The vision of the

EZEKIEL.

temple and city. what they had lost by sin, and might be the more humbled. Others consider it as intended for a model according to which the new colonists were to erect a temple on their return to their own land; observing, at the same time, the customs and usages which Ezekiel here orders, and dividing the country as he directs. Perhaps the general scope of the vision might be two-fold: 1st, To assure the captives that they should not only return to their own land and be settled there, which had been often promised in the foregoing chapters, but that they should have, and therefore ought to be encouraged to build another temple which God would own, and where he would meet and bless them: that the ordinances of their worship should be revived, and the sacred priesthood should there attend; and, though they should not have a king to live in such splendour as formerly, yet they should have a prince, or ruler, (who is often spoken of in this vision,) that should countenance the worship of God among them, and should himself be an example of a diligent attendance upon it: and that prince, priests, and people should have a very comfortable settlement in their own land. 2d, To direct them to look further than all this, and to expect the coming of the Messiah, who had before been prophesied of, under the name David, (the man that projected the building of the first temple,) and who should set up a spiritual temple, even the gospel church, the glory of which should far exceed that of Solomon's temple, and which should continue to the end of time. And the gospel temple, erected by Christ and his apostles, was so closely connected with the second material temple, and was erected so carefully just at the time when that temple fell into decay, being designed to receive its glories when it resigned them, that it was proper enough they should both be referred to in one and the same vision; which vision, under the type and figure of a temple and altar, priest and sacrifices, foreshowed the spiritual worship that should be performed in gospel times, as being more agreeable to the nature both of God and man, and that worship perfected at last in the kingdom of glory, in which, doubtless, these visions will have their full accomplishment; if not, as some think, in a glorious and happy state of the gospel church, to take place on earth in the latter days.

The grand outlines of the description here given, as Mr. Scott observes, might be taken from Solomon's temple, with the additions made to its courts and out-buildings in after ages; and Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the other Jews, who returned from Babylon, might have respect to it in rebuilding the temple aster the captivity; but "there are several circumstances which evidently show that something vastly superior to either the first or second temple was intended; and that the external description must be considered as a figure and emblem of spiritual blessings. This will appear, in many particulars, as we proceed; but especially the dimensions of the temple, city, and land; and the division of the land to the prince, priests, and tribes; and the river of water springing from the threshold of the temple, enlarging till it reached the Dead sea, and sweetening its waters; with the trees growing on the banks of the river, bearing fruit every month, cannot be literally interpreted, or made to accord with any thing which has yet taken place."

A late writer gives the following character of this part of Ezekiel's prophecy: "From the fortieth chapter a new elevated scene commences. Before, there was nothing but oracles full of misfortunes, of punishments, of death and ruin; visions concerning the destruction of the government, and concerning the flight and state of the last king; and pictures of the universal corruption, idolatry, and superstition of Israel. From the fortieth chapter a new temple rises before the eyes of the holy seer, he walks round about it in Palestine, he measures the city and country for their new inhabitants, he orders sacrifices, feasts, and customs. In short, a Magna Charta is planned for priests, kings, and people, in future ages and latter times. Lastly, from hence prosaic expression predominates: at least, the prophet elevates himself by poetical colouring much more rarely than before."

CHAPTER XL.

In this chapter we have, (1,) A general account of this vision of the temple and city, 14. (2,) A particular account of the east gate, north gate, and south gate, 5–31. (3,) Of the inner court, 32–38. (4,) Of the tables, 39–43. (5,) of the lodgings for the singers and priests, 44–47. (6) Of the porch of the house, 48, 49.

CHAPTER XL.

A. M. 3430. the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, 1 by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

f

e

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.

