The remaining chapters of this book contain a description of the rebuilt Temple (thought by the sages of the Talmud to be the future third -- and final -- Temple following the destruction of Gog) and the future duties of the priests and Levites. These remaining chapters of the book of Ezekiel contain numerous inconsistencies, conflicts with the Torah, and a large number of incomprehensible passages, and an unusually large number of misspelled words and assumed (but not) misspelled others throughout this chapter. It was debated during the Talmudic period whether Ezekiel should be included in the bible. It was ultimately included because (1) the rabbis decided that Elijah, the harbinger of the end time, would illuminate these mysteries, and (2) some of the inconsistencies were explained by the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Chanina ben Hezekiah.
בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה לְגָלוּתֵנוּ בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה בֶּעָשֹׂור לַחֹדֶשׁ בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה אַחַר אֲשֶׁר 40:1 הֻכְּתָה הָעִיר בְּעֶצֶם הַיֹּום הַזֶּה הָיְתָה עָלַי יַד־יְהוָה וַיָּבֵא אֹתִי שָׁמָּה׃
Ezek. 40:1 In our captivity's twenty-fifth year, on the first of the year, on the month's tenth, in the fourteenth year following when the city was smitten, on this selfsame day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me there.
The year is 572 BCE. Scholars believe the day is Yom Kippur (the first month of the year being Tishrei (according to the revised Jewish calendar). But I believe the month is Nisan, five days before Passover. I doubt that the calendar had been changed yet at the time this chapter was written. I suspect the change was not made until late in the Babylonian exile or shortly after the return of the Jews to Israel seventy years later. At this point we are privileged to another vision of Ezekiel’s, the description of a future Temple. Presumably, Ezekiel saw the Temple in his vision, but his description of it leaves much to the imagination. Its vagueness is reminiscent of Moses’ description of the Tabernacle and the description of Solomon’s Temple in 1Kings. One would need a set of blueprints to faithfully reproduce what is described here and in the next two chapters.
בְּמַרְאֹות אֱלֹהִים הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל־אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנִיחֵנִי אֶל־הַר גָּבֹהַּ מְאֹד וְעָלָיו כְּמִבְנֵה־עִיר מִנֶּגֶב׃ 40:2
Ezek. 40:2 In the visions of God He brought me to the land of Israel and set me down at a very high mountain and on it was as if there was the structure of a city from the south.
וַיָּבֵיא אֹותִי שָׁמָּה וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ כְּמַרְאֵה נְחֹשֶׁת וּפְתִיל־פִּשְׁתִּים בְּיָדֹו וּקְנֵה הַמִּדָּה וְהוּא עֹמֵד 40:3 בַּשָּׁעַר׃
Ezek. 40:3 And He brought me there, and behold, there was a man; his appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a flaxen cord in his hand and a measuring reed, and he was standing in a gate.
Ezekiel appears to see men or creatures in his visions whose appearance or parts of them glow like brass. They are presumed to be angels.
וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלַי הָאִישׁ בֶּן־אָדָם רְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ וּבְאָזְנֶיךָ שְּׁמָע וְשִׂים לִבְּךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֹותָךְ כִּי 40:4 לְמַעַן הַרְאֹותְכָה הֻבָאתָה הֵנָּה הַגֵּד אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Ezek. 40:4 And the man said to me, “Human, see with your own eyes and listen with your own ears and set your heart to all that I will be showing you, for you were brought here for the purpose of your observing it; report all that you are seeing to the house of Israel.”
וְהִנֵּה חֹומָה מִחוּץ לַבַּיִת סָבִיב סָבִיב וּבְיַד הָאִישׁ קְנֵה הַמִּדָּה שֵׁשׁ־אַמֹּות בָּאַמָּה וָטֹפַח וַיָּמָד 40:5 אֶת־רֹחַב הַבִּנְיָן קָנֶה אֶחָד וְקֹומָה קָנֶה אֶחָד׃
Ezek. 40:5 Then behold, there was an exterior wall to the house surrounding all around and in the hand of the man was a measuring reed of six cubits (according to a cubit plus a handbreadth), and he measured the thickness of the building, one reed, and the height, one reed.
