23 And the gate of the inner court `is' over-against the gate at the north and at the east; and he measureth from gate unto gate, a hundred cubits.
and the gate of the inner court `is' southward, and he measureth from gate unto gate southward, a hundred cubits. And he bringeth me in unto the inner court by the south gate, and he measureth the south gate according to these measures;
`And thou hast made the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward, hangings for the court of twined linen, a hundred by the cubit `is' the length for the one side, and its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets `are' of brass, the pegs of the pillars and their fillets `are' of silver; and so for the north side in length, hangings of a hundred `cubits' in length, and its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets `are' of brass, the pegs of the pillars and their fillets `are' of silver. `And `for' the breadth of the court at the west side `are' hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. And `for' the breadth of the court at the east side, eastward, `are' fifty cubits. And the hangings at the side `are' fifteen cubits, their pillars three, and their sockets three. And at the second side `are' hangings fifteen `cubits', their pillars three, and their sockets three. `And for the gate of the court a covering of twenty cubits, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen, work of an embroiderer; their pillars four, their sockets four. All the pillars of the court round about `are' filleted `with' silver, their pegs `are' silver, and their sockets brass. `The length of the court `is' a hundred by the cubit, and the breadth fifty by fifty, and the height five cubits, of twined linen, and their sockets `are' brass,
And he maketh the court; at the south side southward, the hangings of the court of twined linen, a hundred by the cubit, their pillars `are' twenty, and their brazen sockets twenty, the pegs of the pillars and their fillets `are' silver; and at the north side, a hundred by the cubit, their pillars `are' twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the pegs of the pillars and their fillets `are' silver; and at the west side `are' hangings, fifty by the cubit; their pillars `are' ten, and their sockets ten; the pegs of the pillars and their fillets `are' silver;
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,