-The day that the paschal lamb was to be taken up
in order to the feast on the fourteenth day; in the
fourteenth year after that the city was smitten-
Zedekiah's reign commenced from Jehoiachin's cap-
tivity, in the eleventh year of whose reign the city
was destroyed, Jer. lii. 5, 6. So the fourteenth year
after its destruction must be coincident with the
twenty-fifth of Jehoiachin's captivity. In the self
same day the hand of the Lord was upon me, &c. |
-I was actuated by a divine power, which brought
me, in vision, from the land of my captivity to the
place where Jerusalem had stood. In the visions of
God brought he me-This plainly declares that the
prophet was not transported to the land of Israel in
body, but only that it appeared to him, in his vision,
as if he were transported thither, and things were
represented to his mind just the same as if he had
been actually there. And set me upon a very high||
mountain-This expression is thought to point out
mount Moriah, on which the temple was built. Or,
if that mountain could not properly be so character-
ized, the prophet's station may be considered as
merely represented in vision, without a correspond-
ing real one. Michaelis thinks nothing more is sig-
nified by it "than that Jerusalem, and the true
worship of God, should be very much exalted, and
made known to all the world." Or is it not rather
so denominated, as representing the seat of the
Christian Church, foretold by the prophets to be
established on the top of the mountains, Isa. ii. 1;
Mic. iv. 1: compare Rev. xxi. 10. By which was
the frame of a city-The portrait of a city. By
this was signified the temple, on the south of the
mountain where the prophet was set, which, with
all its courts, buildings, and walls encompassing the
courts, and the whole area, or holy mountain, resem-
bled a city for largeness.

||

the new temple.

5 And behold a wall on the out- A. M. 3430 B. C. 574. side of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring-reed of six cubits long, by the cubit and a hand-breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed: and the height, one reed.

6 Then came he unto the gate 2 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.

7 And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits: and the threshold

h Chapter xliv. 5.- Chapter xliii. 10.- Chapter xlii. 20. Heb. whose face was the way toward the east.

With a

brass-Bright and sparkling, Rev. i. 15.
line of flax in his hand-The use of the line was
to measure the land of Israel, and of the reed to
take the dimensions of the buildings in and about
the temple; as also to set out several portions of
land belonging to the sanctuary and city, to the
prince and people: see the margin. And he stood
in the gate-Probably the north gate, being the first
entrance the prophet may be supposed to have ar
rived at, as he came from Chaldea, which lay north-
ward of Judea. Son of man, behold, &c., and hear

Take notice of what thou seest, so that thou may-
est afterward tell it to thy people. And, behold, a
wall on the outside-A wall went round the whole
compass, or square, of the holy mountain, whereon
the temple was situate, to separate the holy ground
from that which was common: see chap. xlii. 20.
And in the man's hand a measuring-reed of six
cubits long, &c.-Here is explained what sort of a
cubit is meant in the following delineation of the
temple, namely, one that consisted of six hand-
breadths, or one hand-breadth over the cubit used in
Chaldea, where he now lived. This is the measure
of a Scripture cubit, generally agreed to be equiva-
lent to eighteen inches, or a foot and a half of our
measure. See Bishop Cumberland, Of Scripture
Weights and Measures, p. 36, &c. According to
Michaelis, the Hebrew measures are, 1. The finger's-
breadth: 2. Four fingers, or a hand-breadth: 3.
The ell; the smaller of five hand-breadths, the
larger of six: 4. The rod, of six ells. He also al-
lows the rabbinical account, that a finger is equal to
So he measured
the length of six barley grains.
the breadth of the building-That is, of the outward
wall, which was three yards high, and three yards
broad. This wall surrounded a part which corres
ponded to the court of the Gentiles, and served as a
security against the precipices of the mount on
which the temple stood.

Verses 3-5. Behold, there was a man-The same no doubt that appeared to the prophet, chap. i. 20, (where see the note,) whose name is the Branch, Verses 6-8. Then came he unto the gate, &c.—and who builds the temple of the Lord, Zech. vi. 12. After having passed the court of the Gentiles, he 13; whose appearance was like the appearance of || came to the eastern gate, or the court of Israel. For

The description of

EZEKIEL.

the new temple.

A. M. 3430. of the gate by the porch of the gate || chambers were six cubits on this side, A. M. 3430. within was one reed.

B. C. 574.

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.

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

Heb. closed.

