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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 40:1–4.
We have here a very short and ready way taken for the dividing of the land among the twelve tribes, not so tedious and so far about as the way that was taken in Joshua's time; for in the distribution of spiritual and heavenly blessings there is not that danger of murmuring and quarrelling that there is in the participation of the temporal blessings. When God gave to the labourers every one his penny those that were uneasy at it were soon put to silence with, May I not do what I will with my own? And such is the equal distribution here among the tribes. In this distribution of the land we may observe, 1. That it differs very much from the division of it in Joshua's time, and agrees not with the order of their birth, nor with that of their blessing by Jacob or Moses. Simeon here is not divided in Jacob, nor is Zebulun a haven of ships, a plain intimation that it is not so much to be understood literally as spiritually, though the mystery of it is very much hidden from us. In gospel times old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. The Israel of God is cast into a new method. 2. That the tribe of Dan, which was last provided for in the first division of Canaan (Jos 19:40), is first provided for here, Eze 48:1. Thus in the gospel the last shall be first, Mat 19:30. God, in the dispensation of his grace, does not follow the same method that he does in the disposals of his providence. But Dan had now his portion thereabouts where he had only one city before, northward, on the border of Damascus, and furthest of all from the sanctuary, because that tribe had revolted to idolatry. 3. That all the ten tribes that were carried away by the king of Assyria, as well as the two tribes that were long afterwards carried to Babylon, have their allotment in this visionary land, which some think had its accomplishment in the particular persons and families of those tribes who returned with Judah and Benjamin, of which we find many instances in Ezra and Nehemiah; and it is probable that there were returns of many more afterwards at several times, which are not recorded; and the Jews having Galilee, and other parts, that had been the possessions of the ten tribes, put into their hands, in common with them, they enjoyed them. Grotius says, If the ten tribes had repented and returned to God, as the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin did, and the priests and Levites (Ezr 1:5), they would have fared as those two tribes did, but they forfeited the benefit of this glorious prophecy by sin. However, we believe it has its designed accomplishment in the establishment and enlargement of the gospel church, and the happy settlement of all those who are Israelites indeed in the sure and sweet enjoyment of the privileges of the new covenant, in which there is enough for all and enough for each. 4. That every tribe in this visionary distribution had its particular lot assigned it by a divine appointment; for it was never the intention of the gospel to pluck up the hedge of property and lay all in common; it was in a way of charity, not of legal right, that the first Christians had all things common (Act 2:44), and many precepts of the gospel suppose that every man should know his own. We must not only acknowledge, but acquiesce in, the hand of God appointing us our lot, and be well pleased with it, believing it fittest for us. He shall choose our inheritance for us, Psa 47:4. 5. That the tribes lay contiguous. By the border of one tribe was the portion of another, all in a row, in exact order, so that, like stones in an arch, they fixed, and strengthened, and wedged in one another. Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren thus to dwell together! It was a figure of the communion of churches and saints under the gospel-government; thus, though they are many, yet they are one, and should hold together in holy love and mutual assistance. 6. That the lot of Reuben, which before lay at a distance beyond Jordan, now lies next to Judah, and next but one to the sanctuary; for the scandal he lay under, for which he was told he should not excel, began by this time to wear off. What has turned to the reproach of any person or people ought not to be remembered for ever, but should at length be kindly forgotten. 7. That the sanctuary was in the midst of them. There were seven tribes to the north of it and the Levites, the prince's, and the city's portion, with that of five tribes more, to the south of it; so that it was, as it ought to be, in the heart of the kingdom, that it might diffuse its benign influences to the whole, and might be the centre of their unity. The tribes that lay most remote from each other would meet there in a mutual acquaintance and fellowship. Those of the same parish or congregation, though dispersed, and having no occasion otherwise to know each other, yet by meeting statedly to worship God together should have their hearts knit to each other in holy love. 8. That where the sanctuary was the priests were: For them, even for the priests, shall this holy oblation be, Eze 48:10. As, on the one hand, this denotes honour and comfort to ministers, that what is given for their support and maintenance is reckoned a holy oblation to the Lord, so it intimates their duty, which is that, since they are appointed and maintained for the service of the sanctuary, they ought to attend continually to this very thing, to reside on their cures. Those that live upon the altar must serve at the altar, not take the wages to themselves and devolve the work upon others; but how can they serve the altar, his altar they live upon, if they do not live near it? 9. Those priests had the priests' share of these lands that had approved themselves faithful to God in times of trial (Eze 48:11): It shall be for the sons of Zadok, who, it seems, had signalized themselves in some critical juncture, and went not astray when the children of Israel, and the other Levites, went astray. God will put honour upon those who keep their integrity in times of general apostasy, and he has special favours in reserve for them. Those are swimming upwards, and so they will find at last, that are swimming against the stream. 10. The land which was appropriated to the ministers of the sanctuary might by no means be alienated. It was in the nature of the first-fruits of the land, and was therefore holy to the Lord; and, though the priests and Levites had both the use of it and the inheritance of it to them and their heirs, yet they might not sell it nor exchange it, Eze 48:14. It is sacrilege to convert that to other uses which is dedicated to God. 11. The land allotted for the city and its suburbs is called a profane place (Eze 48:15), or common; not but that the city was a holy city above other cities, for the Lord was there, but, in comparison with the sanctuary, it was a profane place. Yet it is too often true in the worst sense that great cities, even those which, like this, have the sanctuary near them, are profane places, and it ought to be deeply lamented. It was the complaint of old, From Jerusalem has profaneness gone forth into all the land, Jer 23:15. 