This and the eight following chapters contain a vision of a city and temple herein described, and are thought to be the most difficult part of the whole Bible.

In the five and twentieth year of our captivity That is, from Jeconiah’s captivity, from whence this prophet begins his dates: he calls it our captivity, because he himself was then carried captive; and this was twenty years after his first vision; see (Ezek. 1:1, Ezek.

In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, &c.] Or by the spirit of prophecy, as the Targum again; that is, being under the impressions of the Spirit of God, it appeared to him, in a visionary way, as if he was really brought out of Chaldea, and set in the land of Israel; see , as…

And he brought me thither Being brought into the land of Israel in vision, and to a high mountain in it, by which were as the frame of a city; he was from thence brought to the city or temple itself, which looked like one: and, behold, a note of attention and admiration: there was a man; one in…

And the man said unto me, Son of man The glorious and illustrious Person before described, who appeared in a human form, spoke to the prophet, calling him “the Son of man”, a title often bestowed upon him in this prophecy; and here used to put him in mind of his original and decent, and of his…

And behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about The first thing that presents itself to the view of the prophet, after the sight of the architect or chief builder, is a wall encompassing this strange and wondrous building; which was like the frame of a city, as before observed: this wall…

Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east Or, “whose face is the way to the east” [[16]]; to the east of the house or temple; not to the eastern gate of the wall about the house; but to the eastern gate of the outward court; see , for the man came from the wall he had measured unto…

And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad, &c.] The length and breadth were equal, three yards and a half long and broad; a perfect square.

He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed. ] This was either the measure of the breadth of the porch between the opposite chambers on both sides; or rather of the length of that space, which was between the third little chamber and the last gate; and such a space must be supposed to…

Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits This could not be the length of the porch from gate to gate, or from east to west, as Lipman [[24]]; since there were five cubits between every little chamber; but the breadth of it from north to south, and was four yards and two feet over: and…

And the little chambers of the gate eastward Where the man now was, and was measuring; and the like chambers there were in the other gates, and of the same measure; of which chambers (See Gill on Ezek.

And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits Five yards, two feet and a half: this was the measure of the eastern gate, whether outward or inward; for they were both of a measure, as appears from the thresholds being alike: and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits; that is,…

The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side Or, “a border” [[0]] of half a yard and three inches to the front of the chambers; where those that belonged to them might walk, or have seats to sit on; such a space there was before the three little chambers on the north side of…

He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another That is, the whole porch, from the extreme part of the roof of one of the little chambers on the north side, to the extreme part of the roof of another of the little chambers on the south; of the roof of these…

He made also posts of threescore cubits Jerom thinks, that between the outward wall which surrounded this building, and the building itself, these posts or pillars were placed for ornament, which took up the space of sixty cubits; but rather these design the posts or columns of the gate, which…

And from the face of the gate of the entrance That is, from the outward gate as you went into the porch, and was to the east, so called from people’s passing and repassing [[1]] in it; so Jarchi takes it to be the eastern gate; the Targum calls it the middle gate: unto the face of the porch of the…

And there were narrow windows to the little chamber The walls being sloped both within and without, that the light let in might be spread the more: as those “little chambers” signify the several congregated churches of Christ in the Gospel dispensation; (See Gill on Ezek.

Then brought he me into the outward court The divine and glorious Person in human form, having brought the prophet up to the eastern gate, and through it, and the porch that belonged to it, to the inner gate of it, which lay westward; and having measured that gate, its threshold, the porch, the…

And the pavement by the sides of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement. ] That is, this pavement, which went along by every gate, and answered the length of them, and what appertained to them, east, west, north, and south, was either lower than the pavement in the…

Then he measured the breadth from the fore front of the lower gate That is, from the front of the inner eastern gate before mentioned, , called the lower gate, in respect of the gate opposite to it, which led into the inner court, to which there was an ascent of eight steps; and which the Targum…

And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north Or the north gate of this building: having finished the dimensions of the eastern gate, those of the north gate are taken: he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof; as he had the eastern gate, and which were the same; and…

And the little chambers thereof were three on this side, and three on that side As in the eastern gate, and the measures the same, . Gospel churches in the latter day will be all on the same plan, and modelled according to the same pattern, and be in just the same order, one as another: and the…

And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looked towards the east (Ezek. 40:14, Ezek. 40:16) , signifying that the light of the churches, their privileges, and flourishing condition, will be alike everywhere, as in one part of the world, so…

And the gate of the inward court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east Or, “and as to the east” [[7]]; that is, the north gate of the inner court was directly opposite to the north gate of the outward court; just as the eastern gate of the inward court was in a straight…

After that he brought me toward the south Having taken the dimensions of the east and north gates, the prophet was had on the south side of the building: and behold a gate toward the south; that led to the southern part of this fabric, and to the outward court there, exactly like the other two;…

And there were windows in it, and in the arches thereof round about That is, in the little chambers, though not expressed; and in the porches of them on each side, as you passed from the outer to the inner gate: like those windows; that were in the chambers that were in the east and north gates,…

And there were seven steps to go up to it To the south gate, as there were to the east and north gates, (Ezek. 40:6, Ezek. 40:42) : and the arches thereof were before them; (See Gill on Ezek.