Heb. limit, or, bound.- 1 Kings vi. 4. the temple being placed toward the west part of the holy mountain, as the holy of holies was at the west end of the temple, this was the first gate that led to it, ⠀⠀ and it opened into the court of the people: see verse 19. It is called the king's gate, (1 Chron. ix. 18,) as being built by King Solomon. And went up the stairs thereof, &c.-He went up the stairs that he might more easily measure the upper lintel, as well as the lower threshold. The word 5, translated threshold, signifies the lintel, or upper part of the door-case, as well as the threshold properly so called, or the lower part of it. Some understand the word here of the two side-posts, in which sense it is used Amos ix. 1. And every little chamber, &c.-Along the wall of the porch were chambers, three on each side, verse 10; these the angel measured, and they were of equal dimensions, each one reed square, with a passage of five cubits breadth between them. And the threshold of the gate, &c., was one reed-The inward threshold at the further end of the porch, looking into the first court, was of the same size with the outward one, verse 6. He measured also-Or, he even measured; the porch of the gate within-The words seem to be a repetition of what was said in the latter part of

verse 7.

and six cubits on that side.

B. C. 574.

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.

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 1 narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the 5 arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm-trees.

'Or, galleries, or, porches.- - Or, within.

pandus understands the height, which he supposes to have been two reeds, or twelve cubits and a half. The space also before the little chambers was one cubit, &c.-There was a border, or a rail, which enclosed a cubit's space before each chamber.

Verses 13, 14. He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber, &c.-Measuring the arch of the gate from north to south, it was in breadth twenty-five cubits, which is thus computed: the breadth of the gate ten cubits, the breadth of both the side walls thirteen cubits, and two cubits for the space or border on each side of the chambers, verse 12. Door against door-The door on each chamber exactly answered the door on the opposite side. He made also posts, &c.-He described, or made a delineation of the height of the columns or pillars which were to support the rooms or stories over the arch of the gate; and these were in height sixty cubits. Even unto the posts of the court round about the gate-It is supposed there is an ellipsis in these words, which may be thus supplied: And there was one measure to the pillars of the court, and of the gate round about; which makes the sense run plain and easy.

Verses 9-12. Then measured he the porch of the Verses 15, 16. And from the face of the gate, &c. gate, eight cubits, &c.-This was a portico beyond-The whole length of the porch, from the outward the little chambers which looked into the first court. It was eight cubits wide, and the two side-posts were two cubits thick, which made up the ten cubits mentioned verse 11. And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three, &c.--Or the little chambers of the eastern gate, which he has hitherto been describing, and the form of which is here repeated. These rooms were for the use of the porters that took care of the several gates that led to the temple. And the posts had one measure-The side-posts, or fronts of the doors, belonging to each row of chambers, were of the same size. And the length of the gate thirteen cubits-By the length of the gate, Villal-side-post, or front.

front unto the inner side, which looked into the first court, was fifty cubits. There were narrow windows to the little chambers, &c.—Every one of these little chambers (verse 7) had a narrow window to it, toward the inside of the gate where the passage was; and so there was over the side-posts or fronts placed at the entrance of every chamber; and likewise to the arches-The word translated arches signifies also a porch, or entrance; and the word being so taken, the sense is, that there was a window over every door. And upon each post were palm-trees— A palm-tree was carved upon the chapiter of each

The description of

B. C. 574.

CHAPTER XL.

A. M. 3430. 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.

the new temple.

B. C. 574.

gate that looketh toward the east: A. M. 3430.
and they went up unto it by seven
steps; and the arches thereof were before them.
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 a
hundred cubits.

24 After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the

19 Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, a hundred cubits east-arches thereof according to these measures. ward and northward.

20 And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.

9

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.

22 And their windows, and their arches, and their palm-trees, were after the measure of the

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 a hundred cubits.

Rev. xi. 2. 1 Kings vi. 5.—Chap. xlv. 5. Or, from || without.

Verse 17. Then brought he me into the outward court-There were two courts belonging to Solomon's temple; the outward for the people, the inward for the priests. It is probable that Solomon built only the inner court: see 1 Kings vi. 36, compared with chap. viii. 64: and that the outer court was built after his time, whereupon it is called the new court, (2 Chron. xx. 5,) after which time there is particular mention of the two courts of the house of the Lord, 2 Kings xxi. 5. A third court, called the court of the Gentiles, was afterward added by Herod, when he rebuilt the temple. And lo, there were chambers-These chambers were over the cloister, and supported by it: see verse 14, and chap. xlii. 8. They might be for the use of the priests, and likewise store-houses for tithes and offerings: see 1 Chron. xxviii. 12. And a pavement made for the court round about-A beautiful floor made with checker-work. The whole floor of this court was thus paved. Thirty chambers were upon the pavement-That is, fifteen on the south side of the gate, and fifteen on the north side, built over the pavement.