12. The city is made to be exactly square, and the suburbs extending themselves equally on all sides, as the Levites' cities did in the first division of the land (Eze 48:16, Eze 48:17), which, never being literally fulfilled in any city, intimates that it is to be understood spiritually of the beauty and stability of the gospel church, that city of the living God, which is formed according to the wisdom and counsel of God, and is made firm and immovable by his promise. 13. Whereas, before, the inhabitants of Jerusalem were principally of Judah and Benjamin, in whose tribe it lay, now the head city lies not in the particular lot of any of the tribes, but those that serve the city, and bear office in it, shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel, Eze 48:19. The most eminent men must be picked out of all the tribes of Israel for the service of the city, because many eyes were upon it, and there was great resort to it from all parts of the nation and from other nations. Those that live in the city are said to serve the city, for, wherever we are, we must study to be serviceable to the place, some way or other, according as our capacity is. They must not come out of the tribes of Israel to the city to take their ease, and enjoy their pleasures, but to serve the city, to do all the good they can there, and in so doing they would have a good influence upon the country too. 14. Care was taken that those who applied themselves to public business in the city, as well as in the sanctuary, should have an honourable comfortable maintenance; lands are appointed, the increase whereof shall be food unto those that serve the city, Eze 48:18. Who goes a warfare at his own charges? Magistrates, that attend the service of the state, as well as ministers, that attend the service of the church, should have all due encouragement and support in so doing; and for this cause pay we tribute also. 15. The prince had a lot for himself, suited to the dignity of his high station (Eze 48:21); we took an account of it before, ch. 45. He was seated near the sanctuary, where the testimony of Israel was, and near the city, where the thrones of judgment were, that he might be a protection to both and might see the that duty of both was carefully and faithfully done; and herein he was a minister of God for good to the whole community. Christ is the church's prince, that defends it on every side, and creates a defense; nay, he is himself a defence upon all its glory and encompasses it with his favour. 16. As Judah had his lot next the sanctuary on one side, so Benjamin had, of all the tribes, his lot nearest to it on the other side, which honour was reserved for those who adhered to the house of David and the temple at Jerusalem when the other ten tribes went astray from both. It is enough if treachery and apostasy, upon repentance, he pardoned, but constancy and fidelity shall be rewarded and preferred.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
14 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
As far as the measuring line is concerned, these are the angels who minister at the command of God, or Moses and all the prophets and the apostles who built the city of God and the assistants or ministers at the will of the Lord.
(Chapter XL - Verses 1 onwards) 'In the twenty-fifth year of our exile (or captivity), at the beginning of the year (or in the first month), on the tenth day of the month, fourteen years after the city was struck down (or captured): on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me there. In visions (or in a vision) of God, He brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was like a city-building, facing southward (or from the south).' And he brought me there: and behold a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass (or shining brass); and a line of flax (or masons' line) was in his hand, and a measuring reed in his hand. And he stood in the gate: and he said to me, Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you (or set in your heart all that I shall show you): for you have been brought (or entered) here for this purpose, and declare (or show) to the house of Israel all that you see. If, in the fifth year of captivity or exile of King Joachin, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, the heavens were opened to the prophet Ezekiel by the river Chebar, and he saw visions of God; and now it is said that in the twenty-fifth year of the same captivity or exile of Jehoiachin, at the beginning of the year, in the tenth month, the hand of the Lord came upon him, and he was brought to the land of Israel and placed on a very high mountain, where he could see the city under construction, facing south; then there is no doubt that his entire prophecy was composed over a period of nineteen years, nine months, and five days of the twentieth year. But if, according to Theodotion, who interpreted in that place where we have placed [it], at the beginning of the year, it is understood that on the new year, the tenth month (however, the new year is called the seventh month among the Hebrews, which has the name Tishri, that is, on the Kalends of the seventh month, there is the sound of trumpets, and on the tenth day of the same month, there is the day of fasting and atonement; but on the fifteenth day, when the whole circle of the moon is completed, there are the days of the booths), it is understood that on the tenth day of the Day of Atonement, the building of the city as shown to Ezekiel, the prophet. And just as he demonstrated the restoration of the people, or rather the revival in the bones of the valley under the image of the resurrection, so now the Lord promises the restoration of the city that was destroyed by the Babylonians fourteen years ago, under its description, just as the type of captivity and destruction that he had shown through the boiling pot from the face of the North, and the truth of the prophecy was confirmed by the work, so the truth of the future edification would be proven by the faith in past events and the prediction. Nor is this said of that time, as some ignorant Jews want, when under Zerubbabel and under Jesus, son of Josedech, the high priest, the temple was built, with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesying. For this temple that is now described, and the order of the priesthood, and the division of the land and fertility, is much more magnificent than what Solomon built. But the temple that was built under Zerubbabel was so small, and compared to the previous one was nothing: those who had seen the previous temple, and then saw this one, would wail and testify their sorrow with tears, and the clamor of the mourners would be much louder than the sound of trumpets. Read the book of Ezra. Furthermore, what is added, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck (or captured), according to mystical understanding, it signifies fourteen generations: which completed