Six cubits, if we assume the cubit to be about 18 inches, would be nine feet. But these cubits are larger than that by a handbreadth, about three and one-half inches. So six cubits as measured by the reed would be 21 inches longer, that is ten and three-quarters feet. So the wall was 10 3/4 feet thick and the same high.
וַיָּבֹוא אֶל־שַׁעַר אֲשֶׁר פָּנָיו דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִימָה וַיַּעַל (בְּמַעֲלֹותֹו) [בְּמַעֲלֹותָיו] וַיָּמָד אֶת־סַף הַשַּׁעַר קָנֶה 40:6 אֶחָד רֹחַב וְאֵת סַף אֶחָד קָנֶה אֶחָד רֹחַב׃
Ezek. 40:6 Then he went in to the gate whose face was directed eastward, and ascended on its staircase, and he measured the doorjamb of the gate, one reed wide, and the other jamb, one reed wide.
The alleged error in the parentheses is traditionally translated as on its steps, thereby requiring a plural spelling. But the word is spelled as singular. The so-called correction in the brackets is plural. However, as I see it, the word can also be translated as I have, which would leave the singular spelling correct. As you should already know, I’m inclined (perhaps unlike the Talmudic sages) to assume correctness before error, so I claim the word in the parentheses is correct.
וְהַתָּא קָנֶה אֶחָד אֹרֶךְ וְקָנֶה אֶחָד רֹחַב וּבֵין הַתָּאִים חָמֵשׁ אַמֹּות וְסַף הַשַּׁעַר מֵאֵצֶל אוּלָם הַשַּׁעַר 40:7 מֵהַבַּיִת קָנֶה אֶחָד׃
Ezek. 40:7 And a chamber was one reed long and one reed wide, and it was five cubits between the chambers, and the jamb of the gate by the porch of the gate on the inside was one reed.
It seems that the chambers were 10 3/4 feet square with 6 3/4 feet between chambers.
וַיָּמָד אֶת־אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבַּיִת קָנֶה אֶחָד׃ 40:8
Ezek. 40:8 And he measured the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.
וַיָּמָד אֶת־אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר שְׁמֹנֶה אַמֹּות (וְאֵילֹו) [וְאֵילָיו] שְׁתַּיִם אַמֹּות וְאֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבָּיִת׃ 40:9
Ezek. 40:9 Then he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits, and its door post, two cubits, and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
There is a similar problem with the alleged error in this verse. The word in the parentheses, traditionally translated as its door posts, was assumed to be properly plural. There is, however, no valid reason for this assumption. Only one door post had to be measured, as the other would be of the same dimensions. One might think this reference to only one door post is unusual. But in v. 40:48 below only one of several (at least two) posts is measured, the implication being that the others were identical to it. Therefore I claim the word in the parentheses is correctly spelled.
וְתָאֵי הַשַּׁעַר דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים שְׁלֹשָׁה מִפֹּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִפֹּה מִדָּה אַחַת לִשְׁלָשְׁתָּם וּמִדָּה אַחַת לָאֵילִם 40:10 מִפֹּה וּמִפֹּו׃
Ezek. 40:10 And the chambers of the gate directed eastward, three here and three there, were of one measure for the three of them, and one measure for the door posts here and there.
The three chambers would extend for a distance of 2 times 17 1/2 feet plus 10 3/4 feet on each side of the gate. The total distance would be 45 3/4 feet.
