1.
Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.
Ezekiel 41:1. He brought me to the temple— After having described the courts and the porch, the prophet enters into the temple, properly so called, whereof he gives the dimensions and description.
2.
And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.
3.
Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.
Ezekiel 41:3. Then went he inward, &c,— There is scarcely any understanding this without the LXX. It is a description of the partition-wall and door between the Holy and the Holy of Holies, which, according to the LXX, was twenty cubits long, that is to say, the αιλ of the door (which must mean the thickness of the ports, or ends of the wall, to which the door was hung) two cubits; and the door six cubits (broad), and the shoulders, or sides of the door (that is to say, the spaces of wall on each side of the door,) were seven cubits on one side, and seven cubits on the other. Now these fourteen, with the six of the breadth of the door, do make twenty, which was the breadth of the house. See Wall's Critical Notes on the place.
4.
So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.
5.
After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side.
6.
And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house.
Ezekiel 41:6. And they entered into the wall— At five cubits' height from the ground, the wall, or the buttresses which supported the outward chambers, abated of their thickness one cubit, and there was a rest or ledge of one cubit in breadth, on which the end of the rafters of each story was fastened; for they had not hold in the wall of the house. They were not fastened into the main wall of the house, but rested on the outside of the wall, where it grew narrower. See Lowth, and Houbigant's note on this and the following verse.
7.
And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.
8.
I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.
9.
The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within.
Ezekiel 41:9. And that which was left, &c.— As much space, as there was between the side chambers adjacent to the temple. Houbigant.
10.
And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.
11.
And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about.
12.
Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits.
Ezekiel 41:12. Now the building &c.— The word בנין binian, translated building, signifies a wall or inclosure, which ran along the outside of the priests' court, commensurate with the breadth of the western side of the temple, which was seventy cubits from north to south; and extended in length from east to west ninety cubits; ten cubits shorter than the whole area itself, and inclosing a void space of five cubits breadth, which lay between the side chambers and the inclosure; which area and void space may be understood by the separate place in this verse, and the place which was left, or the intermediate place, Ezekiel 41:11. Houbigant renders the beginning of the present verse, And the edifice which was in the front of the separate area, to the western side, was, &c. See Lowth, and Lamy's Apparatus Biblicus.
13.
So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;
14.
Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, an hundred cubits.
Ezekiel 41:14. Also the breadth of the face of the house— The breadth of the front of the temple, and of the separate area, &c. The whole front of the temple eastward was a hundred cubits; which some expositors compute thus. The breadth of the temple twenty cubits; the thickness of the outward walls twelve cubits; the side chambers eight cubits; the walls of those chambers five cubits on each side; the breadth of the void space five cubits on each side; and the twenty cubits round about the house. See Lowth and Lamy.
15.
And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court;
16.
The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered;
17.
To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure.
18.
And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces;
19.
So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about.
20.
From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.
21.
The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other.
22.
The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.
Ezekiel 41:22. The altar of wood— The altar which was of wood, was three cubits high, two cubits long, and two broad; and it had horns; the bases and sides of it were wood. See the LXX and Houbigant.
23.
And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.
24.
And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door.
25.
And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without.
26.
And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks.
Ezekiel 41:26. And thick planks— And upon the thick planks. Houbigant. That is to say, palm-trees, &c. were carved upon them.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The prophet is at last brought to the temple; for they who faithfully and perseveringly commit themselves to the divine guidance shall be brought to his eternal presence in the better temple above.
The door was vastly wide; the gospel opening a great door, and effectual to the faithful.
The chambers in the sides of the temple increased a cubit in breadth each story, which was taken out of the thickness of the wall. The higher we build for glory, the more enlarged will our hearts be with faith, and love, and heavenly-mindedness.
2nd, The temple itself was adorned with cherubims and palm-trees, alternately: but being carved on the wall, only two of the cherubs' faces appeared. Every priest who looked thereon might learn what his duty required of him, to join the wisdom of the man to the courage of the lion; and he stood between two palm-trees, the ensigns of triumph, assured of victory over the powers of wickedness;—the character of every faithful minister of the gospel.
The altar here was of wood; and no mention is made of the gold wherewith it was overlaid in the other temples: perhaps to intimate, that no more material fire or incense would be made use of, but the more grateful fire of love, and incense of prayer and praise. And it is called a table, the great sacrifice being once offered, we have only now to fear thereupon, and eat that flesh and drink that blood which give immortal life to the soul.