-21, dating from the 27th year (b.c. 570), these Chapter s are the latest part of the Book. _the beginning of the year_ In post-biblical Heb., the words mean the... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 40:1-27. The outer gateway and court In the 25th year of Jehoiachin's captivity, which was the 14th year after the fall of the city (b.c. 572), the prophet fell into a prophetic trance (Ezekiel 40:1); he seemed transported to the land of Israel and set down upon a high mountain, on which wa... [ Continue Reading ]
_visions of God_ ch. Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:24. _a very high mountain_ The site is the ancient hill of Zion, but it is now exalted above the hills, Isaiah 2:2; Zechariah 14:10, cf. Ezekiel 17:22; Ezekiel 20:40. _by which … frame of a city_ lit. UPON WHICH WAS AS IT WERE A BUILDING OF... [ Continue Reading ]
there was _a man_ The "man" is not to be identified with Jehovah himself, who brought the prophet to him. It is scarcely necessary to enquire who the man is. He is a creation of the prophet's own mind, a living symbol of the revelation of God. This revelation personified has the attributes of Jehova... [ Continue Reading ]
The man, like the Lord himself, addresses the prophet as "child of man," cf. Ezekiel 40:3; Ezekiel 44:5. The prophet is commanded to see and hear and lay to heart all that is revealed to him, for he has to declare it to the house of Israel, Ezekiel 43:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
A wall surrounded the whole temple buildings (Ezekiel 42:20). This wall was a reed broad or thick and a reed high. The reed was six cubits, each cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth, i.e. a handbreadth larger than the lesser cubit in use. This larger cubit was probably about 18 inches, and the reed... [ Continue Reading ]
The threshold. After measuring the surrounding wall the man entered the gateway. On the outside of the entrance, ascending to it, were steps, seven in number, as is stated in connexion with N. and S. gateways (Ezekiel 40:22; Ezekiel 40:26). Thus the gateway was elevated above the ground outside, and... [ Continue Reading ]
The outer gateway on the East side As the Temple lay east and west, the eastern gateway was the natural entrance. Through it Jehovah entered to take up his abode in the new House (Ezekiel 43:4); it was therefore to be kept shut (Ezekiel 44:1-2). The measurements of this gate are given in detail, Ez... [ Continue Reading ]
The guardrooms. Fig. 1 _bb_. every _little chamber_was] And the GUARDROOM WAS sing used collectively. These chambers were used as sentry-boxes or guard-rooms (1 Kings 14:28), where the temple officers were stationed to preserve order and keep the house. Of these guardrooms there were three on each... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses should read: AND HE MEASURED THE PORCH OF THE GATE, EIGHT CUBITS; AND THE POSTS THEREOF, &c the words "within (Ezekiel 40:8) … gate" (Ezekiel 40:9) being omitted. The copyist's eye when he came to the word _gate Ezekiel 40:8_went back to the same word Ezekiel 40:7, the clause following... [ Continue Reading ]
The measurer, having passed through the whole length of the gateway E. to W., and named each particular thing on one side of it, viz. threshold (Ezekiel 40:6), guardroom (Ezekiel 40:7), wall space between guardrooms (Ezekiel 40:7), inner threshold to porch (Ezekiel 40:7), porch and its posts (Ezekie... [ Continue Reading ]
_breadth of the entry_ The "breadth" the measure from N. to S. of the outside entrance was 10 cubits, Fig. 1, _ee, ff;_and this was the breadth of the passage all along, except perhaps before the guardrooms, the barrier in front of which on both sides contracted it from 10 to 8 cubits (Ezekiel 40:12... [ Continue Reading ]
_space … before the little chambers_ A BARRIER BEFORE THE GUARDROOMS, ONE CUBIT, Fig. 1, _fg, hi, kl_. The meaning appears to be that the barrier took away a cubit on each side from the passage, reducing it from 10 to 8 cubits opposite the guard chambers. The height of the barrier would probably not... [ Continue Reading ]