Verse 19. Then he measured the breadth, &c., a hundred cubits eastward and northward-He measured the whole space of ground between the west front of the lower gate, (namely, the gate at the east end of the outer court,) and the east front of the upper gate, which led into the inner court, and found it a hundred cubits; the same was the space between the south front and the north front: so the court was exactly square. The expression is ellipti

8 Heb. whose face was.- - Or, galleries, or, porches.

cal; as if he had said, There were a hundred cubits from west to east, and from north to south. It must be observed, the gate at the east end of the outer court is called the lower gate, for the same reason as the pavement is called the lower pavement, verse 18; because there was still an ascent, as a person went from one court to the other.

Verse 23. The gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, &c.—The words may be translated more intelligibly thus: And the gate of the inner court was proportionable, or answerable, to the gate that was toward the north and toward the east. The expression is elliptical, like that of verse 19, and the full import of it is, that the north gate of the inner court did exactly answer this north gate of the outer court, described verses 20, 22. And in like manner the east gate of the inner court answered the east gate of the outward court. Verses 24-26. After that he brought me to the south, &c.-The prophet having shown, by way of parenthesis, in the 23d verse, the exact correspondence between the gates of both courts, proceeds in these three verses to describe the south gate of the outer court, by the same dimensions he had before given of the east and north gate.

Verses 27-31. And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south-The south gate in the inner court was exactly parallel to the south gate in the outer court: see verse 23. And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate-Those who maintain that the outer court enclosed the inner on the east, north, and south sides, explain these words in

The description of

B. C. 574.

EZEKIEL.

A. M. 3430. 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.

the new temple.

B. C. 574.

35 And he brought me to the A. M. 3430. 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 outer 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.

30 And the arches round about were Pfive and twenty cubits long, and five cubits 10 broad. 31 And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight|| 39 And in the porch of the gate were two steps. tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt-offering, and a the sinoffering, and the trespass-offering.

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.

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 a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit

P Verse 21; xxv.; xxxiii.; xxxvi. 10 Heb. breadth.- - Lev. iv. 2, 3.- Leviticus v. 6; vi. 6; vii. 1.- 11 Or, at the step.

this sense, that the prophet was conducted from the south gate of the outer court, verse 24, to the south gate of the inner court, which was over against it, and so into the inner court itself. And he measured the south gate, &c.-After he had measured the inner court, he took the dimensions of the south gate itself, and the chambers thereto belonging, and found them of the same dimensions with the former. The arches five and twenty cubits long, &c.Length is here taken for height, as before, verse 11. The words express the dimensions of those arches which were between the several little chambers, between each of which there was a space of five cubits, verse 7. The arches were toward the outer courtOr, were like [those of] the outer court.

the sacrifices were more numerous than the north side could well contain: he therefore understands the word gates as comprehending here both the north and south gate, and confirms this interpretation from the placing of the lavers which were designed for that use, and were set five on the right side of the house, and five on the left, 1 Kings vii. 39.

Verses 39, 40. In the porch of the gate were two tables, &c.-Those expositors who, by the word gales, in verse 38, understand both the north and south gates, render the sense of these two verses perspicuously thus: In the porch of one gate (namely, that on the south) were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, &c. And at the outer side of the step of the entry of the north gate were two tables; which interpretation agrees very well with what follows, verse 41, Four tables were on this side, and four on that side. But they that understand these verses to be only a description of the north gate (on which side of the altar the sacrifices were commonly killed) suppose that two tables were on each side, as a person came into the porch of the gate, and two on each side of the inner part

Verse 38. And the chambers were by the gates where they washed the burnt-offerings-The chambers, mentioned verse 36, were near the entrance of the north gate, where they washed the legs and entrails of the burnt-offerings; and marble tables were placed there for that purpose. According to this exposition, the word gates in the plural stands for gate in the singular. But Dr. Lightfoot says, they washed the sacrifices on the south side, as well as on the north side of the court of the priests, when || of the gate that looked toward the altar.