וַיָּמָד אֶת־רֹחַב פֶּתַח־הַשַּׁעַר עֶשֶׂר אַמֹּות אֹרֶךְ הַשַּׁעַר שְׁלֹושׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמֹּות׃ 40:11
Ezek. 40:11 Then he measured the breadth of the entrance of the gate, ten cubits, the length of the gate, thirteen cubits,
וּגְבוּל לִפְנֵי הַתָּאֹות אַמָּה אֶחָת וְאַמָּה־אַחַת גְּבוּל מִפֹּה וְהַתָּא שֵׁשׁ־אַמֹּות מִפֹּו וְשֵׁשׁ אַמֹּות מִפֹּו׃ 40:12
Ezek. 40:12 and a border before the chambers, one cubit, and one cubit, a border there, and the chamber, six cubits here and six cubits there.
וַיָּמָד אֶת־הַשַּׁעַר מִגַּג הַתָּא לְגַגֹּו רֹחַב עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמֹּות פֶּתַח נֶגֶד פָּתַח׃ 40:13
Ezek. 40:13 And he measured the gate from the roof of the chamber to the other roof, a breadth of twenty-five cubits, door opposite door.
וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת־אֵילִים שִׁשִּׁים אַמָּה וְאֶל־אֵיל הֶחָצֵר הַשַּׁעַר סָבִיב סָבִיב׃ 40:14
Ezek. 40:14 Then he made posts of sixty cubits and according to the gate post of the courtyard surrounding all around.
This verse makes it appear that the Temple was being built as it was being measured. These posts were 105 feet tall.
עַל פְּנֵי הַשַּׁעַר (הַיֹּאתֹון) [הָאִיתֹון] עַל־לִפְנֵי אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר הַפְּנִימִי חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה׃ 40:15
Ezek. 40:15 And beyond the front of the gate of the entrance up to before the porch of the inner gate, fifty cubits.
The space from the front of the gate to the porch of the inner gate was 87 1/2 feet.
At this point we have an actual error in spelling. The word in the parentheses, meaning entrance, has the aleph and yad interchanged. The correction is in the brackets.
וְחַלֹּנֹות אֲטֻמֹות אֶל־הַתָּאִים וְאֶל אֵלֵיהֵמָה לִפְנִימָה לַשַּׁעַר סָבִיב סָבִיב וְכֵן לָאֵלַמֹּות וְחַלֹּונֹות 40:16 סָבִיב סָבִיב לִפְנִימָה וְאֶל־אַיִל תִּמֹרִים׃
Ezek. 40:16 And there were windows closed in among the chambers and in among their posts within the gate, surrounding all around, and so it was for the projections, with windows surrounding all around toward the inside, and at each post were palm trees.
Most traditional translations have narrow windows instead of my translation, windows closed in. Some translations also have latticed windows. Take your pick of which you prefer.
The Hebrew word second from the end of the first line of this verse, לָאֵלַמֹּות, is traditionally translated as to [or for] the arches. Notwithstanding my ignorance, I believe the appropriate root word is not אֵלַמּ, which is unintelligible in this context, but אֵילַמ, which can mean hall, porch, large room, projection, or molding. Ignoring that the yad is elided in the verse’s spelling -- which is not at all unusual, I translate the word as for the projections. The word is found in seven other verses in this chapter and, in fact, is spelled with the yad in vss. 40:22 and 24. In some verses, I believe the appropriate translation is projection while in others, porch seems more appropriate. Where I translate porch, the Hebrew word is spelled in the singular.
וַיְבִיאֵנִי אֶל־הֶחָצֵר הַחִיצֹונָה וְהִנֵּה לְשָׁכֹות וְרִצְפָה עָשׂוּי לֶחָצֵר סָבִיב סָבִיב שְׁלֹשִׁים לְשָׁכֹות 40:17 אֶל־הָרִצְפָה׃
Ezek. 40:17 Then He brought me to the outer courtyard and behold, rooms and pavement made for the courtyard surrounding all around, thirty rooms at the pavement.
Thirty rooms were along the walls of the outer courtyard. My guess is that there were ten rooms on each of the two sides and ten rooms on the side where the gate was, five on each side of it. If they were the same size as the chambers first mentioned in v. 40:7, the ten rooms would cover a distance of 168 1/4 feet. The five rooms on each side of the gate would cover 80 3/4 feet. These distances seem a little large, so it’s probable that the rooms were smaller than the chambers.
