Ezek. 40 Ezekiel’s vision of the model of a city, and of an angel with a line and measuring reed taking the dimensions of the temple, Ezek. 40:1–5. The description of the east gate of the outer court, Ezek. 40:6–19; of the north gate, Ezek. 40:20–23; and of the south gate, Ezek.

Of our captivity; of those that with Jeconiah, who is also called Jehoiachin, were carried away into captivity eleven years before Jerusalem was sacked and burnt. And this falls in with the 3374th year of the world, or near it; about 574 years before Christ’s incarnation.

In the visions: by this it appears it was not a corporeal transumption of the prophet: see Ezek. 8:3. Brought me: see Ezek. 40:1. Into the land of Israel; the land of Canaan was in a scheme represented to him.

He brought me; the Lord by his Spirit, as Ezek. 40:1. Thither: see Ezek. 40:1. A man; the same, no doubt, which appeared to the prophet, Ezek. 1:26, whose name is The Branch, and who builds the temple, Zech. 6:12–13. Whose appearance, whose fashion and colour, was like burnished brass; so Rev.

The man: see Ezek. 40:3. Said unto me; Ezekiel, called here, as in many other places, the son of man. Behold with thine eyes; diligently view; all accurateness is required here in looking into these things presented to the eye.

A wall: this was that outmost wall, which did encompass the whole ground on which the temple stood, and the courts that belonged to the temple; a wall that encompassed the whole Mount Zion, upon whose top the temple stood. On the outside: this passage clears which wall it was, viz.

Then, when the prophet had well observed the outer wall and the measuring thereof, came he, the man with the measuring reed, i.e. Christ. The gate, either of one of the inner walls, or of the temple itself.

Along the wall of the porch were chambers, three on one side and three on the other, Ezek. 40:10, of equal dimensions, each one reed square. Five cubits, a space of two yards and one half, between each chamber, either filled with some neat posts or pillars, or it may be quite void, and nothing in…

The porch; the posts, which were joined together at the top by an arch, and so made the portico, say some. The open space under the arch between the posts, or the ally which leads from the gate into the more inward parts of the house, or to the inmost.

This, say some, was another porch of another gate, distinct from that Ezek. 40:6. But others, more likely, refer this measuring to the same gate, but where, as before the breadth, now the length is measured.

This is a repetition of what the 7th verse hath already acquainted us with; I only observe, these chambers were for the priests and Levites to lodge in during their ministration, according to their courses in the temple, where they kept watch continually night and day.

The breadth of the entry: it is meant of the whole length of the entry, or walk through the porch, which was so wide, and to which they ascended by stairs of a semi-circular form.

The space; the bound, limit, or rails, as some think, which were set up at a cubit distance from the front of these little chambers, and gave a beauty to them; or else the space of a cubit on the outside for convenient placing of benches for the priests to sit on, while they observed who came in…

He measured from the extremity of one little chamber on the north side of the gate, to the extremity of the opposite chamber on the south side; and so one cubit and half for the back wall of the one chamber, and as much for the back wall of the other chamber, with the length of the chambers six…

He made; measured, and thereby showed what kind of posts they should be. Posts of threescore cubits: if this might be interpreted by Cyrus’s edict for building this fabric sixty cubits high, it would be a clear confirmation of the Divine mission of the prophet, and the certainty of a future…

This verse seems to sum up all the dimensions at length, this gate, its porch, and thickness of its walls; and so sum the cubits, six in the thickness of the outer wall, eighteen in the three chambers, twenty in the spaces between the chambers, and six cubits in the thickness of the inner wall of…

Narrow windows: these lights were made through the thickness of the wall of the chambers, and the wall was sloped for that purpose, both within toward the chamber, and without toward the cloister, this outward sloping gathering the light from without, and the inward sloping did disperse it over all…

The outward court; so called in regard of the more inward court, between that where he was and the temple itself: this court here, called the outward court, was at least the second about the temple, as you go through the first and greatest court, or floor encompassed with that wall of one reed…

The pavement; that mentioned Ezek. 40:17. By the side of the gates; that part which lay on each side of the gate, and from thence spread itself towards the chambers, leaving a space of pavement of equal breadth with the porch, or gate in the middle.

He measured the breadth of the whole ground between the inner front of one gate and porch, to the outer front of the next gate more inward to the temple. The lower gate; called so in respect to the next gate, which was on the higher ground, and into which the entrance was by stairs or steps.

Now is this measurer giving account of the north gate of this outward court, in which is a most exact harmony with the measures, fashion, and ornaments of the east gate, so that nothing needs be here repeated; who would know all particulars of this gate may find them in the east gate.

