Ezechiel xlii.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 1. And. St. Jerome finding the Septuagint and others varying in the explanations, gives his own; yet adopts the saying of Socrates, “I know that I am ignorant:” for this also is a part of science. (Worthington) — Outward, with respect to the temple. It is styled inner court, with reference to that of the people. — Separate. Chap. xli. 9.
Ver. 3. Triple, one over another, (ver. 6.) or on a level with the priests’ court.
Ver. 4. One cubit, projecting out perhaps for seats, or for the pilasters.
Ver. 5. Above. The higher stories are not so lofty.
Ver. 6. Fifty cubits. We only allow thirty, as this is not in Hebrew, &c. The text, ver. 10., and 12., seems incorrect. (Calmet)
Ver. 13. Holies. Hebrew, “who are very holy,” and (Haydock) on duty. See Leviticus vi. 25.
Ver. 14. People. Chap. xliv. 17., and Exodus xxxiii. 42. Christian priests use their vestments only when they are officiating. (Durand and Durant Rit. ii. 9.) (Calmet)
Ver. 16. Five. Hebrew emoth should be meoth, “three hundred, as it is printed (yet not in the Protestant version. Haydock) thrice just after, and as it is written here in Manuscript 4. Camb. 1. 2.” (Kennicott) — Reeds. Septuagint, “cubits,” as Hebrew, St. Jerome, &c., insinuate. The mountain was only five hundred paces square, even when it was enlarged in the time of Josephus. (Jewish Wars vi. 14.; Greek) — We must therefore read cubits. (Calmet) — If we retain reeds, (Haydock) the wall will be twelve thousand cubits, (Menochius) which seems improbable. (Tournemine) See chap. xlv. (Haydock)
Ver. 20. Cubits. This confirms the former correction, ver. 16. (Haydock) — Hebrew has only, “of five hundred.” Maldonat and Cornelius a Lapide would understand reeds, to agree with what goes before. (Menochius) — Separation. Josephus mentions a wall three cubits high, on the pillars of which was written in Greek and Latin, that such as entered the temple must be pure, (Calmet) and no stranger. (Haydock) — Into this court all might come. (Philo) (Calmet)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
A description of the courts, chambers, and other places belonging to the temple.
1 And he brought me forth into the outward court, by the way that leadeth to the north, and he brought me into the chamber that was over-against the separate building, and over-against the house toward the north.
2 In the face of the north door was the length of a hundred cubits: and the breadth of fifty cubits.
3 Over-against the twenty cubits of the inner court, and over-against the pavement of the outward court that was paved with stone, where there was a gallery joined to a triple gallery.
4 And before the chambers was a walk ten cubits broad, looking to the inner parts of a way of one cubit. And their doors were toward the north:
5 Where were the store-chambers lower above: because they bore up the galleries, which appeared above out of them from the lower parts, and from the midst of the building.
6 For they were of three stories, and had not pillars, as the pillars of the courts: therefore did they appear above out of the lower places, and out of the middle places, fifty cubits from the ground.
7 And the outward wall that went about by the chambers, which were towards the outward court on the forepart of the chambers, was fifty cubits long.
8 For the length of the chambers of the outward court was fifty cubits: and the length before the face of the temple, a hundred cubits.
9 And there was under these chambers, an entrance from the east, for them that went into them out of the outward court.
10 In the breadth of the outward wall of the court that was toward the east, over-against the separate building, and there were chambers before the building.
11 And the way before them was like the chambers which were toward the north: they were as long as they, and as broad as they: and all the going is to them, and their fashions, and their doors were alike.
12 According to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south: there was a door in the head of the way, which way was before the porch, separated towards the east as one entereth in.
13 And he said to me: The chambers of the north, and the chambers of the south, which are before the separate building: they are holy chambers, in which the priests shall eat, that approach to the Lord into the holy of holies: there they shall lay the most holy things, and the offering for sin, and for trespass: for it is a holy place.
14 And when the priests shall have entered in, they shall not go out of the holy places into the outward court: but there they shall lay their vestments, wherein they minister, for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and so they shall go forth to the people.
15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the gate that looked toward the east: and he measured it on every side round about.
16 And he measured toward the east, with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about.
17 And he measured toward the north, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
18 And towards the south he measured five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
19 And toward the west he measured five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.
20 By the four winds he measured the wall thereof on every side round about, five hundred cubits long, and five hundred cubits broad, making a separation between the sanctuary and the place of the people.