וְהָרִצְפָה אֶל־כֶּתֶף הַשְּׁעָרִים לְעֻמַּת אֹרֶךְ הַשְּׁעָרִים הָרִצְפָה הַתַּחְתֹּונָה׃ 40:18
Ezek. 40:18 And the pavement was to the edge of the gates; the lower pavement was equal to the length of the gates.
וַיָּמָד רֹחַב מִלִּפְנֵי הַשַּׁעַר הַתַּחְתֹּונָה לִפְנֵי הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי מִחוּץ מֵאָה אַמָּה הַקָּדִים וְהַצָּפֹון׃ 40:19
Ezek. 40:19 Then he measured the breadth from before the lower gate to the front of the inner courtyard outside, a hundred cubits eastward and northward.
One hundred cubits is 175 feet. That was the length of the outer courtyard.
וְהַשַּׁעַר אֲשֶׁר פָּנָיו דֶּרֶךְ הַצָּפֹון לֶחָצֵר הַחִיצֹונָה מָדַד אָרְכֹּו וְרָחְבֹּו׃ 40:20
Ezek. 40:20 And the gate whose face was directed north to the outer courtyard, he measured its length and its breadth.
וְתָאֹו) [וְתָאָיו] שְׁלֹושָׁה מִפֹּו וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִפֹּו (וְאֵילֹו) [וְאֵילָיו] (וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו] הָיָה כְּמִדַּת 40:21 הַשַּׁעַר הָרִאשֹׁון חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה אָרְכֹּו וְרֹחַב חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים בָּאַמָּה׃
Ezek. 40:21 Also its chambers were three here and three there, and each of its door posts, as well as its porch, was of a like measure of the first gate, fifty cubits its length, and a breadth of twenty-five in cubits.
Here we have three words in the two and a half sets of parentheses that are spelled as singular, and two of them, the first two, should indeed be plural. The last of the three, translated by me as as well as its porch, should remain, in my opinion, singular. As usual, please ignore the missing right parenthesis at the beginning of the verse.
וְחַלֹּונֹו) [וְחַלֹּונָיו] (וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו) [וְתִמֹרֹו) [וְתִמֹרָיו] כְּמִדַּת הַשַּׁעַר אֲשֶׁר פָּנָיו דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים 40:22 וּבְמַעֲלֹות שֶׁבַע יַעֲלוּ־בֹו (וְאֵילַמֹּו) [וְאֵילַמָּיו] לִפְנֵיהֶם׃
Ezek. 40:22 And its windows and its projections and its palm trees were of a like measure of the gate whose face was directed eastward, and they could ascend to it by seven steps, and its porch was before them.
This verse contains no less than four assumed errors, all of which are spelled in the singular. I believe only the first three are incorrect, the fourth (on the second line) should be singular as in the preceding verse above. The corrections are in the (first three) sets of brackets. Again, please ignore the missing right parenthesis at the beginning of the verse.
וְשַׁעַר לֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי נֶגֶד הַשַּׁעַר לַצָּפֹון וְלַקָּדִים וַיָּמָד מִשַּׁעַר אֶל־שַׁעַר מֵאָה אַמָּה׃ 40:23
Ezek. 40:23 And a gate to the inner courtyard was away from the gate to the north and to the east, and he measured from gate to gate, one hundred cubits.
וַיֹּולִכֵנִי דֶּרֶךְ הַדָּרֹום וְהִנֵּה־שַׁעַר דֶּרֶךְ הַדָּרֹום וּמָדַד (אֵילֹו) [אֵילָיו] (וְאֵילַמֹּו) [וְאֵילַמָּיו] כַּמִּדֹּות 40:24 הָאֵלֶּה׃
Ezek. 40:24 Then He led me toward the south, and behold, another gate was directed southward, and the measures of its posts and of its porch were of like measures of the others.
