Discovery BoxEzekiel 40:1--42:20 
Context40:1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city 1 was struck down, on this very day, 2 the hand 3 of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there. 4 40:2 By means of divine visions 5 he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, 6 and on it was a structure like a city, to the south. 40:3 When he brought me there, I saw 7 a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand. He was standing in the gateway. 40:4 The man said to me, “Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention 8 to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you. 9 Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”
40:5 I saw 10 a wall all around the outside of the temple. 11 In the man’s hand was a measuring stick 10½ feet 12 long. He measured the thickness of the wall 13 as 10½ feet, 14 and its height as 10½ feet. 40:6 Then he went to the gate facing east. He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate as 10½ feet deep. 15 40:7 The alcoves were 10½ feet long and 10½ feet wide; between the alcoves were 8¾ feet. 16 The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward was 10½ feet. 40:8 Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward as 10½ feet. 40:9 He measured the porch of the gate as 14 feet, 17 and its jambs as 3½ feet; 18 the porch of the gate faced inward. 40:10 There were three alcoves on each side of the east gate; the three had the same measurement, and the jambs on either side had the same measurement. 19 40:11 He measured the width of the entrance of the gateway as 17½ feet, 20 and the length of the gateway as 22¾ feet. 21 40:12 There was a barrier in front of the alcoves, 1¾ feet 22 on either side; the alcoves were 10½ feet 23 on either side. 40:13 He measured the gateway from the roof of one alcove to the roof of the other, a width of 43¾ feet 24 from one entrance to the opposite one. 40:14 He measured 25 the porch 26 at 105 feet 27 high; 28 the gateway went all around to the jamb of the courtyard. 40:15 From the front of the entrance gate to the porch of the inner gate was 87½ feet. 29 40:16 There were closed windows toward the alcoves and toward their jambs within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. There were windows all around the inside, and on each jamb were decorative palm trees. 30
40:17 Then he brought me to the outer court. I saw 31 chambers there, and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. 40:18 The pavement was beside the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. 40:19 Then he measured the width from before the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court as 175 feet 32 on the east and on the north.
40:20 He measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces north. 40:21 Its alcoves, three on each side, and its jambs and porches had the same measurement as the first gate; 87½ feet 33 long and 43¾ feet 34 wide. 40:22 Its windows, its porches, and its decorative palm trees had the same measurement as the gate which faced east. Seven steps led up to it, and its porch was in front of them. 40:23 Opposite the gate on the north and the east was a gate of the inner court; he measured the distance from gate to gate at 175 feet. 35
40:24 Then he led me toward the south. I saw 36 a gate on the south. He measured its jambs and its porches; they had the same dimensions as the others. 40:25 There were windows all around it and its porches, like the windows of the others; 37 87½ feet 38 long and 43¾ feet 39 wide. 40:26 There were seven steps going up to it; its porches were in front of them. It had decorative palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 40:27 The inner court had a gate toward the south; he measured it from gate to gate toward the south as 175 feet. 40
40:28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate; it had the same dimensions as the others. 40:29 Its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches had the same dimensions as the others, and there were windows all around it and its porches; its length was 87½ feet 41 and its width 43¾ feet. 42 40:30 There were porches all around, 43¾ feet 43 long and 8¾ feet 44 wide. 40:31 Its porches faced the outer court, and decorative palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.
40:32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side. He measured the gate; it had the same dimensions as the others. 40:33 Its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches had the same dimensions as the others, and there were windows all around it and its porches; its length was 87½ feet 45 and its width 43¾ feet. 46 40:34 Its porches faced the outer court, it had decorative palm trees on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.
40:35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it; it had the same dimensions as the others – 40:36 its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches. It had windows all around it; its length was 87½ feet 47 and its width 43¾ feet. 48 40:37 Its jambs 49 faced the outer court, and it had decorative palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.
40:38 There was a chamber with its door by the porch of the gate; 50 there they washed the burnt offering. 40:39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on either side on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. 40:40 On the outside of the porch as one goes up at the entrance of the north gate were two tables, and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. 40:41 Four tables were on each side of the gate, eight tables on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. 40:42 The four tables for the burnt offering were of carved stone, 32 inches 51 long, 32 inches 52 wide, and 21 inches 53 high. They would put the instruments which they used to slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them. 40:43 There were hooks 54 three inches 55 long, fastened in the house all around, and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.
40:44 On the outside of the inner gate were chambers for the singers of the inner court, one 56 at the side of the north gate facing south, and the other at the side of the south 57 gate facing north. 40:45 He said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple, 58 40:46 and the chamber which faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the descendants of Zadok, from the descendants of Levi, who may approach the Lord to minister to him.” 40:47 He measured the court as a square 175 feet long and 175 feet wide; 59 the altar was in front of the temple.
40:48 Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured the jambs of the porch as 8¾ feet 60 on either side, and the width of the gate was 24½ feet 61 and the sides 62 were 5¼ feet 63 on each side. 40:49 The length of the porch was 35 feet 64 and the width 19¼ feet; 65 steps 66 led up to it, and there were pillars beside the jambs on either side.
