Ezekiel 40:5-27

B. Description of the Outer Court and Its Gateways

40:5-27

TRANSLATION[502]

[502] At this point the American Standard Version of 1901 has been followed with only slight modification.

(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 looks 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; the 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 twenty-five cubits; door against door. (14) He made also posts, sixty 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 he brought me into the outer court; and, 10, 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. (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 twenty-five 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 twenty-five 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.

COMMENTS

The measurements of the Temple area are given in cubits. The cubit varied in length from time to time. Apparently here the long cubit, equal to about 20.5 inches, is being used.[503] The measuring reed carried by the angelic agent would be ten feet and three inches long. The accompanying diagram is essential to understanding the text.

[503] The customary cubit was about eighteen inches. See D. J. Wiseman Weights and Measures, NBD, pp. 1321f.

1. A wall surrounded the courtyard. This wall was one reed thick and one reed high (Ezekiel 40:5).

2. The court could be entered by three identical gateways in the north, east and south sides of the wall (Ezekiel 40:6; Ezekiel 40:20-27).

3. The gateways were approached by seven steps (Ezekiel 40:22; Ezekiel 40:26).

4. The gateway consisted of a corridor with three square recessed chambers or guardrooms on either side (Ezekiel 40:7-10).

5. A barrier of some kind probably a low wall separated the guardrooms from the corridor (Ezekiel 40:12).

6. The corridor opened into a large porch (8 by 20 cubits) which in turn opened on to the outer court of the Temple.

7. The posts within the gate were decorated with palm trees (Ezekiel 40:16; cf. 1 Kings 6:29-35).

8. Immediately inside the wall of the outer court was a paved area, called the lower pavement (Ezekiel 40:17-18).

9. Thirty chambers were built on this pavement around the perimeter of the wall on the north, south and east (Ezekiel 40:17). Probably these rooms were intended for the use of Levites who were serving in the Temple.