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 the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.
Ezekiel 40:1. The hand of the Lord was upon me— The temple here described by Ezekiel is, in all probability, the same which he saw before his captivity, and which had been burned by the Chaldeans fourteen years before this vision. On comparing the books of Kings and Chronicles with this prophet, we shall find the same dimensions in the parts described by both; for instance, the temple, or place which comprehended the sanctuary, the holy place, and the vestibule or porch before the temple, are found to measure equally both in Ezekiel and the Kings. Compare 1Ki 6:3-16 and chap. Ezekiel 41:2, &c. The inside ornaments of the temple are intirely the same: in both we see two courts; an inner one for the priests, and an outer one for the people. Compare 1 Kings 6:29; 1 Kings 6:36. 2Ch 4:9 and Ezekiel 41:16-17; Ezekiel 8:7; Ezekiel 8:16. So that there is room to suppose, that, in all the rest, the temple of Ezekiel resembled the old one; and that God's design in retracing these ideas in the prophet's memory, was to preserve the remembrance of the plan, the dimensions, the ornaments, and whole structure of this divine edifice; that, at the return from captivity, the people might more easily rebuild it, agreeably to this model. The prophet's applying himself to describe this edifice, was a motive of hope to the Jews, of seeing themselves one day delivered from captivity, the temple rebuilt, and their nation restored to its ancient inheritance. Ezekiel touches very slightly upon the description of the temple, or house of the Lord, which comprehended the holy place and sanctuary, and which are so correctly described in the books of Kings. He dwells more largely upon the gates, the galleries and apartments of the temple, concerning which the history of the Kings had not spoken, or only just taken notice of by the way. This vision of the prophet happened in the year of the world 3430, on Tuesday the 30th of April, fourteen years after the taking of Jerusalem. See Calmet, Usher's Annal. A.M. 3430 and the note on chap. Ezekiel 48:35.
2.
In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Ezekiel 40:2. Set me upon a very high mountain— The expression points out mount Moriah, whereon the temple was built. It is here called a very high mountain, because it represents the seat of the Christian church foretold by the prophets, that it should be established upon the top of the mountains. We are to remember that all this passed in vision. Houbigant renders the last clause of this verse, In which there were on the opposite side as the buildings of a city.
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.
Ezekiel 40:3. A man, &c.— That is, an angel deputed from God to give him the dimensions of the temple. See chap. Eze 1:7 and Ezekiel 43:6. The Hebrew cubit was equal to about eighteen inches of our measure. The reader will best understand this description, by referring to Calmet's plan of it in his Dictionary of the Bible.
4.
And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
Ezekiel 40:4. Set thine heart upon— Mark well, or fix thy attention upon, &c.
5.
And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
Ezekiel 40:5. By the cubit, and an hand-breadth— Each cubit containing a cubit and an hand-breadth, called the great cubit, chap. Eze 41:8 and supposed equal to half a yard. According to Michaelis, the Hebrew measures are: 1. The finger's breadth. 2. Four fingers, or hand-breadth. 3. Ell; the smaller of five hand-breadths, the larger of six. 4. Rod, of six ells. He also allows the Rabbinical account, that a finger is equal to the length of six barley grains. See chap. Ezekiel 43:13.
Of the building— Of the outer wall, which was three yards high and three yards broad. This wall surrounded a part which corresponded to the court of the Gentiles, and served as a security against the precipices of the mount on which the temple stood.
6.
Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.
Ezekiel 40:6. Stairs— Steps.
7.
And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.
8.
He measured also the porch of the gate within, 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 inward.
10.
And the little chambers 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 entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.
Ezekiel 40:11. The length of the gate— The length of the entry of the gate. Ezekiel 40:12. The space] The border.
12.
The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
13.
He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.
14.
He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.
Ezekiel 40:14. Of threescore cubits, &c.— Of twenty cubits [LXX], and at the posts of the courts were gates [or arched passages] round about. The meaning is, that the angel described, or made a delineation of the height of the columns or pillars which were to support the stories or rooms over the arched gate.
15.
And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.
16.
And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, 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 outward 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 by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.
Ezekiel 40:18. And the pavement— And the pavement abutted upon the sides of the gates, over-against the length of the gates of the pavement below.
19.
Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.
20.
And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.
21.
And the little chambers 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.
Ezekiel 40:21. Arches— Or Porch. So wherever it occurs throughout this chapter.
22.
And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.
Ezekiel 40:22. And their windows— And the windows thereof, and the porch, and the palm-trees thereof: and so the last clause, And the porch thereof suitable thereto.
23.
And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.
Ezekiel 40:23. And the gate, &c.— And there was a gate to the inner court, over-against this gate of the north, as [in the gates] toward the east, &c.
24.
After that he brought 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.