The gate building was 25 cubits across, i.e. from the outside N. to the outside S. The measurement is made from roof to roof of the guardrooms. LXX. read or substituted "wall" for roof. The meaning is clear. The measurement inside was three cubits less, viz. passage 10, a guardroom on each side 6 +... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 40:14 is obscure. In the first place "he made" is suspicious, everywhere else it is "he measured." In the second place the number 60 cubits is incomprehensible. The idea that the "posts" were prolonged into pillars of such a height is altogether improbable. Besides, the "posts" are accuratel... [ Continue Reading ]
Measurement of the whole length of the gate-building, 50 cubits. _the face of the gate_ i.e. the outside front. _face of the porch of the inner gate_ i.e the front of the porch at the inner end of the gate. Either "inner gate" means inner part of the gate, or "inner" means (lying) towards the insi... [ Continue Reading ]
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, wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Measurements of the outer court and remaining gates 17. _outward court_ OUTER court. The prophet passed out of the pathway, where he had hitherto been, into the outer court. Round about on the inside of the surrounding wall of this court (Ezekiel 40:5) was a pavement, probably of stone, Fig. 3, B, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Render: AND THE PAVEMENT WAS BY THE SIDE OF THE GATES, ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE GATES, TO WIT, THE LOWER PAVEMENT. The pavement is called "lower" because the outer court lay below the level of the inner (Ezekiel 40:34); it extended into the court along the whole length of the gateway, and was therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
The "lower" gate is the outer gate (on Ezekiel 40:18). From the inner front of this gate to the outer front of the gate of the inner court facing it was 100 cubits. _east_ward _and north_ward] Or, _on the east and on the north_. The words are loosely appended, the points being stated from which the... [ Continue Reading ]
The dimensions of the N. gate were as those of the E. gate.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the little chambers_ GUARDROOMS. _and the arches thereof_ THE PORCH THEREOF. Probably all the words, guardroom, post, porch, should be read in the sing, as collectives (Heb. text). The difference is unimportant except in regard to "porch.... [ Continue Reading ]
The outer gate was elevated above the ground outside, and reached by a flight of seven steps. _arches thereof_were _before them_ Probably: AND THE PORCH THEREOF WAS TO THE INSIDE, i.e. at the inner end of the gate, looking toward the interior of the whole temple-buildings, cf. Ezekiel 40:31_; Ezeki... [ Continue Reading ]
Render: AND THERE WAS A GATE IN THE INNER COURT, as Ezekiel 40:27, lit _the inner court had a gate_, &c. For "and toward the east" LXX. reads: just as the gate looking toward the east (Ezekiel 40:19).... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the arches_ the PORCH. LXX. more fully: he measured the guardrooms thereof and the posts &c., as Ezekiel 40:29_; Ezekiel 40:33; Ezekiel 40:36_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_arches thereof_ IN THE PORCH thereof.... [ Continue Reading ]
_arches … before them_ THE PORCH THEREOF WAS TO THE INSIDE, cf. Ezekiel 40:22. The palm trees belong exclusively to the "posts," i.e. the jambs of the egress from the porch into the court.... [ Continue Reading ]
The inner court and its gateways The measurement of the outer court was finished at the S. gate. Opposite to this was the S. gate of the inner court at a distance of 100 cubits (Ezekiel 40:27), and the measurement of the inner court naturally begins with the S. gate. The gates of the inner court we... [ Continue Reading ]
_arches thereof_ PORCH thereof.... [ Continue Reading ]
The verse is wanting in LXX. and some MSS., and in others deleted. No object belonging to the gateways has hitherto been mentioned to which the measurements can apply. The verse may have arisen from an inaccurate repetition of the measurements given in previous verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Render: AND THE PORCH THEREOF WAS TOWARD THE OUTER COURT, cf. Ezekiel 40:34_; Ezekiel 40:37_. _palm trees … posts_ Cf. Ezekiel 40:16_; Ezekiel 40:26_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_little chambers … arches_ GUARDROOM … PORCH, the last at least in the sing.... [ Continue Reading ]
_arches thereof_ PORCH.... [ Continue Reading ]
