English · ASV

Ezekiel 40

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Vision of the New Temple Begins 1–4

1
In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me thither. ​
2
In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south. ​
3
And he brought me thither; and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. ​
4
And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall show thee; for, to the intent that I may show them unto thee, art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel. ​

Measuring the Outer Wall and East Gate 5–19

5
And, behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a handbreadth each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. ​
6
Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the steps thereof: and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed broad; and the other threshold, one reed broad.
7
And every lodge was one reed long, and one reed broad; and the space between the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
8
He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.
9
Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
10
And the lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
11
And he measured the breadth of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
12
and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
13
And he measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a breadth of five and twenty cubits; door against door.
14
He made also posts, threescore cubits; and the court reached unto the posts, round about the gate.
15
And from the forefront of the gate at the entrance unto the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.
16
And there were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches; and windows were round about inward; and upon each post were palm-trees. ​
17
Then brought he me into the outer court; and, lo, there were chambers and a pavement, made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement. ​
18
And the pavement was by the side of the gates, answerable unto the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.
19
Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, a hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north. ​

Measuring the Outer Court Gates 20–27

20
And the gate of the outer court whose prospect is toward the north, he measured the length thereof and the breadth thereof. ​
21
And the lodges thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
22
And the windows thereof, and the arches thereof, and the palm-trees thereof, were after the measure of the gate whose prospect is toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them. ​
23
And there was a gate to the inner court over against the other gate, both on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.
24
And he led me toward the south; and, behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.
25
And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
26
And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them; and it had palm-trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.
27
And there was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.

Measuring the Inner Court Gates 28–37

28
Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; ​
29
and the lodges thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
30
And there were arches round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
31
And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof: and the ascent to it had eight steps. ​
32
And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures;
33
and the lodges thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
34
And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
35
And he brought me to the north gate: and he measureditaccording to these measures;
36
the lodges thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof: and there were windows therein round about; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
37
And the posts thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

Sacrificial Facilities and Priestly Chambers 38–47

38
And a chamber with the door thereof was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt-offering. ​
39
And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt-offering and the sin-offering and the trespass-offering. ​
40
And on the one side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.
41
Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew the sacrifices.
42
And there were four tables for the burnt-offering, of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt-offering and the sacrifice.
43
And the hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened within round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the oblation.
44
And without the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south; one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.
45
And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house; ​
46
and the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Jehovah to minister unto him. ​
47
And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was before the house. ​

Measuring the Temple Vestibule (Porch) 48–49

48
Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. ​
49
The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; even by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Ezekiel 40

Verse 1

the city was smitten — The verb is nakah, the same as in Ezek 33:21, where an escaped man came to Ezekiel in 'the twelfth year of our captivity' with the report, 'The city is smitten.' This vision comes fourteen years after that fall. 'The hand of the LORD was upon me' is Ezekiel's own phrase for the LORD's hand laid upon him (Ezek 1:3; 3:22; 33:22).

Verse 2

In the visions of God — The same words open the book, 'I saw visions of God' (Ezek 1:1), and mark his earlier carrying to Jerusalem (Ezek 8:3). Here he is set 'upon a very high mountain' in 'the land of Israel', with 'the frame of a city' (mibneh, found only here) before him. Faithful readers differ on whether the temple is to be built or is a figure; the text gives measures.

Verse 3

like the appearance of brass — There is a man 'like the appearance of brass', and in Daniel's vision the arms and feet were 'like in colour to polished brass' (Dan 10:6). He holds 'a line of flax' (pethil, a cord) and 'a measuring reed' and stands in the gate. The measuring man returns in Ezek 47:3, in Zech 2:1–2 and with the 'golden reed' of Rev 21:15.

Verse 4

declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel — Ezekiel is told to see, hear and 'set thine heart', then to declare. The purpose is stated in Ezek 43:10: 'shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.' The command is repeated at Ezek 44:5, 'mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears'.

Verse 5

a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth — The cubit used is 'the cubit and an hand breadth', the longer measure that the altar uses in Ezek 43:13. The wall round the house is 'one reed' broad and 'one reed' high. Ezek 42:20 gives the purpose of such a wall, 'to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place'.

