Ezekiel 40KJV
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Ezekiel40

King James Version · Public Domain

1In 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 the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither.

2In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

3And 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.

4And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

5And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

6Then came he unto the gate 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.

7And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.

8He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.

9Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.

10And 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.

11And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

12The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

13He 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.

14He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.

15And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

16And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, 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.

17Then 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.

18And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.

19Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.

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

21And 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.

22And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.

23And 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 an hundred cubits.

24After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.

25And 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.

26And 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.

27And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.

28And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

29And 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.

30And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.

31And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.

32And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures.

33And 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.

34And 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.

35And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;

36The 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.

37And the posts thereof were toward the utter 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.

38And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.

39And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

40And 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.

41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices.

42And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.

45And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

46And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord to minister unto him.

47So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.

48And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.

49The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 40.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The Vision of the Temple. (1-49).

vv1-49

Here is a vision, beginning at Ezek. 40, and continued to the end of the book, Ezek. 48, which is justly looked upon to be one of the most difficult portions in all the book of God. When we despair to be satisfied as to any difficulty we meet with, let us bless God that our salvation does not depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough; and let us wait till God shall reveal even this unto us. This chapter describes two outward courts of the temple. Whether the personage here mentioned was the Son of God, or a created angel, is not clear. But Christ is both our Altar and our Sacrifice, to whom we must look with faith in all approaches to God; and he is Salvation in the midst of the earth, Ps. 74:12, to be looked unto from all quarters.

Cross References

Ezekiel 40

John's vision of the holy city descending from a great and high mountain echoes Ezekiel's vision.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v3Revelation 11:1thematic

John is given a measuring reed to measure the temple, directly mirroring Ezekiel's measuring messenger.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v3Revelation 1:15thematic

The appearance of the man like brass parallels Christ's appearance of fine brass in Revelation.

Supported by Matthew Poole

The man building/measuring the temple points to the Branch who builds the spiritual temple of God.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Zechariah 2:1thematic

Zechariah similarly sees a man with a measuring line to measure Jerusalem's dimensions.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v5Ezekiel 42:20thematic

The vast dimensions of the outer wall signify a separation between holy and common ground.

Supported by JFB

v46Ezekiel 44:15thematic

Confirms the identity of the sons of Zadok who kept the charge of the sanctuary.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Isaiah 2:2thematic

The mountain of the Lord's house established in the top of the mountains.

Supported by JFB

v2Galatians 4:26thematic

The heavenly Jerusalem which is free, representing the spiritual fulfillment of the vision.

Supported by JFB

v4Ezekiel 44:5thematic

Repeats the command to mark well, behold, and hear carefully concerning temple ordinances.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v71 Kings 6:5-10thematic

Solomon's temple also had side chambers built against the walls of the house.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v46Ezekiel 43:19thematic

Identifies the priests of the seed of Zadok who approach God to minister.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v461 Kings 2:35fulfillment

Zadok replaces Abiathar, fulfilling prophecy and establishing his line in the priesthood.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v491 Kings 7:21thematic

The two bronze pillars Jachin and Boaz in the porch of Solomon's temple.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Acts 20:27thematic

Paul declaring the whole counsel of God parallels Ezekiel's command to declare all he sees.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v38Hebrews 10:22typology

The washing of sacrifices points to believers having hearts sprinkled and bodies washed clean.

Supported by JFB

Ezekiel's chambers for singers echo David's ordering of temple singers and musicians.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Moses commands Israel to set their hearts to all words, just as Ezekiel is commanded.

Supported by Matthew Poole

David gave Solomon the pattern of the porch and chambers, indicating divine blueprint designs.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v39Malachi 1:7thematic

The sacrificial tables are spiritually associated with the table/altar of the Lord.

Supported by Matthew Poole