41:1 Then he brought me to the outer sanctuary, and measured the jambs; the jambs were 10½ feet 67 wide on each side. 41:2 The width of the entrance was 17½ feet, 68 and the sides 69 of the entrance were 8¾ feet 70 on each side. He measured the length of the outer sanctuary as 70 feet, 71 and its width as 35 feet. 72
41:3 Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance as 3½ feet, 73 the entrance as 10½ feet, 74 and the width of the entrance as 12¼ feet 75 41:4 Then he measured its length as 35 feet, 76 and its width as 35 feet, 77 before the outer sanctuary. He said to me, “This is the most holy place.”
41:5 Then he measured the wall of the temple 78 as 10½ feet, 79 and the width of the side chambers as 7 feet, 80 all around the temple. 41:6 The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty in each story. There were offsets in the wall all around to serve as supports for the side chambers, so that the supports were not in the wall of the temple. 41:7 The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story; 81 for the structure 82 surrounding the temple went up story by story all around the temple. For this reason the width of the temple increased as it went up, and one went up from the lowest story to the highest by the way of the middle story.
41:8 I saw that the temple had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full measuring stick 83 of 10½ feet 84 high. 41:9 The width of the outer wall of the side chambers was 8¾ feet, 85 and the open area between the side chambers of the temple 41:10 and the chambers of the court was 35 feet 86 in width all around the temple on every side. 41:11 There were entrances from the side chambers toward the open area, one entrance toward the north, and another entrance toward the south; the width of the open area was 8¾ feet 87 all around.
41:12 The building that was facing the temple courtyard at the west side was 122½ feet 88 wide; the wall of the building was 8¾ feet 89 all around, and its length 157½ feet. 90
41:13 Then he measured the temple as 175 feet 91 long, the courtyard of the temple and the building and its walls as 175 feet 92 long, 41:14 and also the width of the front of the temple and the courtyard on the east as 175 feet. 93
41:15 Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, with its galleries on either side as 175 feet. 94
The interior of the outer sanctuary and the porch of the court, 95 41:16 as well as the thresholds, narrow windows and galleries all around on three sides facing the threshold were paneled with wood all around, from the ground up to the windows (now the windows were covered), 41:17 to the space above the entrance, to the inner room, and on the outside, and on all the walls in the inner room and outside, by measurement. 96 41:18 It was made with cherubim and decorative palm trees, with a palm tree between each cherub. Each cherub had two faces: 41:19 a human face toward the palm tree on one side and a lion’s face toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple all around; 41:20 from the ground to the area above the entrance, cherubim and decorative palm trees were carved on the wall of the outer sanctuary. 41:21 The doorposts of the outer sanctuary were square. In front of the sanctuary one doorpost looked just like the other. 41:22 The altar was of wood, 5¼ feet 97 high, with its length 3½ feet; 98 its corners, its length, 99 and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.” 41:23 The outer sanctuary and the inner sanctuary each had a double door. 41:24 Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging 100 leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. 41:25 On the doors of the outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and palm trees, like those carved on the walls, and there was a canopy 101 of wood on the front of the outside porch. 41:26 There were narrow windows and decorative palm trees on either side of the side walls of the porch; this is what the side chambers of the temple and the canopies were like.
42:1 Then he led me out to the outer court, toward the north, and brought me to the chamber which was opposite the courtyard and opposite the building on the north. 42:2 Its length was 175 feet 102 on the north side, 103 and its width 87½ feet. 104 42:3 Opposite the 35 feet 105 that belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, gallery faced gallery in the three stories. 42:4 In front of the chambers was a walkway on the inner side, 17½ feet 106 wide at a distance of 1¾ feet, 107 and their entrances were on the north. 42:5 Now the upper chambers were narrower, because the galleries took more space from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. 42:6 For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers 108 were set back from the ground more than the lower and upper ones. 42:7 As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, it was 87½ feet 109 long. 42:8 For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet 110 long, while those facing the temple were 175 feet 111 long. 42:9 Below these chambers was a passage on the east side as one enters from the outer court.
42:10 At the beginning 112 of the wall of the court toward the south, 113 facing the courtyard and the building, were chambers 42:11 with a passage in front of them. They looked like the chambers on the north. Of the same length and width, and all their exits according to their arrangements and entrances 42:12 were the chambers 114 which were toward the south. There was an opening at the head of the passage, the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the east when one enters.
42:13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers which face the courtyard are holy chambers where the priests 115 who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings – the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, because the place is holy. 42:14 When the priests enter, then they will not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without taking off their garments in which they minister, for these are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will go near the places where the people are.”
42:15 Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple, he led me out by the gate which faces east and measured all around. 42:16 He measured the east side with the measuring stick 116 as 875 feet 117 by the measuring stick. 42:17 He measured the north side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 42:18 He measured the south side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 42:19 He turned to the west side and measured 875 feet by the measuring stick. 42:20 He measured it on all four sides. It had a wall around it, 875 feet long and 875 feet wide, to separate the holy and common places.
