38 And the chambers H3957 and the entries H6607 thereof were by the posts H352 of the gates, H8179 where they washed H1740 the burnt offering. H5930
He made H6213 also ten H6235 lavers, H3595 and put H5414 five H2568 on the right hand, H3225 and five H2568 on the left, H8040 to wash H7364 in them: such things as they offered H4639 for the burnt offering H5930 they washed H1740 in them; but the sea H3220 was for the priests H3548 to wash in. H7364
But his inwards H7130 and his legs H3767 shall he wash H7364 in water: H4325 and the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 all on the altar, H4196 to be a burnt sacrifice, H5930 an offering made by fire, H801 of a sweet H5207 savour H7381 unto the LORD. H3068
And he washed H7364 the inwards H7130 and the legs H3767 in water; H4325 and Moses H4872 burnt H6999 the whole ram H352 upon the altar: H4196 it was a burnt sacrifice H5930 for a sweet H5207 savour, H7381 and an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD; H3068 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
The door H6607 for the middle H8484 chamber H6763 was in the right H3233 side H3802 of the house: H1004 and they went up H5927 with winding stairs H3883 into the middle H8484 chamber, and out of the middle H8484 into the third. H7992
And between the chambers H3957 was the wideness H7341 of twenty H6242 cubits H520 round about H5439 the house H1004 on every side. H5439 And the doors H6607 of the side chambers H6763 were toward the place that was left, H3240 one H259 door H6607 toward H1870 the north, H6828 and another H259 door H6607 toward the south: H1864 and the breadth H7341 of the place H4725 that was left H3240 was five H2568 cubits H520 round about. H5439
Then said H559 he unto me, The north H6828 chambers H3957 and the south H1864 chambers, H3957 which are before H6440 the separate place, H1508 they be holy H6944 chambers, H3957 where the priests H3548 that approach H7138 unto the LORD H3068 shall eat H398 the most H6944 holy things: H6944 there shall they lay H3240 the most H6944 holy things, H6944 and the meat offering, H4503 and the sin offering, H2403 and the trespass offering; H817 for the place H4725 is holy. H6918
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 40
Commentary on Ezekiel 40 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 40
The waters of the sanctuary which this prophet saw in vision (ch. 47:1) are a proper representation of this prophecy. Hitherto the waters have been sometimes but to the ankles, in other places to the knees, or to the loins, but now the waters have risen, and have become "a river which cannot be passed over.' Here is one continued vision, beginning at this chapter, to the end of the book, which is justly looked upon to be one of the most difficult portions of scripture in all the book of God. The Jews will not allow any to read it till they are thirty years old, and tell those who do read it that, though they cannot understand every thing in it, "when Elias comes he will explain it.' Many commentators, both ancient and modern, have owned themselves at a loss what to make of it and what use to make of it. But because it is hard to be understood we must not therefore throw it by, but humbly search concerning it, get as far as we can into it and as much as we can out of it, and, when we despair of satisfaction in every difficulty we meet with, bless God that our salvation does not depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough, and wait till God shall reveal even this unto us. These chapters are the more to be regarded because the last two chapters of the Revelation seem to have a plain allusion to them, as Rev. 20 has to the foregoing prophecy of Gog and Magog. Here is the vision of a glorious temple (in this chapter and ch. 41 and 42), of God's taking possession of it (ch. 43), orders concerning the priests that are to minister in this temple (ch. 44), the division of the land, what portion should be allotted for the sanctuary, what for the city, and what for the prince, both in his government of the people and his worship of God (ch. 45), and further instructions for him and the people, ch. 46. After the vision of the holy waters we have the borders of the holy land, and the portions assigned to the tribes, and the dimensions and gates of the holy city, ch. 47, 48. Some make this to represent what had been during the flourishing state of the Jewish church, how glorious Solomon's temple was in its best days, that the captives might see what they had lost by sin and might be the more humbled. But that seems not probable. The general scope of it I take to be,
In this chapter we have,
Eze 40:1-4
Here is,
Eze 40:5-26
The measuring-reed which was in the hand of the surveyor-general was mentioned before, v. 3. Here we are told (v. 5) what was the exact length of it, which must be observed, because the house was measured by it. It was six cubits long, reckoning, not by the common cubit, but the cubit of the sanctuary, the sacred cubit, by which it was fit that this holy house should be measured, and that was a hand-breadth (that it, four inches) longer than the common cubit: the common cubit was eighteen inches, this twenty-two, see ch. 43:13. Yet some of the critics contend that this measuring-reed was but six common cubits in length, and one handbreadth added to the whole. The former seems more probable. Here is an account,
Eze 40:27-38
In these verses we have a delineation of the inner court. The survey of the outer court ended with the south side of it. This of the inner court begins with the south side (v. 27), proceeds to the east (v. 32), and so to the north (v. 35); for here is no gate either of the outer or inner court towards the west. It should seem that in Solomon's temple there were gates westward, for we find porters towards the west, 1 Chr. 9:24; 26:8. But Josephus says that in the second temple there was no gate on the west side. Observe,
Eze 40:39-49
In these verses we have an account,