The first of the two errors flagged in this verse in the sets of parentheses is indeed misspelled as singular and should be plural. The second is the same as the words in vss. 40:21 and 22 that I claim should be singular.
וְחַלֹּונִים לֹו (וּלְאֵילַמֹּו) [וּלְאֵילַמָּיו] סָבִיב סָבִיב כְּהַחֲלֹּנֹות הָאֵלֶּה חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה אֹרֶךְ וְרֹחַב 40:25 חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה׃
Ezek. 40:25 And there were windows for it and for its projections, surrounding all around like the windows of the others; it was a length of fifty cubits, and a breadth of twenty-five cubits.
Strange .... The word windows is found twice in this verse. The first is masculine in gender, the latter is feminine. I suspect that Ezekiel imagined the windows as different in the two places and signified this difference as a change in gender.
The word in the parentheses is now finally actually misspelled here. Unlike the three previous instances of this word, It is spelled as singular and should be plural (translated as and its projections). The correction is in the brackets.
וּמַעֲלֹות שִׁבְעָה (עֹלֹותֹו) [עֹלֹותָיו] (וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו] לִפְנֵיהֶם וְתִמֹרִים לֹו אֶחָד מִפֹּו וְאֶחָד מִפֹּו 40:26 אֶל־(אֵילֹו) [אֵילָיו]׃
Ezek. 40:26 And seven steps went up to it, and its porch was before them, and there were palm trees for it, one here and one there, at its posts.
The word in the third set of parentheses is spelled as singular and should be plural. The second word is one previously identified as singular, and it should be singular. The second word, translated as went up, can be construed as a third-person plural verb according to me and is spelled correctly.
וְשַׁעַר לֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי דֶּרֶךְ הַדָּרֹום וַיָּמָד מִשַּׁעַר אֶל־הַשַּׁעַר דֶּרֶךְ הַדָּרֹום מֵאָה אַמֹּות׃ 40:27
Ezek. 40:27 Also there was a gate to the inner courtyard toward the south, and he measured from the gate to the gate directed southward, one hundred cubits.
וַיְבִיאֵנִי אֶל־חָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי בְּשַׁעַר הַדָּרֹום וַיָּמָד אֶת־הַשַּׁעַר הַדָּרֹום כַּמִּדֹּות הָאֵלֶּה׃ 40:28
Ezek. 40:28 Then He brought me to the inner courtyard through the south gate, and he measured the south gate, like the measures of the others.
וְתָאֹו) [וְתָאָיו] (וְאֵילֹו) [וְאֵילָיו] (וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו] כַּמִּדֹּות הָאֵלֶּה וְחַלֹּונֹות לֹו (וּלְאֵלַמֹּו 40:29 וּלְאֵלַמָּיו] סָבִיב סָבִיב חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה אֹרֶךְ וְרֹחַב עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמֹּות׃
Ezek. 40:29 And its chambers and its posts and its porch, like the measures of the others, with the windows for it and for its projections, surrounding all around, a length of fifty cubits, and a breadth of twenty-five cubits.
The absence of parentheses and brackets in this verse is downright embarrassing. Be that as it may, there are four errors indicated by the two and two-half sets of parentheses. Assumed corrections are in the three and one-half sets of brackets. The first, second, and fourth words are spelled in the singular and should be plural. The third word should be singular and is therefore correct.
וְאֵלַמֹּות סָבִיב סָבִיב אֹרֶךְ חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה וְרֹחַב חָמֵשׁ אַמֹּות׃ 40:30
Ezek. 40:30 And the projections surrounding all around were of length twenty-five cubits and of breadth five cubits.
וְאֵלַמָּוק אֶל־חָצֵר הַחִצֹונָה וְתִמֹרִים אֶל־(אֵילֹו) [אֵילָיו] וּמַעֲלֹות שְׁמֹונֶה (מַעֲלֹו) [מַעֲלָיו]׃ 40:31
Ezek. 40:31 And its porch was to the outer courtyard, and palm trees were by its posts, and eight steps went up.
