Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 40
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezekiel 40
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ezekiel 40
"In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me thither." — Ezekiel 40:1 (ASV)
In the first and twentieth year - This was the fiftieth year from the 18th of Josiah, the year of his memorable Passover (2 Kings 23:22). See the (Ezekiel 1:1) note. If that was a jubilee year, which is highly probable, this vision also falls in a jubilee year, which seems appropriate. The jubilee year began with the month of Tisri, a sufficient reason for speaking of the time as “the beginning of the year.” The tenth day of this month was the day of atonement (Leviticus 16:29–30).
"In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south." — Ezekiel 40:2 (ASV)
By which - Better as in the margin .
As the frame of a city - It is not “a city” which is seen, but a building (the temple and its courts) like a city in its construction, surrounded by massive walls.
On the south - southward, that is, on the southern slope, just as the temple actually stood on Mount Moriah. The temple was at the northeast corner of the city—part of the western portion of the city being more to the north, but no part directly north of the temple.
"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." — Ezekiel 40:3 (ASV)
The appearance of brass - Brightly shining.
A line of flax - For measuring the ground plan.
A measuring reed - For the walls . To measure implied a separation for sacred purposes. The measurements are:
- Exact, to show that the promise is certain;
- Equal, to denote harmony;
- Vast, to mark majesty and grandeur.
"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." — Ezekiel 40:5 (ASV)
The boundary wall of the temple courts. See Plan II.
A wall on the outside of the house - The wall enclosing the courts in which were the entrance gates.
By the cubit and an hand breadth - The Jews first used a cubit of fifteen inches, applying it principally to the vessels and furniture of the temple; next a cubit of eighteen inches (“a hand-breadth” longer than the former cubit); and lastly, after the captivity, the Babylonian cubit of twenty-one inches (a “hand-breadth” more). In the temple measurements they used only the cubit of eighteen inches; hence, the “cubit and hand-breadth” is the cubit of eighteen inches.
"Then came he unto the gate which looketh 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. 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. He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed. 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. And the lodges 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. And he measured the breadth of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits; 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. And he measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a breadth of five and twenty cubits; door against door. He made also posts, threescore cubits; and the court [reached] unto the posts, round about the gate. And [from] the forefront of the gate at the entrance unto the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits. 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." — Ezekiel 40:6-16 (ASV)
The east gate-building. See Plan III.
(Ezekiel 40:6) Stairs: These were seven in number (Ezekiel 40:22). Each threshold of the gate was one reed broad (or 9 feet). The measurements are taken from east to west, i.e., in depth.
(Ezekiel 40:7) Every little chamber: These were the guard-chambers (a) for the use of the Levites who kept watch in the temple.
The threshold of the gate by the porch: This refers to the second threshold in the easternmost gateway (c).
Porch: The Hebrew term is אולם ('ûlâm); the Septuagint uses αἰλάμ (ailam); and the Vulgate, vestibulum. The word probably means porch or portico, connected with “ail,” meaning post or pillar.
(Ezekiel 40:9) The porch is now measured from north to south in its “width.” The breadth of the entry of the gate was ten cubits, made up of eight cubits, with “a cubit” for “a post” or pillar on each side (Ezekiel 40:11).
Posts: A post is a projection like a ram’s horn. In architecture, it is a column projecting from the wall with its base, shaft, and capital, or it may be the “base” only (Ezekiel 40:16, Ezekiel 40:49). Here “post” represents the lower part of the column, and the dimensions given are those of the section of the base.
(Ezekiel 40:10) In front of each guard-chamber were columns, whose “posts” (bases) were each one cubit square.
(Ezekiel 40:11) The length of the gate: This refers to the length of the gateway (including the porch, E.) from the court to the uncovered space. The threshold was “six cubits,” and the porch “six.” In addition, one cubit was probably allowed in front of the porch, as before the porch of the temple itself (Ezekiel 40:49).
(Ezekiel 40:13) This measurement is across the gate-building from north to south. The breadth of the gate-building was exactly half its length (Ezekiel 40:15).
(Ezekiel 40:14) Posts of sixty cubits: Sixty cubits were the length of a series of columns. This gives us another feature of the gate-building. Between the porch (E) and the two most western guard-chambers was a space of five cubits (through which the road passed), forming a kind of hall with columns along the sides. This hall is called the “arches” (Ezekiel 40:16). A hall of the same dimensions was between the boundary wall and eastern guard-chambers (Ezekiel 40:31). It is probable that in one of these halls (that of the eastern gateway of the inner court) the prince ate bread on solemn festivals (Ezekiel 44:3).
Unto the post of the court round about the gate: This hall or colonnade extended the whole breadth of the building to the pavement (H, Plan II; Ezekiel 40:18). Outside the building, on the pavement, was a series of pillars.
(Ezekiel 40:15) The narrow windows (closed and perhaps latticed) lit up both the guard-chambers and the hall. On the square base of the post stood the shaft in the form of a palm tree, as we see in ancient buildings in the East.
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