Ezekiel 40:24. According to these measures— According to the same measure: that is to say, the same which had been used in the eastern court. See Wall's Critical Notes, and Houbigant.
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 in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.
28.
And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;
29.
And the little chambers 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 the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
31.
And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up 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 little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were 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 outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.
35.
And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;
36.
The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
37.
And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.
38.
And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where 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 at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at 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 their sacrifices.
42.
And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.
43.
And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.
44.
And without the inner gate were the chambers of 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.
Ezekiel 40:44. And without the inner gate, &c.— And he brought me to the inner gate, where there were two chambers in the inner court; one at the northern side of the gate, which looked to the south; the other at the southern side of the gate, which looked to the north. Houbigant.
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 among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
Ezekiel 40:46. These are the sons of Zadok— The high priest-hood belonged to the eldest sons of the house of Aaron; so that the office originally appertained to the family of Zadok; though that of Ithamar exercised it for some time; from Eli, who was high-priest in the time of Samuel, to Abiathar, whom Solomon dispossessed, and restored the high priesthood to the former line by placing Zadok in his room. The family of Zadok alone is mentioned in this vision, probably because they continued attached to the worship of the true God, when the priests of Ithamar's line forsook it, and fell into idolatry. See chap. Ezekiel 43:19 Eze 44:15 Ezekiel 48:11.
47.
So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.
48.
And 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; and he brought me 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.
Ezekiel 40:49. There were pillars— Hereby seem to be meant the two great pillars of brass, whereof we have the dimensions and a description in the first book of Kings, chap. Ezekiel 7:15, &c. and 2 Chronicles 3:15.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The date of this prophesy is in the twenty-fifth year of the captivity of Jeconiah, in the tenth day of the beginning of the year, which was reckoned in two different ways: the civil year began at the autumnal equinox, and then this tenth day must have been the great day of atonement: the ecclesiastical year commenced from the vernal equinox, and then this day falls on the tenth of Nisan, answering to part of our March and April, when the paschal lamb was separated from the flock, in order to be slain on the fourteenth.
The scene is laid in the land of Judges; and in vision the prophet is set on a very high mountain; and there was, as it were, the frame of a city, full in his view. There appeared to him in the gate, a glorious personage, an angel deputed from God, or, as many suppose, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the maker and builder of this city of God, his church.* His figure was bright and glittering as burnished brass, and in his hand he bore a measuring reed and line; and, addressing the prophet, bid him carefully behold, attentively hear, with fixed thoughtfulness weigh, and with fidelity deliver to the house of Israel, what was about to be revealed to him. Note. (1.) The ministers of God must themselves carefully read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the word of truth, that they may be enabled truly to declare it to others. (2.) We must be ourselves divinely taught by the Lord Jesus, before we can possibly teach others.
* See the Note prefixed to the Preliminary Remarks on this vision.
2nd, The measuring reed in the hand of the glorious Person before mentioned, was six cubits long, exceeding the common cubit by a hand's breadth.
The outer wall is first measured, three yards and a half high, and of the same breadth. The church is a sacred inclosure, and safely protected by the power and love of him, who is as a wall of fire round about his people.
In this wall were three gates, at the east, the north, and south; typical, it may be, of Jesus the way to God, no man coming to the Father but by him. The ascent to the gates was by seven steps; intimating, that when we go to the temple, we should lift up our hearts to God. The little chambers adjoining to the gate, should teach all true worshippers, especially ministers, to seek no great things here below; and they were many, for in our Father's house are many mansions. Each chamber had windows, for all believers enjoy the light of the divine word: the windows were narrow, the measure of our knowledge here below being at the best imperfect. The different courts may intimate the different estates of God's people, some of whom maintain more intimate communion with him than others. The posts, with palm-trees engraven on them, represent the strength and flourishing condition of the saints of God, never overwhelmed by the heaviest afflictions, and triumphing over all their foes. The glittering pavement may teach us where all the glories of this present world should be put, even under our feet.
3rdly, The inner court here described appears exactly similar to the outer; for though some Christians are much more advanced than others, yet all bear the same image of Christ, differing only as brethren of several statures. By eight steps was the ascent into this court; the nearer we approach to God, the more shall we be raised above the world, and the things of it.
4thly, We have notice taken,
1. Of the tables, to slay and prepare the sacrifices for the altar. Before we draw near to God, we should prepare our offering, and not be rash with our lips, to utter any thing before God.
2. The chambers; some for the singers, others for the priests, who had the care of the house and the altar. They who serve at the temple, deserve a provision there.
3. The altar in the inner court represents the Lord Jesus; and as it stood in the centre against the three gates, all the worshippers in the most distant court could look to it: for him, in all our worship, we must ever keep in view, by whom alone we have access unto God.
4. Before the temple was a porch, with pillars, probably like Jachin and Boaz, intimating the stability and beauty of the Gospel church.