1 sn That is, Jerusalem.
2 tn April 19, 573
3 tn Or “power.”
sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God (3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1).
4 sn That is, to the land of Israel (see v. 2).
5 tn The expression introduces the three major visions of Ezekiel (1:1; 8:3; 40:2).
6 tn The reference to a very high mountain is harmonious with Isa 2:2.
7 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
8 tn Heb “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your mind on.”
9 tn Heb “in order to show (it) to you.”
10 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
11 tn Heb “house.”
12 tn Heb “a measuring stick of six cubits, [each] a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Therefore the measuring stick in the man’s hand was 10.5 feet (3.15 meters) long. Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.
13 tn Heb “building.”
14 tn Heb “one rod [or “reed”]” (also a second time in this verse, twice in v. 6, three times in v. 7, and once in v. 8).
15 tn The Hebrew text adds “the one threshold 10½ feet deep.” This is probably an accidental duplication of what precedes. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:517.
16 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters) according to the “long” cubit. See the note on the first occurrence of the phrase “10½ feet” in v. 5.
17 tn Heb “eight cubits” (i.e., 4.2 meters).
18 tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).
19 sn The three alcoves are parallel to the city gates found at Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer.
20 tn Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).
21 tn Heb “thirteen cubits” (i.e., 6.825 meters).
22 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
23 tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).
24 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
25 tn Heb “made.”
26 tc The MT reads “jambs” which does not make sense in context. Supposing a confusion of yod for vav, the text may be emended to read “porch.” See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:518.
27 tn Heb “sixty cubits” (i.e., 31.5 meters).
28 tn The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for sense.
29 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
30 sn Decorative palm trees were also a part of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 6:29, 32, 35).
31 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
32 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
33 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
34 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
35 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
36 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
37 tn Heb “as these windows.”
38 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
39 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
40 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
41 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
42 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
43 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
44 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
45 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
46 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
47 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
48 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
49 tc The LXX reads “porches.”
50 tc The MT reads “jambs of the gates” which does not make sense in a context discussing one chamber. The emendation to “porch” is similar to v. 14. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:530.
51 tn Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).
52 tn Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).
53 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
54 tc This reading is supported by the Aramaic Targum. The LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac read “shelves” or some type of projection.
55 tn Heb “one handbreadth” (7.5 cm).
56 tn “One” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for clarity in the translation.
57 tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”
58 tn Heb “the house.”
59 tn Heb “one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, a square” (i.e., 52.5 meters by 52.5 meters).
60 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
61 tn The LXX reads “fourteen cubits” (i.e., 7.35 meters). See following note.
62 tc The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “the width of the gate was three cubits,” the omission due to haplography.
tn Or “sidewalls.”
63 tn Heb “three cubits” (i.e., 1.575 meters).
64 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
65 tn Heb “eleven cubits” (i.e., 5.775 meters).
66 tc The LXX reads “ten steps.”
67 tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).
68 tn Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).
69 tc The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “the width of the gate was three cubits,” the omission due to haplography.
tn Or “sidewalls.”
70 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
71 tn Heb “forty cubits” (i.e., 21 meters).
72 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
73 tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).
74 tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).
75 tn Heb “seven cubits” (i.e., 3.675 meters).
76 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
77 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
78 tn Heb “house” throughout Ezek 41.
79 tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).
80 tn Heb “four cubits” (2.1 meters).
81 tc The Hebrew is difficult here. The Targum envisions a winding ramp or set of stairs, which entails reading the first word as a noun rather than a verb and reading the second word also not as a verb, supposing that an initial mem has been read as vav and nun. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:549.
82 tn The Hebrew term occurs only here in the OT.
83 tn Heb “reed.”
84 tn Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).
85 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
86 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
87 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
88 tn Heb “seventy cubits” (36.75 meters).
89 tn Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
90 tn Heb “ninety cubits” (i.e., 47.25 meters).
91 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
92 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
93 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
94 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
95 tc Some Hebrew
96 tc The LXX does not have the word “by measurements.” The word may be a technical term referring to carpentry technique, the exact meaning of which is unclear.
97 tn Heb “three cubits” (i.e., 1.575 meters).
98 tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).
99 tc So the Masoretic text. The LXX reads “base.”
100 tn Heb “turning” leaves.
101 tn Or “railings.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:218.
102 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
103 tn Heb “the door of the north.”
104 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
105 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
106 tn Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).
107 tc Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). The LXX and the Syriac read “one hundred cubits” (= 175 feet).
108 tn The phrase “upper chambers” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied from the context.
109 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
110 tn Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
111 tn Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
112 tc The reading is supported by the LXX.
113 tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”
114 tc The MT apparently evidences dittography, repeating most of the last word of the previous verse: “and like the openings of.”
115 sn The priests are from the Zadokite family (Ezek 40:6; 44:15).
116 tn Heb “reed” (also in the following verses).
117 tn Heb “five hundred cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters).