The first gate; called, Ezek. 40:22, east gate. The length thereof was fifty cubits: see Ezek. 40:15. The breadth five and twenty cubits: see Ezek. 40:13.

See Ezek. 40:16. By seven steps: it is not said what number of stairs they went up to the east gate, but by this if appears they were seven steps in number, and it is said by some the form was semi-circular. The arches thereof, of this portico, the curious vaulted roof.

The gate, the north gate, of the inner court, or court of the priests. The gate toward the north; the north gate of the outer court, these were directly over each other.

Having finished the measuring of the east gate, and showed the prophet the sameness of the north gate’s buildings, measures, and ornaments, now he is informed of the south gate, and its exact symmetry with the other two, which consult in Ezek. 40:5–11. The south; the south point of heaven.

See Ezek. 40:16. Like those windows, which were in the east gate, and already measured there.

Seven steps: see Ezek. 40:22. To go up to it; the floor or square court. Before them: see Ezek. 40:22. One on this side, and another on that side; on the right and on the left-hand posts, each post had one palm tree.

As before the east gate answered to east, and north to north, so here one south gate answers to the other in the confronting or parallel walls, and in all points exactly uniform. To prevent repetition, I refer you to the particular measures, &c. of the east gate.

He brought me from the south gate of the outer court through the porch, and over the one hundred cubit pavement to the south gate of the inner court, which is he described by its harmony with the other gates, which were before measured, and to them are you referred, lest we needlessly repeat the…

Fifty cubits long: see Ezek. 40:15. Five and twenty cubits broad: see Ezek. 40:13.

Five and twenty cubits long: here, as once before, Ezek. 40:11, length is put for height.

In this verse two things are mentioned wherein this gate differed from the other; first, in the arches or porch, which stood not inward, but outward towards the outer court, the reason whereof will appear in what follows.

The inner court; the court of the priests, which was next to the house or temple itself. Toward the east; to the east gate of that court; so he is brought from the south to the east gate.

Compare Ezek. 40:33 with Ezek. 40:6–16, where the form and dimensions are expressly set down.

See Ezek. 40:31, where this verse is explained.

From the east gate, and taking the measures thereof, he passeth by order to the north gate, where all is exactly conformed to that in the south and east gates.

The chambers; either the six, three on one side, and three on the other, as before in the gates of the outer court, or else chambers built on purpose for the uses here specified, as some conjecture. The entries; the doors, as well as the chambers, were by the pillars probably adjoining to them.

Though the words seem so express, yet doubt is made whether any table were in the very porch itself, and think they would cumber the passage, but sure where only the priests in course of ministration entered, there would be no great crowd; therefore I conceive that these two pairs of tables were…

On the right hand without, and probably in the open air, or else under the cloister that went eastward, stood two, and on the left hand two, in like manner, for the same end and use, to slay the sacrifices.

Either within the porch two, and without it two, on either side, or else, as some will, four without the porch and gate, in the cloisters on the right and left hand of the gate. However placed, they were eight for number, and designed for slaying the sacrifices on.

The four tables; each four tables, for the prophet speaks of all eight, but names them four, because they were coupled so one four on the one side and the other four on the other side.

Within the house, porch, or whatever the place be called where these tables stood. Hooks; learned conjectures here, as in many other places, perplex more than explain. Hooks, on which the slaughtered sacrifice might be hanged.

Without; when he was got though the gate of the inner court. Were the chambers, several in a row, of the singers; where they lodged both their instruments and themselves during the time of their attendance. In the inner court; next to the temple.

He, who appeared with measuring line and reed, Ezek. 40:3. This chamber; this range of chambers, for this single number refers to the whole row, not to one particular chamber. For the priests the sons of Aaron, yet, I think, not excluding others, who had charge under the priests.

The chamber: see Ezek. 40:45. For the priests, the keepers: see Ezek. 40:45. Of the charge of the altar; to preserve the fire perpetually on the altar, &c. Zadok; the high priest, who was put in by Solomon’s depriving of Abiathar, in whose race the high priesthood continued.

The court; the inner court, or court of the priests, who, according to their several charges, had lodgings in it, as Ezek. 40:46. Four-square: this court was an exact equilateral square. The altar: here the place of the altar is only mentioned, the measuring of it is Ezek. 43:13–18.

He brought me, from the measuring the building and court, to the porch of the house, that porch which joined to the temple, and was part of the house. Each post of the porch; the post or wall on each side of the gate.

Though learned men dispute the position of the length, whether from east to west, or from north to south, express word determines the dimensions of this length and breadth. The steps: eight, say some, others eleven, and some say ten, others say twelve; but most say eight.