As before for little chambers … arches, read GUARDROOM … PORCH.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the posts … utter court_ Probably: AND THE PORCH THEREOF WAS TOWARD THE OUTER COURT, cf. Ezekiel 40:31_; Ezekiel 40:34_. So LXX. The "posts" are mentioned immediately after, and said to be decorated with palm trees, Ezekiel 40:16_; Ezekiel 40:26; Ezekiel 40:31_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Read: AND A CHAMBER, AND THE ENTRY THEREOF (was) IN THE PORCH OF THE GATE. The plur. _gates_can hardly be right. It is not probable that slaughtering took place at more than one gate. LXX. reads _gate_(sing.) and also _porch_for posts, cf. Ezekiel 40:37. The chamber whose entry was from the porch mu... [ Continue Reading ]
Sacrificial appointments connected with the inner gate. The verses are in some respects obscure. The text of LXX. differs in some points, but is hardly consistent with itself. The arrangements for slaughtering spoken of are of course connected with the inner gateway, but points not clear are: (1) w... [ Continue Reading ]
The verse states what was _in_the porch, in antithesis to Ezekiel 40:38. Possibly the words "to slay thereon" are used generally, not of the actual slaughtering, but of the manipulation of the flesh of the victims. In Ezekiel 40:41 it is said that there were eight tables on which they slew, four of... [ Continue Reading ]
_at the side without_ Side, lit. _shoulder_, is used generally of the side of the gate projecting lengthways into the court (Ezekiel 40:18), or of the side lengthways of a wall (Ezekiel 41:2). According to this interpretation the tables would be at the sides of the gate _in_the inner court. Others t... [ Continue Reading ]
Read: AND THERE WERE FOUR TABLES FOR THE BURNT OFFERING, OF HEWN STONE. The phrase "for the burnt offering" is very indefinite. These stone tables seem too small to slay the offerings upon, and the end of the verse intimates that instruments for slaughtering were laid on the stone tables. _whereupo... [ Continue Reading ]
_within_were _hooks_ The word rendered _hooks_occurs in the sense of cattlepens (Psalms 68:14), a meaning precluded here by the dimension, a handbreadth. Such hooks fitted up "within," i.e. in the porch, might be used for hanging the carcases upon in order to flay them (Targ.). The meaning "hooks" i... [ Continue Reading ]
This _v_. must be corrected according to Ezekiel 40:45 as follows: AND WITHOUT THE INNER GATE WERE TWO CHAMBERS IN THE INNER COURT, ONE AT THE SIDE OF THE N. GATE, AND ITS PROSPECT WAS TOWARD THE S.; AND ONE AT THE SIDE OF THE S. GATE, HAVING ITS PROSPECT TOWARDS THE N. So LXX. The phrase "without t... [ Continue Reading ]
Chambers for the priests who keep the house and serve the altar. Fig. 3, D.... [ Continue Reading ]
_charge of the house_ "House" is used generally of the whole temple buildings. Here those having the charge of the house are called "priests," elsewhere the charge of the house is assigned to the Levites, cf. ch. Ezekiel 44:15-31. This charge embraced several duties: e.g. that of keeping the gates ... [ Continue Reading ]
The other chamber was for the ministrants at the altar; these were the sons of Zadok, Ezekiel 44:15-31.... [ Continue Reading ]
Measurements of the inner court. Lines drawn along the inner fronts of the inner gates, and along the front of the house, gave a square of 100 cubits. In this space stood the altar in front of the house, and being high it could be seen through the gates. The place between the temple and the altar w... [ Continue Reading ]
_post of the porch_ The "post" is as before the front or jamb of the advancing wall on each side of the entrance. This wall was 5 cubits thick. Fig. 2, _ab_. _breadth of the gate_was _three cubits_ The "gate" here means the two bits of wall (N. to S.) on either side, the fronts of which formed the... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 40:48 to Ezekiel 41:4. Measurements of the Temple house, in its three parts, porch, holy place and most holy place 48, 49. The porch. Fig. 2, A.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here "length" is the larger dimension N. to S. (1 Kings 6:3), Fig. 2, _hh_; and breadth the smaller E. to W.; Fig. 2, _bc_. _breadth eleven cubits_ TWELVE cubits, as LXX. The number eleven cannot be reconciled with the other measurements. The length of the house E. to W. was 100 cubits, i.e. 5 (wall... [ Continue Reading ]