Verse 16

narrow windows — Atam, to close or make narrow, describes windows set in bevelled frames. Solomon's temple had them: 'windows of narrow lights' (1 Kings 6:4), and the new house has 'narrow windows and palm trees' on the porch (Ezek 41:26). The palm trees on the posts are repeated at the gates in vv.22, 26, 31, 34 and 37.

Verse 17

the outward court — The outer court has thirty chambers on a 'pavement' (ritspah, a tessellated floor) round about. 'Outward' here is the Hebrew word the KJV renders 'utter' in v.31, and 'utter court' in Ezek 42:1. Rev 11:2 speaks of 'the court which is without the temple'.

Verse 19

an hundred cubits eastward and northward — The space from the 'lower gate' to the front of the inner court is a hundred cubits, the same figure as the inner court's own length and breadth in v.47. It is measured toward the east and toward the north, where the outer gates stand.

Verse 20

the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north — The north gate of the outer court is measured in length and breadth like the east gate; v.21 gives the figures, 'fifty cubits' by 'five and twenty', and says its chambers, posts and arches were 'after the measure of the first gate'. The east gate was the first (v.6), then the north, then the south (v.24).

Verse 22

by seven steps — Maalah is a step or degree; it is the word behind the 'degrees' in the titles of Psalms 120–134, 'A Song of degrees'. The outer gates are climbed by seven steps (v.26), the inner by eight (vv.31, 34). The windows, arches and palm trees follow 'the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east'.

Verse 28

the inner court by the south gate — The inner court has three gates, south (v.28), east (v.32) and north (v.35), each measured 'according to these measures' (middah), as the outer ones were. Each inner gate stands 'over against' an outer one, a hundred cubits from it (v.23). The word 'measures' is the one used of the reed in v.3.

Verse 31

eight steps — The inner gates are reached by eight steps, one more than the outer gates' seven (v.22). The arches face 'the utter court' and palm trees stand upon the posts, as at the outer gates. The maalah, 'step', is the rising of the Psalms of Degrees (Ps 120–134) and is used again of the porch in v.49.

Verse 38

where they washed the burnt offering — Duach, to rinse or cleanse. The washing of the 'inwards and… legs' of the burnt offering was commanded in Lev 1:9. In Solomon's temple the ten lavers were for exactly this: 'such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them' (2 Chr 4:6). Here the washing room is at the posts of the gates.

Verse 39

two tables on this side, and two tables on that side — There are four tables in the porch of the gate for slaying 'the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering', the three offerings of Lev 1; 4; 7. 'Trespass offering' is asham, the word behind 'an offering for sin' in Isa 53:10. The law for it is in Lev 7:1, 'the law of the trespass offering'.

Verse 45

keepers of the charge of the house — Mishmereth, a charge or watch. The same word describes the Levites 'keeping the charge of the sanctuary' (Num 3:28). This chamber, facing south, is for the priests who keep the house; the one facing north is for those who keep the altar (v.46).

Verse 46

the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi — The priests of the altar are the sons of Zadok, who 'come near to the LORD to minister unto him'. Ezek 44:15–16 gives the reason, 'the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me'. Zadok had been set in Abiathar's place by Solomon (1 Kings 2:35).

Verse 47

an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare — Raba, to be four-sided: the inner court is a perfect square, a hundred by a hundred. 'The altar that was before the house' stands in front of the porch; its own measures are given later, 'twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square' (Ezek 43:16).

Verse 48

the porch of the house — The measuring moves from the courts to the house itself. The porch posts are five cubits 'on this side' and five 'on that side', and the gate's breadth is three on each side. Solomon's porch was 'twenty cubits' long and 'ten cubits' broad (1 Kings 6:3); this one is twenty by eleven (v.49).

Verse 49

by the steps whereby they went up to it — The porch is twenty cubits long and eleven broad, reached by steps (maalah). 'Pillars' stand by the posts, one on each side, as Solomon's two pillars Jachin and Boaz stood 'in the porch of the temple' (1 Kings 7:21).