from David to the birth of Christ, the restoration of the city is promised by him, about whom it is written: He will build my city and bring back the captivity of my people. And again: He came to proclaim release to the captives and sight to the blind, saying to those who were in chains, come out, and to those who were in darkness, be revealed. But the hand of the Lord came upon him, so that Israel in the flesh, who was situated in Babylon, would come to the land in spirit. And he would not be placed on a high mountain in a vision, but in the visions of God, on an exceedingly high mountain, about which Isaiah and Micah prophesied: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob (Isa. II, 3; Mic. IV, 2). For it is exceedingly high, in comparison to the other mountains, about which the prophet testifies, saying: I lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come? (Ps. CXX, 1). And in another place: Mountains are around it, and the Lord is around His people (Ps. CXXIV, 2). Concerning this it is also said by Isaiah: Ascend to a high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion (Isa. XL, 9). On this mountain, the city's building is shown, according to the Septuagint and Aquila, from the region, and opposite the north, from where the prophet came to the land of Israel; but according to Theodotion and Symmachus, it faces south, where there is full light, and the sun of righteousness is positioned at the highest point of the sky. And in the Song of Songs it says: Rise up, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. (Song 4:16) For the harsh north wind is driven away by the breath of the Lord, lest the warmth of love grow cold and the flowers wither. But when it is said, 'Like the structure of a city, not truly a city, but a likeness of a city is shown,' it refers to the city about which it is written: Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. (Psalm 87:2) This is Jerusalem, built as a city, whose unity itself is in that very city, and in it the great Lord is greatly praised, in the city of our God, on his holy mountain. (Psalm 48). And in the towers of this city, God is known when he will receive it. As it is said elsewhere: The streams of the river gladden the city of God (Ps. 46:4). And: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14), as spoken in Isaiah: I am a solid city, a city under attack (Isa. 23). It did not say that it is conquered, but under attack: it is built on a rock and is not shaken by any storm. It follows: And he led me there, as it is understood, by the hand of God. There, however, that is, to the building of the city, so that he might show me all the things that were inside. And behold, he says, a man, whose appearance or vision was like a shining bronze, specifically the one of whom it is written: Behold a man, the Rising Sun is his name (Zach. VI, 12). But he did not have the appearance of amber, as is said at the beginning of this volume, nor was he girded with a golden belt, as is stated in the Book of Revelation (Apoc. I): but he had the appearance of bronze, according to the Hebrew. For this material is more resonant than all metals and resounds with a far-reaching sound. Hence, in the Book of Daniel, the kingdom of Alexander and the Greeks is symbolized by an image made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron (Daniel. II); in order to represent the eloquence of the Greek language: through which it is clear that they still need teaching, who have not yet fully understood the mysteries of spiritually building the temple. There was also a line made of twine in his hand, as it is written in Zechariah (Zech. II), that he had a measuring line to measure the width and length of the city. And the workers of masonry, either the angels who served under God's command, or Moses, and all the prophets and apostles who build the city of God, and are helpers or ministers of the Lord's will. Hence, the Apostle Paul also said: We are God's field, God's building (1 Cor. III, 9). And what follows: And the pen of measurement in his hand signifies prophetic grace, of which it is written in the forty-fourth psalm: My tongue is the pen of a swift scribe (Psalm 44:2). And concerning John the prophet and the baptist: What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind (Matthew 11:7). Those who desire to imitate this reed, are those who write iniquity, and to whom the prophet curses: Rebuke the beasts of the reed (Psalm 68:31). But he was standing at the gate; for through him we enter the Father, and without him we cannot enter the city of God, so that it may receive the worthy and cast out the unworthy. There is also judgment at the gate. Hence the prophet says: They hate those who correct at the gate (Isa. 29:21). And in another place: He will not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies at the gate (Ps. 127:5). This man spoke to the prophet, in whose hand was a cord, and whose appearance was like bronze, and he held a reed in his hand. He spoke to Ezekiel, a true architect, whom Paul the apostle imitated, saying: Like a wise architect, I have laid the foundation (I Cor. III, 10). But he calls the wise architect, to distinguish him from the foolish one, and he is called an unworthy shepherd in Zechariah; but he spoke the following: Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears (Zech. XI): not with the eyes of the flesh, but with the spirit; not with the ears of the body, but with the soul. Lift up, he says, your eyes, and see that the fields are already white for harvest (John 4:35). And: He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8). The construction of the city is visible, and the order of the ceremonies and priests, and the description of the land can be heard. But it is not enough to command to see with the eyes and hear with the ears; but he added: And place your heart in all things; or, place in your heart all that I will show you. For nothing is of benefit to have seen and heard, unless you place those things that you have seen and heard in the treasure of memory. When, however, he says, 'all things that I will show you', he makes the listener attentive, and he prepares the eyes of the heart, so that he may hold in his memory those things that are to be shown to him, for you have been brought here so that all things may be shown to you. With this, he shows specifically that nothing is sweeter than theory and knowledge, which the prophet desires, saying: 'One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.' In order to see the delight of the Lord, and to visit His temple (Psalm 26:4, 5). Hence he joins and speaks: Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house and the dwelling place of your glory. Proclaim, he says, all that you see to the house of Israel, so that those who cannot see for themselves may learn through you what is shown to you by the Lord. But to the house of Israel are those who contemplate God with their mind, such as Nathanael, who earnestly sought Christ, and deserved to hear: Behold, a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit (John 1:47).
