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Behold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits[a] long, of a cubit and a hand width each. So he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

Then he came to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide; and the other threshold, one reed wide. Every lodge was one reed long and one reed wide. Between the lodges was five cubits. 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 he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.

10 The lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side. The three of them were of one measure. The posts had one measure on this side and on that side. 11 He measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits; 12 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. 13 He measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, door against door. 14 He also made posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate. 15 From the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits. 16 There were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches. Windows were around inward. Palm trees were on each post.

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Footnotes

  1. 40:5 A normal cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. A handbreadth is about 4.3 inches or 11 centimeters, so the long cubit described here would be about 22.3 inches or 57 centimeters long. Thus, a 6 long cubit measuring reed would have been about 3 yards 26.6 inches or about 3.42 meters long.

The East Gateway

I could see a wall completely surrounding the Temple area. The man took a measuring rod that was 10 1⁄2 feet[a] long and measured the wall, and the wall was 10 1⁄2 feet[b] thick and 10 1⁄2 feet high.

Then he went over to the eastern gateway. He climbed the steps and measured the threshold of the gateway; it was 10 1⁄2 feet front to back.[c] There were guard alcoves on each side built into the gateway passage. Each of these alcoves was 10 1⁄2 feet square, with a distance between them of 8 3⁄4 feet[d] along the passage wall. The gateway’s inner threshold, which led to the entry room at the inner end of the gateway passage, was 10 1⁄2 feet front to back. He also measured the entry room of the gateway.[e] It was 14 feet[f] across, with supporting columns 3 1⁄2 feet[g] thick. This entry room was at the inner end of the gateway structure, facing toward the Temple.

10 There were three guard alcoves on each side of the gateway passage. Each had the same measurements, and the dividing walls separating them were also identical. 11 The man measured the gateway entrance, which was 17 1⁄2 feet[h] wide at the opening and 22 3⁄4 feet[i] wide in the gateway passage. 12 In front of each of the guard alcoves was a 21-inch[j] curb. The alcoves themselves were 10 1⁄2 feet[k] on each side.

13 Then he measured the entire width of the gateway, measuring the distance between the back walls of facing guard alcoves; this distance was 43 3⁄4 feet.[l] 14 He measured the dividing walls all along the inside of the gateway up to the entry room of the gateway; this distance was 105 feet.[m] 15 The full length of the gateway passage was 87 1⁄2 feet[n] from one end to the other. 16 There were recessed windows that narrowed inward through the walls of the guard alcoves and their dividing walls. There were also windows in the entry room. The surfaces of the dividing walls were decorated with carved palm trees.

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Footnotes

  1. 40:5a Hebrew 6 long cubits [3.2 meters], each being a cubit [18 inches or 45 centimeters] and a handbreadth [3 inches or 8 centimeters] in length.
  2. 40:5b Hebrew 1 rod [3.2 meters]; also in 40:5c, 7.
  3. 40:6 As in Greek version, which reads 1 rod [3.2 meters] deep; Hebrew reads 1 rod deep, and 1 threshold, 1 rod deep.
  4. 40:7 Hebrew 5 cubits [2.7 meters]; also in 40:48.
  5. 40:8 As in many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac version; other Hebrew manuscripts add which faced inward toward the Temple; it was 1 rod [10.5 feet or 3.2 meters] deep. Then he measured the entry room of the gateway.
  6. 40:9a Hebrew 8 cubits [4.2 meters].
  7. 40:9b Hebrew 2 cubits [1.1 meters].
  8. 40:11a Hebrew 10 cubits [5.3 meters].
  9. 40:11b Hebrew 13 cubits [6.9 meters].
  10. 40:12a Hebrew 1 cubit [53 centimeters].
  11. 40:12b Hebrew 6 cubits [3.2 meters].
  12. 40:13 Hebrew 25 cubits [13.3 meters]; also in 40:21, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36.
  13. 40:14 Hebrew 60 cubits [31.8 meters]. Greek version reads 20 cubits [35 feet or 10.6 meters]. The meaning of the Hebrew in this verse is uncertain.
  14. 40:15 Hebrew 50 cubits [26.5 meters]; also in 40:21, 25, 29, 33, 36.

The East Gate to the Outer Court

I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits,[a] each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured(A) the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

Then he went to the east gate.(B) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. The alcoves(C) for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits[b] thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep.

Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it[c] was eight cubits[d] deep and its jambs were two cubits[e] thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple.

10 Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. 11 Then he measured the width of the entrance of the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits.[f] 12 In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits[g] from one parapet opening to the opposite one. 14 He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway—sixty cubits.[h] The measurement was up to the portico[i] facing the courtyard.[j](D) 15 The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits.[k] 16 The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 40:5 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verse 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters is the basic unit of measurement of length throughout chapters 40–48.
  2. Ezekiel 40:7 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verse 48
  3. Ezekiel 40:9 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it
  4. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 14 feet or about 4.2 meters
  5. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1 meter
  6. Ezekiel 40:11 That is, about 18 feet wide and 23 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 6.9 meters long
  7. Ezekiel 40:13 That is, about 44 feet or about 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36
  8. Ezekiel 40:14 That is, about 105 feet or about 32 meters
  9. Ezekiel 40:14 Septuagint; Hebrew projecting wall
  10. Ezekiel 40:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  11. Ezekiel 40:15 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33 and 36