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Ezekiel 40
New International Version

The Temple Area Restored

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city(A)—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me(B) and he took me there. 2 In visions(C) of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain,(D) on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;(E) he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod(F) in his hand. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you,(G) for that is why you have been brought here. Tell(H) the people of Israel everything you see.(I)”

The East Gate to the Outer Court

5 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(J) the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

6 Then he went to the east gate.(K) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. 7 The alcoves(L) 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.

8 Then he measured the portico of the gateway; 9 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](M) 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.(N)

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into the outer court.(O) There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms(P) along the pavement.(Q) 18 It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court;(R) it was a hundred cubits[l](S) on the east side as well as on the north.

The North Gate

20 Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21 Its alcoves(T)—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico(U) had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its openings, its portico(V) and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.(W) 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.(X)

The South Gate

24 Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements(Y) as the others. 25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(Z) 26 Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side.(AA) 27 The inner court(AB) also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.(AC)

The Gates to the Inner Court

28 Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements(AD) as the others. 29 Its alcoves,(AE) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(AF) 30 (The porticoes(AG) of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) 31 Its portico(AH) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.(AI)

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements(AJ) as the others. 33 Its alcoves,(AK) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico(AL) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate(AM) and measured it. It had the same measurements(AN) as the others, 36 as did its alcoves,(AO) its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico[m](AP) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.(AQ)

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

38 A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings(AR) were washed. 39 In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings,(AS) sin offerings[n](AT) and guilt offerings(AU) were slaughtered.(AV) 40 By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41 So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone(AW) for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.[o] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.(AX) 43 And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[p] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

The Rooms for the Priests

44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one[q] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south[r] gate and facing north. 45 He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple,(AY) 46 and the room facing north(AZ) is for the priests who guard the altar.(BA) These are the sons of Zadok,(BB) who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.(BC)”

47 Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.(BD)

The New Temple

48 He brought me to the portico of the temple(BE) and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits[s] and its projecting walls were[t] three cubits[u] wide on either side. 49 The portico(BF) was twenty cubits[v] wide, and twelve[w] cubits[x] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,[y] and there were pillars(BG) on each side of the jambs.

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. 9 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
  12. Ezekiel 40:19 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27 and 47
  13. Ezekiel 40:37 Septuagint (see also verses 31 and 34); Hebrew jambs
  14. Ezekiel 40:39 Or purification offerings
  15. Ezekiel 40:42 That is, about 2 2/3 feet long and wide and 21 inches high or about 80 centimeters long and wide and 53 centimeters high
  16. Ezekiel 40:43 That is, about 3 1/2 inches or about 9 centimeters
  17. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew were rooms for singers, which were
  18. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew east
  19. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  20. Ezekiel 40:48 Septuagint; Hebrew entrance was
  21. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.6 meters
  22. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  23. Ezekiel 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew eleven
  24. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  25. Ezekiel 40:49 Hebrew; Septuagint Ten steps led up to it
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Ezekiel 40
New English Translation

Vision of the New Temple

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city[a] was struck down, on this very day,[b] the hand[c] of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there.[d] 2 By divine visions[e] he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain,[f] and on it was a structure like a city, to the south. 3 When he brought me there, I saw[g] a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand. He was standing in the gateway. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention[h] to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you.[i] Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”

5 I saw[j] a wall all around the outside of the temple.[k] In the man’s hand was a measuring stick 10½ feet[l] long. He measured the thickness of the wall[m] as 10½ feet,[n] and its height as 10½ feet. 6 Then he went to the gate facing east. He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate as 10½ feet deep.[o] 7 The alcoves were 10½ feet long and 10½ feet wide; between the alcoves were 8¾ feet.[p] The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward was 10½ feet. 8 Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward as 10½ feet. 9 He measured the porch of the gate as 14 feet,[q] and its jambs as 3½ feet;[r] the porch of the gate faced inward. 10 There were three alcoves on each side of the east gate; the three had the same measurement, and the jambs on either side had the same measurement.[s] 11 He measured the width of the entrance of the gateway as 17½ feet,[t] and the length of the gateway as 22¾ feet.[u] 12 There was a barrier in front of the alcoves, 1¾ feet[v] on either side; the alcoves were 10½ feet[w] on either side. 13 He measured the gateway from the roof of one alcove to the roof of the other, a width of 43¾ feet[x] from one entrance to the opposite one. 14 He measured[y] the porch[z] at 105 feet[aa] high;[ab] the gateway went all around to the jamb of the courtyard. 15 From the front of the entrance gate to the porch of the inner gate was 87½ feet.[ac] 16 There were closed windows toward the alcoves and toward their jambs within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. There were windows all around the inside, and on each jamb were decorative palm trees.[ad]

17 Then he brought me to the outer court. I saw[ae] chambers there and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 The pavement was beside the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the width from before the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court as 175 feet[af] on the east and on the north.