This man spoke to the prophet. In his hand was the measuring stick, and his face was like the sky, and he held in his hand a reed. The man who spoke to Ezekiel was a true master builder, whom Paul the apostle imitated, when he said, “like a skilled master builder I will lay the foundation.”
"And a linen cord in his hand."
In the Septuagint translators, a linen cord is not found, but a mason's cord. If we hold to their translation in this verse for the purpose of exposition, what else do we understand by masons than holy teachers, who, by speaking spiritual things, assemble living stones, that is, the souls of the elect, for the heavenly building? For whatever the ancient fathers spoke, whatever the prophets, whatever the apostles, whatever the successors of the apostles spoke—what else was it but the arrangement of stones in this construction of the saints that is built daily? Now with a mason's cord, this is customarily done: that the evenness or straightness of the rising wall may be recognized; and if a stone is too far inward, it may be cast outward; if it projects too far outward, it may be called back inward. And certainly the preaching of teachers does this daily: that any soul for whom it is perhaps not expedient to undertake the burdens of governance, even if it desires to appear outwardly, may be called back inward; and again, one who wishes to remain hidden and care only for itself, if it can be useful to itself and to many, even when it desires to remain hidden, may be brought forth outwardly to appear. And so it happens that the order of holy stones is maintained, since often one wishing to come to honor is repelled, and one fleeing honor is elevated to the height of sacred office. But since, as we have learned through our translator, the Hebrew text does not have "of masons," but "a linen cord in his hand," we ought to expound what is held more certainly among us. Now we know that a linen cord is finer than if cords were made from something else. And what should we understand by the linen cord except the more refined preaching, that is, the spiritual? For the censure of the law was a cord, but it was not linen, because it restrained an uncultivated people not with refined preaching, in which through the sentence of punishment it cut off not sins of thought but of deed. But after the Lord through himself bound even the thoughts of men by preaching, and made known that sin is complete even in the heart, he held a linen cord in his hand. For he says: "You have heard that it was said to those of old: You shall not commit adultery; but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Therefore the linen cord is the refined preaching that binds the mind of the hearer, lest it dissolve itself even in wretched thought. And it should be noted that it says the cord is in his hand, that is, preaching is in action. For he showed in himself everything that he taught, as it is written: "What Jesus began to do and to teach."
And he stood in the gate.
Whoever stands in a doorway is partly inside and partly outside, because one part of him is seen outside while another part is hidden within. And so our Redeemer, mercifully incarnate for us, stood as if in a doorway before human eyes, because through his humanity he appeared visible, yet kept himself invisible in his divinity. Hence the Jews, who had awaited him according to the promise of the prophets, were troubled by the confusion of their own faithlessness, because they saw as mortal the one whom they had believed would come for their deliverance. Therefore he who stands in a doorway, as was said above, is seen partly outside and partly inside. Hence even the faithlessness of the Jews was not left without a display of divine power. For seeing his miracles, they were drawn to believe, but then again, weighing his sufferings, they disdained to believe that he was God whom they saw mortal in the flesh; whence it came about that they doubted in their knowledge of him. For they saw him hungering, thirsting, eating, drinking, growing weary, sleeping, and they supposed him to be merely a man. They saw him raising the dead, cleansing lepers, giving sight to the blind, casting out demons, and they perceived him to be more than human. But his humanity, considered in their hearts, disturbed their understanding of his miracles. Hence holy Church, in the voice of the bride, desiring now to see him openly, says: "Behold, he stands behind our wall." For he who showed to human eyes what he assumed from mortal nature, and remained invisible in himself, stood as if behind a wall for those seeking to see him, because he did not offer himself to be seen with his majesty revealed. For he stood as if behind a wall, who showed the human nature which he assumed but hid the divine nature from human eyes. Hence it is added there: "Looking through the windows, gazing through the lattices." For whoever looks through windows or through lattices is neither entirely hidden nor entirely seen. Just so, indeed, our Redeemer appeared before the eyes of doubters, because if while working miracles he had suffered nothing as a man, he would have appeared fully to them as God; and again, suffering human things, if he had done nothing as God, he would have been thought merely a man. But because he both did divine things and suffered human things, he looked out to humanity as through windows or lattices, so that as God he would both appear through miracles and be hidden through sufferings, and as man he would be perceived through sufferings, yet be recognized as more than man through miracles.
For often the mind is so suspended in divine contemplation that it now rejoices to perceive something of that eternal liberty which eye has not seen nor ear heard, through a certain image; yet nevertheless, struck back by the weight of its mortality, it slips back to the depths, and is held bound by certain chains of its punishment. Therefore he strains toward the gates who beholds the joys of his true liberty, and now desires to go out, but is not yet able. Hence it is that the Hebrew people, freed from the servitude of Egypt, when they beheld the pillar of cloud as God spoke, each one stood at the doors of his tabernacle and worshiped. Of whom it is said a little earlier: "When Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and each one stood at the door of his tent." For we stand there where we fix the eyes of our mind. Whence Elijah says: "The Lord lives, in whose sight I stand." He surely stood there where he had fixed his heart. But what is it for the people to gaze upon the pillar of cloud and to stand at the doors of their tabernacle and worship, except that when the human mind somehow beholds those higher and heavenly things in an enigma, it now exits the enclosures of its bodily habitation through uplifted thought, and humbly adores him whose substance it cannot see, yet now marvels at his power through the illumination of the spirit? And when Moses enters the tabernacle, the people gaze upon his back, and stand at the doors of their tents, because when any holy preacher speaks lofty things about God, he somehow enters the tabernacle of the heavenly dwelling. Though the weak cannot fully weigh the power of his preaching, nevertheless they gaze upon his back as it were, because they follow through understanding the last things they are able to grasp. But even in those very small things which they are able to comprehend, they now go out from their tents as it were, and stand at the doors, because they strive both to leave the dwellings of the flesh and to advance toward those joys of eternal life which they hear. Hence also Elijah, when he heard the voice of the Lord speaking with him, is described as having stood at the door of his cave and veiled his face, because when through the grace of contemplation the voice of heavenly understanding comes into the mind, the whole man is no longer within the cave, because care of the flesh does not possess his soul, but he stands at the door, because he meditates on escaping the straits of mortality.