And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south Which answered to the gate of the outward court before mentioned: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits; from the gate of the inward court, to the gate of the outward court southward, were just the same…

And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate Having done with the outer court, east, north, and south, the prophet is brought into the inner court by the south gate, which was nearest to enter by.

And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures These were at the gate of the inner court; and so they stand in Cocceius’s tables; and were of the same measure with the little chambers, posts, and arches, that were at the several outward…

And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, &c.] That is, high; this was the height of them; these were the frontispiece of the gate to the inner court without, and faced the outward court, as appears by the following verse; these were a kind of portico over the eight steps to this…

And the arches thereof were toward the outward court And so not within the gate of the inward court, but on the outside of it, towards the outward court, at the front of the gate as you went in: and palm trees were upon the posts thereof; of the gate, or of these arches or porticos; signifying that…

And he brought me into the inner court toward the east Into that part of it which lay to the east, having gone through that which lay to the south: and he measured the gate according to these measures; that is, the eastern gate of the inner court; for the eastern gate that led to the outward court…

And the little chambers thereof These, and what follow in this verse, are exactly the same with those of the south gate of the inner court, .

And the arches thereof were toward the outward court As those of the south gate, , and the palm trees on the posts, and the steps up to it, the same as there.

, 37. And he brought me to the north gate That is, of the inner court, for he had measured before the north gate that led to the outward court, , and here the little chambers, posts, arches, and steps, in all things agree with those of the other gates: what were observed in it different from the…

, 37. And he brought me to the north gate That is, of the inner court, for he had measured before the north gate that led to the outward court, , and here the little chambers, posts, arches, and steps, in all things agree with those of the other gates: what were observed in it different from the…

(See Gill on Ezek. 40:35).

And the chambers, and the entries thereof, were by the posts of the gates Of the north gate; the plural for the singular; for not at the other gates, only at the north gate, were the sacrifices slain and washed; as under the law, only on the north side of the altar, , now, by the posts of this…

And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side This is still the north gate of the inward court, which had a porch that reached from the outward to the inner gate of it, in which were three little chambers on each side, , between each of which were a space of…

And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables Or, “the door of the north gate” [[14]]; not the first, upon coming up the eight steps; but passing through that gate, and along the porch where the three little chambers and the two tables on each side were,…

Four tables were on this side, and four tables were on that side, by the side of the gate These are the same tables repeated, to observe more diligently the situation and use of them; there were four on the right hand, two between the little chambers in the porch, and two on the outside of the…

And the four tables were of hewn stone These are either the same tables as before, the four that were on one side, and the four that were on the other; they were all made of hewn stone: in the second temple they were made of marble; so it is said in the Misnah [[15]], “the marble tables were…

And within were hooks, a hand broad, fastened round about, &c.] These, very probably, were fastened on the posts of the gate, near which were the washing room for the sacrifices, , on which they were hung, when they were flayed, or the skin took off: in the slaughter house in the second temple, to…

And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers, &c.] These singers are true believers in Christ, members of Gospel churches; whose duty and privilege it is to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; which is a part of internal, spiritual, and evangelical worship, , these are the…

And he said unto me The illustrious Person that appeared in a human form, measuring the several parts of the temple, said to the prophet, as follows: this chamber, whose prospect is toward the south; the row of chambers that were on the side of the north gate, facing the south: is for the priests,…

And the chamber whose prospect is towards the north The row of chambers on the side of the east gate; that side of it that was towards the north, and which the chambers in it faced: is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar; the ministers of the Gospel, that take care of the altar,…

So he measured the court The inward court, where the prophet and his guide now were; and the gates leading to which he had been measuring, with the chambers, arches, and tables belonging thereunto: an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; the floor, or area of this court,…

And he brought me to the porch of the house Having passed through the inner court, and measured that, he came to the body of the fabric, the principal part of it, the house or temple; to the porch that led into it.

The length of the porch was twenty cubits From east to west; from the first gate of it to the last; which led directly into the house, or temple: and the breadth eleven cubits; which may be thus accounted for; two cubits apiece being allowed for each post, and three for each leaf of the door that…