20 He measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court that faces north. 21 Its alcoves, three on each side, and its jambs and porches had the same measurement as the first gate; 87½ feet[ag] long and 43¾ feet[ah] wide. 22 Its windows, its porches, and its decorative palm trees had the same measurement as the gate that faced east. Seven steps led up to it, and its porch was in front of them. 23 Opposite the gate on the north and the east was a gate of the inner court; he measured the distance from gate to gate at 175 feet.[ai]

24 Then he led me toward the south. I saw[aj] a gate on the south. He measured its jambs and its porches; they had the same dimensions as the others. 25 There were windows all around it and its porches, like the windows of the others;[ak] 87½ feet[al] long and 43¾ feet[am] wide. 26 There were seven steps going up to it; its porches were in front of them. It had decorative palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 27 The inner court had a gate toward the south; he measured it from gate to gate toward the south as 175 feet.[an]

28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate; it had the same dimensions as the others. 29 Its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches had the same dimensions as the others, and there were windows all around it and its porches; its length was 87½ feet[ao] and its width 43¾ feet.[ap] 30 There were porches all around, 43¾ feet[aq] long and 8¾ feet[ar] wide. 31 Its porches faced the outer court, and decorative palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side. He measured the gate; it had the same dimensions as the others. 33 Its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches had the same dimensions as the others, and there were windows all around it and its porches; its length was 87½ feet[as] and its width 43¾ feet.[at] 34 Its porches faced the outer court, it had decorative palm trees on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it; it had the same dimensions as the others— 36 its alcoves, its jambs, and its porches. It had windows all around it; its length was 87½ feet[au] and its width 43¾ feet.[av] 37 Its jambs[aw] faced the outer court, and it had decorative palm trees on its jambs on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

38 There was a chamber with its door by the porch of the gate;[ax] there they washed the burnt offering. 39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on either side on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. 40 On the outside of the porch as one goes up at the entrance of the north gate were two tables, and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. 41 Four tables were on each side of the gate, eight tables on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. 42 The four tables for the burnt offering were of carved stone, 32 inches[ay] long, 32 inches[az] wide, and 21 inches[ba] high. They would put the instruments that they used to slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them. 43 There were hooks[bb] three inches[bc] long fastened in the house all around, and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44 On the outside of the inner gate were chambers for the singers of the inner court, one[bd] at the side of the north gate facing south, and the other at the side of the south[be] gate facing north. 45 He said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple,[bf] 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the descendants of Zadok, from the descendants of Levi, who may approach the Lord to minister to him.” 47 He measured the court as a square 175 feet long and 175 feet wide;[bg] the altar was in front of the temple.