Our Redeemer held this cord and measuring reed in His hand when He deigned to admonish the apostle Paul through a man of Macedonia appearing to him, so that this same Macedonian man said: "Come over and help us." And yet when the apostles wished to go into Asia to preach, the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. What does it mean that the holy apostles are both called to go where perhaps they had not thought to proceed, and are forbidden to go where they desired to proceed, except that the cord of hidden judgment and the measuring reed is held in the hand, so that some may hear the words of life, while others may by no means deserve to hear? Therefore there is a cord of measure, which was drawn to one place and withdrawn from another.
We have also learned from the testimony of the Holy Gospel that one came who said: "Master, I will follow You wherever You go." To whom the answer was given: "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Another came who said: "Master, let me first go and bury my father." To whom it is said: "Let the dead bury their dead, but you follow Me and proclaim the kingdom of God." What does it mean that the one who promises to go is abandoned, while the other who wishes to return home is nevertheless commanded to follow? The former is not received, the latter is not released from service even for a moment. Therefore, by the internal dispensation of hidden judgment, the measuring line and the measuring rod are drawn out, by which this one is drawn in and that one is left behind, so that the heavenly structure may be built not without a devout and just examination.
And because he also committed to Scripture the very things he said, so that they might be handed down to posterity, it is rightly added: "And a measuring reed in his hand."
The Lord promises concerning holy Church through another prophet, saying: "There shall spring up in her the greenness of the reed and the rush." I remember having explained this in another place, that by the reed we should understand writers, and by the rush, hearers. But since both rush and reed are accustomed to grow near the moisture of water, and both spring forth from one and the same water, and the reed indeed is taken up for writing, while with the rush one cannot write, what should we understand by the rush and the reed, except that there is one doctrine of truth which irrigates many hearers? But some who are irrigated advance in the word of God even to the point that they also become writers, that is, like reeds; but others hear the word of life, maintain the greenness of good hope and right works, yet cannot advance to writing at all. What are these in the water of God except certain rushes, so to speak? They indeed advance by growing green, but they cannot express letters at all. Our Redeemer, therefore, because He granted that the words which He spoke should also be written through the zeal of teachers, held a reed in His hand. This reed is called a reed of measure, because the very zeal of teachers is held under a certain dispensation of hidden judgment, so that it may benefit some who read, and may not be able to benefit others who read. Hence the holy apostles, when they asked the master of truth speaking to them more openly why He spoke to the crowds in parables, heard: "Because it is given to you to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not." Or certainly it is a reed of measure, because in that sacred eloquence of His which has been written for us, we recognize that there are hidden dispensations of His. For through His incomprehensible judgment, one is sent within the measure of the elect, and another is left outside, so that he may in no way deserve to belong to the number of the elect. He has therefore a measuring cord, He has in His hand a reed of measure. For he who measures a place with a cord draws the cord to one spot, withdraws it from another, and leads here what he removes from elsewhere. Thus indeed, thus does our Redeemer act in the gathering of men, while He leads some out from their iniquities, and leaves others in their iniquity. For in those whom He has deigned to gather, He drew the cord of hidden measure, and from those whom He judged should be abandoned, what else did He do but withdraw the cord? So that the good may be held within the measure of the heavenly building, and the evil may remain outside the building, in whom the good things that are supposed are not, as if without measure.
The measuring rod can also be understood as Sacred Scripture for this reason: that whoever reads it measures himself in it—either how much he advances in spiritual virtue, or how far removed he remains from the good things that are commanded; how much he now rises up to do good, how much he still lies prostrate in wicked deeds.
But now he who stands in the entrance of the cave and perceives the words of God in the ear of his heart must cover his face, because while we are led through heavenly grace to understand higher things, the more subtly we are raised up, the more we must always press ourselves down through humility in our understanding, lest we strive to be wiser than we ought to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety; lest while we examine invisible things too much, we go astray; lest in that incorporeal nature we seek something of corporeal light. For to extend the ear and cover the face is to hear the voice of the inner substance through the mind, and yet to turn away the eyes of the heart from every corporeal form, lest the soul fashion for itself anything corporeal in that which is everywhere whole and everywhere uncircumscribed. Therefore, dearest brothers, we who have already learned of eternal joys through the death and resurrection of our Redeemer, and his ascension into heaven, we who know that our fellow citizens the angels appeared outwardly in testimony of his divinity, let us long for the King, let us desire the citizens whom we have come to know, and standing in this edifice of holy Church let us keep our eyes on the door; let us turn our back of the mind to this corruption of temporal life, let us direct the face of our heart toward the freedom of the heavenly homeland. But behold, there are still many things that press upon us from the care of corruptible life. Therefore, since we cannot go out perfectly, let us at least stand in the entrance of our cave, destined to go forth prosperously someday through the grace of our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.
