EZEKIEL, XL. PRELIMINARY NOTE ON Chapter S 40-48. These closing Chapter s of Ezekiel form one continuous prophecy of a distinctly marked character. They present a vision of the Temple in minute detail, with careful measurements of its parts; various ordinances for the Temple, for the Levites, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH YEAR. — It is the habit of Ezekiel in giving the year to make no mention of the era from which it was reckoned; but in a few important passages (Ezekiel 1:2; Ezekiel 12:21, and here) it is described as “of our captivity.” This vision was seen “in the beginning of the year.”... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE VISIONS OF GOD. — This expression presupposes that what follows is an ideal description rather than an account of anything that ever had or ever should have a literal existence. The same expression has been used in the same sense in regard to Ezekiel 1-3, and again Ezekiel 8-11. It always ref... [ Continue Reading ]
A LINE OF FLAX... A MEASURING REED. — The former for the longer, the latter for the shorter measures, a characteristic definiteness in details.... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE CUBIT AND AN HAND BREADTH. — The sense will be more clearly conveyed by reading, “each being a cubit and a hand-breadth,” _i.e.,_ each of the six cubits which made up the reed was an ordinary cubit and a hand-breadth more. It is difficult or impossible to fix with precision the length of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 40:6 contain a description of the eastern gate, or rather, gate-building of the Temple, by which one entered from the precincts into the outer court. The other gates were like it, but this is described first, because it had the pre-eminence. It looked straight to the door of the Temple itsel... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet is now taken across the outer court, which he describes on the way (Ezekiel 40:17), to the north gate (Ezekiel 40:20), and then to the south gate (Ezekiel 40:24). (17) OUTWARD COURT. — The Temple of Ezekiel has two courts, an outer and an inner; but there is no appropriation of these co... [ Continue Reading ]
OVER AGAINST THE LENGTH OF THE GATES. — The width of the pavement was the same as the projection of the gateways into the court, _i.e.,_ 44 cubits (50 cubits, less the thickness of the wall). LOWER PAVEMENT. — In contradistinction to the pavement of the inner court, which was upon a higher level.... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HUNDRED CUBITS EASTWARD. — As the prophet is taken through the outer court its width is measured from the eastern gate, which he had already examined, and from the northern gate, to which he is next taken (Ezekiel 40:20). Afterwards (Ezekiel 40:27) the same measurement is made to the southern gat... [ Continue Reading ]
BROUGHT ME TO THE INNER COURT. — The preposition should be translated _into,_ being the same with that in Ezekiel 40:32. The prophet having entered the inner court by the south gate, this is first described (Ezekiel 40:28). This and the other gates of this court are essentially the same, and require... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ARCHES ROUND ABOUT. — This word, as already noted under Ezekiel 40:16, should be _projections of the walls,_ if it has been correctly pointed by the Masorets; but it is exceedingly difficult to understand what is meant by the dimensions given, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. This... [ Continue Reading ]
UTTER = Outer, and so in Ezekiel 40:37; Ezekiel 42:1; Ezekiel 42:3; Ezekiel 42:7; Ezekiel 42:14; Ezekiel 44:19; Ezekiel 46:20. In old English _utter_ and _outer_ appear to have been often interchanged. EIGHT STEPS. — All the gates of the inner court (see Ezekiel 40:34; [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHAMBERS AND THE ENTRIES THEREOF. — These words in the original are in the singular, and have no article. The word for _chamber_ is an entirely different one from that used in the former part of the chapter (Ezekiel 40:10; Ezekiel 40:12). The verse should be translated, “And a cell with its... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE PORCH. — The preposition admits the sense of either _in_ or _by,_ but as the porch was very small for two tables on either side, and as a thoroughfare would be an inconvenient place for the slaughter of the victims, it is better to take the sense of _by._ The four tables were arranged, two on... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE SIDE WITHOUT. — If there could be any doubt that this means _in the outer court,_ it would be removed by the explanation “as one goeth up,” _lit.,_ at this ascent. These tables were of stone (Ezekiel 40:42), and they stood, two on each side, just in advance of the steps, for the purpose (Ezek... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUR TABLES. — The eight tables of this verse are evidently meant to be distinguished from those of Ezekiel 40:40; Ezekiel 40:42, and make twelve tables in all. They stood four on each side of the gate, somewhat nearer, therefore, than the others to the wall of the inner court. They were used for th... [ Continue Reading ]
HOOKS. — This is a word of doubtful meaning, found elsewhere only in Psalms 68:13, where it is translated _pots._ It certainly designates something “within” the porch, and therefore could not have been anything attached to the tables which were “without.” Our translators, following the ancient Chald... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT THE INNER GATE. — _Without_ must here be understood in a different sense from the _without_ of Ezekiel 40:40, because this is expressly said to be “in the inner court;” it means, therefore, only _outside the gateway._ CHAMBERS OF THE SINGERS. — The description of the chambers in Ezekiel 40:4... [ Continue Reading ]