48 Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured the jambs of the porch as 8¾ feet[bh] on either side; the width of the gate was 24½ feet,[bi] and the sides[bj] were 5¼ feet[bk] on each side. 49 The length of the porch was 35 feet[bl] and the width 19¼ feet;[bm] steps[bn] led up to it, and there were pillars beside the jambs on either side.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 40:1 sn That is, Jerusalem.
  2. Ezekiel 40:1 tn April 19, 573 b.c.
  3. Ezekiel 40:1 tn Or “power.” sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God (3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1).
  4. Ezekiel 40:1 sn That is, to the land of Israel (see v. 2).
  5. Ezekiel 40:2 tn The expression introduces the three major visions of Ezekiel (1:1; 8:3; 40:2).
  6. Ezekiel 40:2 tn The reference to a very high mountain is harmonious with Isa 2:2.
  7. Ezekiel 40:3 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  8. Ezekiel 40:4 tn Heb “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your mind on.”
  9. Ezekiel 40:4 tn Heb “in order to show (it) to you.”
  10. Ezekiel 40:5 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  11. Ezekiel 40:5 tn Heb “house.”
  12. Ezekiel 40:5 tn Heb “a measuring stick of 6 cubits, [each] a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Therefore the measuring stick in the man’s hand was 10.5 feet (3.15 meters) long. Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.
  13. Ezekiel 40:5 tn Heb “building.”
  14. Ezekiel 40:5 tn Heb “one rod [or “reed”]” (also a second time in this verse, twice in v. 6, three times in v. 7, and once in v. 8).
  15. Ezekiel 40:6 tn The Hebrew text adds “the one threshold 10½ feet deep.” This is probably an accidental duplication of what precedes. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:517.
  16. Ezekiel 40:7 tn Heb “5 cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters) according to the “long” cubit. See the note on the first occurrence of the phrase “10½ feet” in v. 5.
  17. Ezekiel 40:9 tn Heb “8 cubits” (i.e., 4.2 meters).
  18. Ezekiel 40:9 tn Heb “2 cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).
  19. Ezekiel 40:10 sn The three alcoves are parallel to the city gates found at Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer.
  20. Ezekiel 40:11 tn Heb “10 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).
  21. Ezekiel 40:11 tn Heb “13 cubits” (i.e., 6.825 meters).
  22. Ezekiel 40:12 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
  23. Ezekiel 40:12 tn Heb “6 cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).
  24. Ezekiel 40:13 tn Heb “25 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  25. Ezekiel 40:14 tn Heb “made.”
  26. Ezekiel 40:14 tc The MT reads “jambs,” which does not make sense in context. Supposing a confusion of י (yod) for ו (vav), the text may be emended to read “porch.” See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:518.
  27. Ezekiel 40:14 tn Heb “60 cubits” (i.e., 31.5 meters).
  28. Ezekiel 40:14 tn The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for sense.
  29. Ezekiel 40:15 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  30. Ezekiel 40:16 sn Decorative palm trees were also a part of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 6:29, 32, 35).
  31. Ezekiel 40:17 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  32. Ezekiel 40:19 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  33. Ezekiel 40:21 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  34. Ezekiel 40:21 tn Heb “25 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  35. Ezekiel 40:23 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  36. Ezekiel 40:24 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  37. Ezekiel 40:25 tn Heb “as these windows.”
  38. Ezekiel 40:25 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  39. Ezekiel 40:25 tn Heb “25 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  40. Ezekiel 40:27 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  41. Ezekiel 40:29 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  42. Ezekiel 40:29 tn Heb “25 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  43. Ezekiel 40:30 tn Heb “25 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  44. Ezekiel 40:30 tn Heb “5 cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
  45. Ezekiel 40:33 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  46. Ezekiel 40:33 tn Heb “25 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  47. Ezekiel 40:36 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  48. Ezekiel 40:36 tn Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).
  49. Ezekiel 40:37 tc The LXX reads “porches.”
  50. Ezekiel 40:38 tc The MT reads “jambs of the gates,” which does not make sense in a context discussing one chamber. The emendation to “porch” is similar to v. 14. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:530.
  51. Ezekiel 40:42 tn Heb “1½ cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).
  52. Ezekiel 40:42 tn Heb “1½ cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).
  53. Ezekiel 40:42 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
  54. Ezekiel 40:43 tc This reading is supported by the Aramaic Targum. The LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac read “shelves” or some type of projection.
  55. Ezekiel 40:43 tn Heb “one handbreadth” (7.5 cm).
  56. Ezekiel 40:44 tn “One” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for clarity in the translation.
  57. Ezekiel 40:44 tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”
  58. Ezekiel 40:45 tn Heb “the house.”
  59. Ezekiel 40:47 tn Heb “100 cubits long and 100 cubits wide, a square” (i.e., 52.5 meters by 52.5 meters).
  60. Ezekiel 40:48 tn Heb “5 cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).
  61. Ezekiel 40:48 tn The LXX reads “14 cubits” (i.e., 7.35 meters). See following note.
  62. Ezekiel 40:48 tc The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads: “the width of the gate was 3 cubits,” the omission due to haplography.tn Or “sidewalls.”
  63. Ezekiel 40:48 tn Heb “3 cubits” (i.e., 1.575 meters).
  64. Ezekiel 40:49 tn Heb “20 cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
  65. Ezekiel 40:49 tn Heb “11 cubits” (i.e., 5.775 meters).
  66. Ezekiel 40:49 tc The LXX reads: “ten steps.”
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