But we must ask why it is said of this man, "Whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze." Now we all know, brothers, that the metal bronze is very durable, and altogether sonorous. What then does it mean that the appearance of the Mediator of God and men is compared to the appearance of bronze, unless it is what we openly know, that the only-begotten Son, taking the form of a servant, transformed the frailty of human flesh through the glory of his resurrection into eternity, because in him flesh was made now enduringly without end? For rising from the dead he dies no more, death shall no longer have dominion over him. But what does it mean that his very incarnation is compared to a sonorous metal, unless that through that same assumption of our humanity the glory of his majesty resounded to all? And he has, as it were, the appearance of bronze in his body, because God became known to the world through flesh. Hence also through John it is said: "He had written on his garment and on his thigh: King of kings, and Lord of lords." For what is his garment, except the body which he assumed from the Virgin? Yet his garment is not one thing and he himself another. For our garment too is called flesh, yet we ourselves are the flesh with which we are clothed. But Isaiah, beholding this garment of his long before, bloodied with blood through the cross of the passion, said: "Why is your apparel red, and your garments like those of one treading in the winepress?" To which he himself answered: "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the nations there is no man with me." For he alone trod the winepress in which he was trodden, who by his own power conquered the passion which he endured. For he who suffered even unto the death of the cross rose from death with glory. And it is well said: "And of the nations there is no man with me," because those for whom he had come to suffer ought to have been partakers of his passion, and since at that time they had not yet believed, he complains about them in his passion, whose life was being sought in that passion. By the thigh indeed is meant the propagation of flesh. Because therefore through the propagation of the human race, as the orders of generations are described by Matthew or Luke narrating, he came into this world from a virgin, and through the mystery of his incarnation indicated to all nations everywhere that he was King and Lord, he had written on his garment and on his thigh: "King of kings, and Lord of lords." For where he became known in the world, there he impressed the knowledge of reading about himself. Therefore his preaching through flesh is like a certain sound from bronze. Let it therefore rightly be said: "Whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze."
And behold a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze.
He Himself is signified in the man who is figured on the mountain. Moreover, this man is said to measure the building. And rightly is the Lord signified by the man and the mountain, because He Himself arranges all things within holy Church by judging, and He Himself bears that same holy Church, and by bearing it raises it up to heavenly things. So also in the holy Gospel our same Redeemer speaks, saying: "He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." And shortly after: "I am the door." And again after a little He adds: "I am the good shepherd." If therefore He Himself is the shepherd, and He Himself is the door, and the shepherd enters through the door, why is it not understood in this place that He Himself is both the mountain and the man who measures the building on the mountain?
But since this man is said to stand in the doorway, we must ask whether his face was toward the inside and his back toward the outside. In this matter, if we consider what precedes and what follows, we quickly discover how he stood. For first it says: "There was something like a building of a city facing toward the south, and he led me there." And a little later it is added about this same man: "And he was standing in the doorway." And immediately it is added: "And the same man spoke to me."
For he who spoke to the prophet when he was introduced into the building, standing in the gate, certainly stood with his face inward and his back outward. But the prophet who was introduced, to whom the man standing in the gate spoke, without doubt held his face toward the gate, from where he heard the words of the speaker. What does it mean, then, that the man looks inward while the prophet looks outward? What does it mean that the face of that same man is toward the building, but the eyes of the prophet are toward the gate, except that the Only-begotten of the Father became incarnate for this reason: that he might introduce us into the spiritual building, that is, into faith in the holy Church? His eyes always look upon his building, because they unceasingly observe how much each person advances in virtues. But the prophet looks toward the gate, because he who hears the words of God must always place the eyes of his heart upon his departure, and meditate without ceasing on when he will leave this present life and reach eternal joys. For God became incarnate for this very reason: that he might introduce us to faith and lead us back to the sight of his vision. Hence also in the holy Gospel, Truth speaks, saying: "If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture." He will go in, namely, to faith; he will go out to sight; and he will find pasture in eternal satisfaction. Hence also the Psalmist says: "May the Lord guard your entrance and your departure." For the Lord guards the entrance of each soul, by which it enters into faith, and also the departure by which it goes out to sight, so that neither when entering the Church is it tripped up by errors, nor when departing from this temporal life to the eternal is it snatched away by the ancient enemy. Concerning this departure of ours, which we ought to meditate upon daily in our mind, the Apostle speaks of our Redeemer, saying: "That he might sanctify the people through his own blood, he suffered outside the gate. Let us therefore go out to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we do not have here a lasting city, but we seek the one to come." The man who appeared, therefore, stood in the gate and spoke in this way, because the Mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus, even in the very time of his passion gave precepts of life to his disciples, so that those who believe in him might always look toward the gate, and, weighing his passion with careful consideration, might not turn the eyes of their heart away from their own departure. We also, when we have already begun to despise the confines of the flesh, to pass through the straits of our mortality through the desire for immortality, to reach toward the freedom of the supernal light, to yearn for the joys of the heavenly homeland—we hold our eyes toward the gate, because while we desire to pass from temporal sacraments to eternal ones, we have, as it were, already turned our backs on the present life, and we have the face of our heart fixed on the desire of our departure. For it is written: "The body that is corrupted weighs down the soul, and the earthly dwelling oppresses the mind thinking many things." Thus, therefore, through contemplation we already stretch the mind beyond the straits of the flesh; yet we are still held within the gate by that very carnal constraint in the sacraments which we have come to know.
