Bible Commentaries

The Holy Place (Ezekiel 41:1-2), Fig. 2, B. This was the 'temple' strictly so called. The posts of its doorway were 6 cubits across (cd). The entrance was 10 cubits wide (cc, dd), and the sidewalls (id, di) were of 5 cubits each. The apartment itself was 40 cubits long and 20 cubits broad.

1. Tabernacle] should probably be 'posts.'

The Holy of Holies (Ezekiel 41:3-4), Fig. 2, chapter Ezekiel did not accompany the measurer into this sacred chamber. The posts of the entrance (ef) were two cubits across. The entrance itself was 6 cubits wide (ee, ff) and the sidewalls (kf, fk) were of 7 cubits each. The chamber itself was a square of 20 cubits each way.

The Side Chambers (Ezekiel 41:5-7). The Temple had a double wall, the inner being 6 cubits

thick (Ezekiel 41:5), and the outer 5 cubits thick (Ezekiel 41:9). Between these was a space of 4 cubits (D), which was occupied by 30 chambers arranged in three stories. The chambers in each story were wider than those below, as the supporting beams were not let into the Temple wall, but rested on ledges, which took away successively from the thickness of the wall (Fig. 4).

6. Three] RV 'in three stories', They entered into] should probably be 'there were rebatements in', as in 1 Kings 6:6, which in any case gives the key to the meaning here.

7. And there was.. chambers] RV 'and the side chambers were broader as they encompassed the house higher and higher.'

The Raised Platform and Surrounding Space (Ezekiel 41:8-11). The Temple building and the side chambers stood on a basement which rose 6 cubits above the level of the inner court. This basement extended 5 cubits (the 'place that was left') beyond the outer wall on either side (Fig. 2, E), and from this space entry was gained to the side chambers on either side (Fig. 2, gg). Round the platform there was a clear space of 20 cubits (the 'separate place') on the N., W., and S. (Fig. 3, H H H).

8. The height of the house] RV 'that the house had a raised basement.'

The Western Building (Ezekiel 41:12), Fig. 3, K. This was on the W. of the Temple beyond the 'separate place' (H), and had walls 5 cubits thick. Its internal measurement was 90 cubits by 70, and its external one 100 cubits by 80.

General Measurements (Ezekiel 41:13-15). The Temple was 100 cubits long, and the western space H (20 cubits) with the building K (70 cubits) and its walls (10 cubits) made up another 100 cubits (Ezekiel 41:13) from E. to W. The front of the Temple with the E. ends of the separate places H H on either side of it made up 100 cubits (lm) from S. to N. (Ezekiel 41:14). The building K with its 'galleries' (walls) was also 100 cubits (pq, rs) from S. to N. (Ezekiel 41:15).

The Interior Decorations of the Temple (Ezekiel 41:15-26). Ezekiel 41:15 should end with 'cubits'. The vv. that follow are somewhat obscure. The windows that lit the interior of the Temple must have been above the third storey of the side chambers. What follows is all that can be clearly made out. The whole interior from the floor to the windows was panelled with wood and ornamented with cherubim and palm trees, placed alternately. Each cherub had two faces, a lion's and a man's. The porch seems to have been decorated with palm trees only (Ezekiel 41:26). Both the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies had two doors, each consisting of two leaves. These had cherubim and palm trees like those on the walls. Before the Holy of Holies (in the Holy Place) there was a wooden altar-shaped table 3 cubits high and 2 cubits long.

15b, 16. should perhaps read, 'and the Temple, and the inner house, and its outer porch were covered with a roof work, and they three had their closed windows and their galleries round about'. The 'galleries, may have been borders or dados.

21. An obscure verse.

22. The second length should be 'base.'

25. Thick planks stands for a word of unknown meaning.

(d) The Priests, Chambers (Ezekiel 42:1-14)

This is the most obscure part of Ezekiel's description. The following are the clearest points. On the N. side of the Temple, and separated from it by the space H (Fig. 3) was a group of buildings (oumw) 100 cubits long and 50 cubits broad (Ezekiel 41:2). It consisted of a block (G), next the Temple, 100 cubits long, and another (G1), next the outer court, 50 cubits long (Ezekiel 41:8). The remaining 50 cubits next the outer court was occupied by a wall (vw, Ezekiel 41:7), and between the blocks was a walk (O) 10 cubits wide and 100 cubits long (Ezekiel 41:4). This left 20 cubits as the width of each block. The chambers in these buildings were in three storeys, and were over against the space H on the one hand, and the pavement (B) of the outer court on the other (Ezekiel 41:3). The upper storeys were narrower than the lower, their breadth being diminished by galleries (Ezekiel 41:3, Ezekiel 41:5) which faced each other across the walk O (Fig. 5). The doors of G were towards the N., opening on the walk O (Ezekiel 41:2, Ezekiel 41:4). The entry (P) from the outer court was at the E. end of the whole group (Ezekiel 41:9). There was an exactly similar group of buildings on the S. of the Temple (Ezekiel 41:10-12). All these chambers were to be used by the priests for eating the sacrificial flesh and for changing their garments (Ezekiel 41:13-14).

4. One cubit] RM 'a hundred cubits.'

5. Were higher than] RV 'took away from', Than the lower] RV 'more than from.'

10. East should obviously be S.

(e) Dimensions of the Temple Area (Ezekiel 42:15-20)

The whole formed a square of 500 cubits each way. This follows from the measurements already given. 'Reeds, is a mistake for 'cubits', arising from the fact that the reed was used in the measurement.