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Summary
Ezekiel 40:3 inaugurates a profound and meticulously detailed vision of a new temple, marking a pivotal transition in the book of Ezekiel from prophecies of judgment and restoration to an elaborate blueprint of God's future dwelling among His people. In this foundational verse, the prophet Ezekiel is divinely transported to a very high mountain in Israel, where he encounters a striking, divinely appointed figure whose appearance resembles shining brass. This celestial guide holds the precise tools of a surveyor—a line of flax and a measuring reed—and stands strategically at the gate of the envisioned temple complex, poised to reveal God's intricate plan for a renewed sanctuary and the re-establishment of pure worship.
Context
Literary Context
Ezekiel 40:3 opens the climactic and longest section of the book of Ezekiel (chapters 40-48), entirely devoted to the visionary new temple and the reordering of the land of Israel. This section dramatically shifts the narrative focus from the preceding prophecies of Judah's judgment and the condemnation of surrounding nations (Ezekiel 25-32) and the powerful promises of Israel's spiritual restoration (Ezekiel 33-39). The architectural and liturgical instructions that follow are presented with astonishing precision, offering a tangible, though visionary, manifestation of God's unwavering commitment to His covenant people. This detailed vision stands as a stark contrast to the earlier prophecies of desolation, providing profound hope for a renewed relationship with God, centered on His manifest presence. The immediate preceding chapter, Ezekiel 39, concludes with God's triumphant victory over Gog and Magog and His promise to pour out His Spirit upon Israel, thereby setting the theological stage for the return of His glory, which is vividly depicted in the temple vision.
Historical & Cultural Context
The vision recounted in Ezekiel 40 unfolds in the "twenty-fifth year of our exile," specifically fourteen years after the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:9. Ezekiel, himself a priest, was among the Jewish exiles in Babylon, enduring the profound trauma of national defeat and the perceived abandonment by God due to the obliteration of His sacred dwelling place. For a people whose identity, worship, and national consciousness were inextricably linked to the Temple in Jerusalem, its ruin was an unparalleled catastrophe. This vision, therefore, serves as an immense source of hope, reassurance, and divine reorientation, promising a future where God's presence would once again dwell among them, albeit in a form that transcends their previous, flawed experience. The tools mentioned—a line of flax and a measuring reed—were common ancient surveying and building instruments, grounding the visionary experience in practical, tangible terms that would have been immediately understood by Ezekiel's audience, thereby emphasizing the divine precision and reality of God's redemptive plan.
Key Themes
This verse introduces several overarching themes that permeate the entire temple vision. The primary theme is Divine Presence and Holiness, as the meticulous measurements and subsequent instructions underscore the absolute sacredness, order, and purity required for God to dwell among His people. The appearance of the man, described as having the "appearance of brass," immediately signals a Divine or Angelic Messenger, highlighting the supernatural origin, authority, and awe-inspiring nature of the revelation. This figure's precise role as a guide and measurer emphasizes Divine Precision and Order in God's plans for restoration and worship, providing a stark contrast to the chaos and destruction previously experienced by Israel. The very act of measuring itself speaks to Divine Ownership and Re-establishment, marking out a sacred space that God Himself ordains and controls. Furthermore, the vision as a whole, initiated by this encounter, offers profound Hope and Restoration to a dispossessed and despairing people, pointing to a glorious future where God's glory returns to His sanctuary, as powerfully prophesied in Ezekiel 43:1-5.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Referring to an individual or male person. In this context, it denotes a specific, distinct being, often used as an adjunct to a more definite term. Here, it signifies the singular, authoritative nature of the divine messenger, distinguishing him as a personage of profound significance who will guide Ezekiel through the vision, rather than an abstract force. His individual presence underscores the directness and personal nature of God's revelation to the prophet.
Meaning a view, the act of seeing, or the thing seen; an appearance, shape, or vision. The repetition "appearance like the appearance of brass" intensely emphasizes the visual impact and striking nature of this figure. It highlights that Ezekiel is perceiving a specific, tangible form, even if it is a visionary one, and that this form powerfully conveys meaning about the messenger's nature—his divine, awe-inspiring, and formidable quality.
A primitive root meaning to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative). This word conveys stability, readiness, and a fixed, authoritative position. The messenger "stood in the gate," indicating his preparedness to commence the detailed survey of the temple complex. His standing posture suggests inherent authority, a deliberate presence, and a foundational role in initiating the monumental revelation that follows.
Verse Breakdown
"And he brought me thither"
This clause signifies Ezekiel's supernatural transportation by the divine hand (implied from Ezekiel 8:3) to the precise location of the vision, a "very high mountain" in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 40:2). It emphatically underscores that this profound experience is divinely initiated and controlled, thereby validating the authenticity and supreme authority of the revelation that is about to unfold.
"and, behold, [there was] a man, whose appearance [was] like the appearance of brass"
Ezekiel's exclamation "behold" serves to draw immediate and urgent attention to the striking and unexpected figure he encounters. The description of the man's appearance as "like brass" (or bronze) is deeply symbolic. In biblical imagery, brass/bronze frequently represents strength, durability, purity, and often signifies judgment or divine glory. This imagery powerfully suggests a being of immense power, unyielding authority, and perhaps a fiery, unapproachable holiness, similar to descriptions of divine beings in Daniel 10:6 and the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:15.
"with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed"
These are the quintessential tools of a surveyor or architect, indicating a task of precise measurement and construction. The "line of flax" (a cord or measuring tape) would be used for longer, perhaps less precise initial measurements, while the "measuring reed" (a rod, typically about six cubits long, or roughly 10-12 feet) would be for exact, shorter measurements. Their presence highlights the meticulous, exact, and deliberate nature of the temple vision. It signifies that God's plans are not vague or abstract but are precise, ordered, and tangible, emphasizing the divine blueprint for the future sanctuary.
"and he stood in the gate"
The messenger's strategic position "in the gate" is highly significant. Gates in ancient cities and temple complexes were not merely points of access but also places of transition, judgment, and often authority. Standing at the gate indicates readiness to commence the detailed tour and measurement of the entire temple complex. It marks the threshold of the sacred space, from which the subsequent revelation of the temple's intricate design and its profound spiritual implications will systematically unfold.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices to convey its profound message. Imagery is exceptionally prominent, particularly in the striking description of the divine messenger's "appearance like the appearance of brass," which powerfully evokes a sense of immense strength, divine purity, and overwhelming awe. The concrete visual details of the "line of flax" and "measuring reed" provide tangible Symbolism, representing divine precision, meticulous order, and the exact, unchangeable nature of God's architectural blueprint for the temple. The messenger's deliberate posture, "he stood in the gate," further uses Symbolism to convey readiness, unwavering authority, and the initiation point of the detailed, unfolding revelation. Finally, the use of "behold" is an emphatic Interjection that serves to immediately draw the reader's attention to the sudden, unexpected, and profoundly significant appearance of the divine figure, emphasizing the extraordinary and supernatural nature of Ezekiel's visionary experience.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 40:3 serves as the divinely appointed gateway to one of the most detailed and extensive prophetic visions in the Old Testament, powerfully underscoring God's unwavering commitment to dwell among His people and re-establish true, holy worship, even in the midst of their deepest despair and national desolation. The meticulous nature of the vision, introduced by the measuring man, profoundly reflects God's perfect order, His sovereign control over history, and the precise unfolding of His redemptive purposes. It speaks to a future where divine presence is not merely spiritual but also manifested in a structured, holy environment, emphasizing the enduring importance of sacred space, proper worship, and the sanctity required for communion with God. This vision provides a profound theological statement about God's absolute faithfulness to His covenant promises, demonstrating that despite human failure, sin, and the destruction of the first temple, His ultimate plan for intimate communion with humanity remains intact and will be fulfilled with divine precision and glory.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 40:3, with its vivid imagery of a divine messenger initiating a precise measurement of a future temple, offers profound and enduring insights for contemporary believers. It serves as a powerful reminder that even in periods of desolation, profound loss, or spiritual barrenness, God is not absent or inactive; rather, He is actively at work, meticulously unfolding His redemptive plans with divine precision. Just as God had a detailed blueprint for a physical temple, He possesses an intricate and perfect design for His spiritual kingdom and for the individual lives of His followers. This truth calls us to cultivate a deeper trust in His sovereign design, even when circumstances seem chaotic, uncertain, or utterly hopeless. The emphasis on precision and order in God's plan encourages us to live lives that reflect His holiness and divine order, diligently aligning our actions, priorities, and worship with His perfect will. Moreover, this vision inspires profound hope, knowing that God's ultimate intention is to dwell intimately among His people, bringing about complete restoration, true communion, and eternal glory.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass"?
The "man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass" is universally understood to be a divine or angelic messenger, possibly even a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. In biblical symbolism, brass (or bronze) frequently signifies strength, durability, purity, and often carries connotations of judgment or divine glory. This imagery powerfully suggests a being of immense power, unyielding authority, and a fiery, awe-inspiring, and perhaps unapproachable presence. Similar descriptions are found elsewhere in scripture for divine or heavenly beings, such as the figure seen by Daniel in his vision (Daniel 10:6) and the glorified Christ in John's apocalyptic vision (Revelation 1:15). His striking appearance underscores the supernatural origin and the profound, weighty importance of the revelation he is about to impart to Ezekiel, signifying that this is a message directly from God.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ezekiel 40:3, while describing a literal and highly detailed vision of a future temple, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a reconstructed physical building, but profoundly in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the spiritual reality of His church. The "man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass," a divine measurer of God's dwelling, powerfully foreshadows Christ Himself, who is the ultimate architect, builder, and cornerstone of God's spiritual house (Hebrews 3:3-6). Jesus definitively declared Himself to be the true temple, stating, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), referring to His own body. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Christ established a new and living way for God's holy presence to dwell among humanity, not in a building made with human hands, but intimately in the hearts of believers, who collectively form the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The meticulous measurements of the temple in Ezekiel's vision, emphasizing divine order and absolute holiness, point to the perfect and complete work of Christ, who perfectly fulfills the law, establishes a new covenant, and through whom God's people are precisely ordered, sanctified, and built together to be His dwelling place (Ephesians 2:19-22). Ultimately, the entire trajectory of God's dwelling culminates in the New Jerusalem, where there is no longer a need for a physical temple, "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Revelation 21:22), signifying the direct, unmediated, and eternal presence of God with His people, a glorious reality made possible only through the finished work of Christ.