The first of the two indicated errors in the two sets of parentheses is spelled as singular and should be plural. The second is, I believe, traditionally mistranslated as something like the going up to it. As I’ve translated it, the word is correctly spelled, the vav suffix being the plural indicator of a participle, not the pronoun it.
וַיְבִיאֵנִי אֶל־הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים וַיָּמָד אֶת־הַשַּׁעַר כַּמִּדֹּות הָאֵלֶּה׃ 40:32
Ezek. 40:32 Then He brought me to the inner courtyard toward the east, and he measured the gate, like the measures of the others,
וְתָאֹו) [וְתָאָיו] (וְאֵלֹו) [וְאֵלָיו] (וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו] כַּמִּדֹּות הָאֵלֶּה וְחַלֹּונֹות לֹו (וּלְאֵלַמֹּו) 40:33 [וּלְאֵלַמָּיו] סָבִיב סָבִיב אֹרֶךְ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה וְרֹחַב חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה׃
Ezek. 40:33 so its chambers and its posts and its projections were like the measures of the others, with the windows for it and for the projections surrounding all around, were length fifty cubits and breadth twenty-five cubits.
The four words in the three and a half sets of parentheses are misspelled. They should all be plural, but they are spelled as singular. Their corrections are in the four sets of brackets.
וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו] לֶחָצֵר הַחִיצֹונָה וְתִמֹרִים אֶל־(אֵלֹו) [אֵלָיו] מִפֹּו וּמִפֹּו וּשְׁמֹנֶה מַעֲלֹות (מַעֲלֹו 40:34 מַעֲלָיו]׃
Ezek. 40:34 And its projections were to the outer courtyard, and palm trees were by its posts here and there, and eight steps went up.
The two words in the first one and one half sets of parentheses should be plural, yet they are singular. The correct spelling is in the two sets of brackets. The third word is the same as the words in vss. 40:26 and 31.
וַיְבִיאֵנִי אֶל־שַׁעַר הַצָּפֹון וּמָדַד כַּמִּדֹּות הָאֵלֶּה׃ 40:35
Ezek. 40:35 Then He brought me to the north gate and the measures were like the measures of the others,
תָּאֹו) [תָּאָיו] (אֵלֹו) [אֵלָיו] (וְאֵלַמֹּו) [וְאֵלַמָּיו] וְחַלֹּונֹות לֹו סָבִיב סָבִיב אֹרֶךְ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה וְרֹחַב 40:36 חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה׃
Ezek. 40:36 its chambers, its posts, and its projections, with the windows for it, surrounding all around; the length was fifty cubits and the breadth twenty-five cubits.
The three words in the two and a half sets of parentheses should all be plural, but they are spelled as singular. The corrections are in the three sets of brackets.
וְאֵילֹו) [וְאֵילָיו] לֶחָצֵר הַחִיצֹונָה וְתִמֹרִים אֶל־(אֵילֹו) [אֵילָיו] מִפֹּו וּמִפֹּו וּשְׁמֹנֶה מַעֲלֹות 40:37
מַעֲלֹו) [מַעֲלָיו]׃
Ezek. 40:37 And its posts were to the outer gate, and palm trees were by its posts here and there, and eight steps went up.
The two words in the first one and one half sets of parentheses should be plural, but they are spelled as singular. The corrections are in the two sets of brackets. The last word before the left parenthesis is the same as the words in vss. 40:26, 31, and 34 and is correctly spelled.
וְלִשְׁכָּה וּפִתְחָהּ בְּאֵילִים הַשְּׁעָרִים שָׁם יָדִיחוּ אֶת־הָעֹלָה׃ 40:38
Ezek. 40:38 And a chamber with its entry was by the posts of the gates; there they would wash the burnt offering.
וּבְאֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר שְׁנַיִם שֻׁלְחָנֹות מִפֹּו וּשְׁנַיִם שֻׁלְחָנֹות מִפֹּה לִשְׁחֹוט אֲלֵיהֶם הָעֹולָה וְהַחַטָּאת 40:39 וְהָאָשָׁם׃
Ezek. 40:39 And on the porch of the gate there were two tables here and two tables there for slaughtering the burnt offering at them, and the sin offering and the guilt offering.
וְאֶל־הַכָּתֵף מִחוּצָה לָעֹולֶה לְפֶתַח הַשַּׁעַר הַצָּפֹונָה שְׁנַיִם שֻׁלְחָנֹות וְאֶל־הַכָּתֵף הָאַחֶרֶת אֲשֶׁר 40:40 לְאֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר שְׁנַיִם שֻׁלְחָנֹות׃
Ezek. 40:40 And by the side on the outside going up to the door of the north gate, there were two tables, and by the other side that was to the porch of the gate, were two tables.
אַרְבָּעָה שֻׁלְחָנֹות מִפֹּה וְאַרְבָּעָה שֻׁלְחָנֹות מִפֹּה לְכֶתֶף הַשָּׁעַר שְׁמֹונָה שֻׁלְחָנֹות אֲלֵיהֶם יִשְׁחָטוּ׃ 40:41
Ezek. 40:41 Four tables were here and four tables there for the side of the gate, eight tables; at them they would slaughter.
וְאַרְבָּעָה שֻׁלְחָנֹות לָעֹולָה אַבְנֵי גָזִית אֹרֶךְ אַמָּה אַחַת וָחֵצִי וְרֹחַב אַמָּה אַחַת וָחֵצִי וְגֹבַהּ אַמָּה 40:42 אֶחָת אֲלֵיהֶם וְיַנִּיחוּ אֶת־הַכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחֲטוּ אֶת־הָעֹולָה בָּם וְהַזָּבַח׃
Ezek. 40:42 And four tables were for the burnt offering; stones of one cut size, one and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide and one cubit high, were by them; and they would set down the implements that they would use to slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them.
וְהַשְׁפַתַּיִם טֹפַח אֶחָד מוּכָנִים בַּבַּיִת סָבִיב סָבִיב וְאֶל־הַשֻּׁלְחָנֹות בְּשַׂר הַקָּרְבָן׃ 40:43
Ezek. 40:43 And hooked pegs of one hand breadth were fastened in place surrounding all around, and at the tables would be the flesh of the offering.
וּמִחוּצָה לַשַּׁעַר הַפְּנִימִי לִשְׁכֹות שָׁרִים בֶּחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי אֲשֶׁר אֶל־כֶּתֶף שַׁעַר הַצָּפֹון וּפְנֵיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ 40:44 הַדָּרֹום אֶחָד אֶל־כֶּתֶף שַׁעַר הַקָּדִים פְּנֵי דֶּרֶךְ הַצָּפֹן׃
Ezek. 40:44 And on the inner gate's outside were the rooms of the guards, which were by the side of the north gate, and their fronts were toward the south, one to the side of the east gate, front toward the north.
וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָי זֹה הַלִּשְׁכָּה אֲשֶׁר פָּנֶיהָ דֶּרֶךְ הַדָּרֹום לַכֹּהֲנִים שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַבָּיִת׃ 40:45
Ezek. 40:45 And He said to me, “This room, whose front is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.”
וְהַלִּשְׁכָּה אֲשֶׁר פָּנֶיהָ דֶּרֶךְ הַצָּפֹון לַכֹּהֲנִים שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הֵמָּה בְנֵי־צָדֹוק הַקְּרֵבִים 40:46 מִבְּנֵי־לֵוִי אֶל־יְהוָה לְשָׁרְתֹו׃
Ezek. 40:46 “And the room whose front is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar; they are the sons of Zadok, those from the sons of Levi approaching to the Lord to serve Him.”
וַיָּמָד אֶת־הֶחָצֵר אֹרֶךְ מֵאָה אַמָּה וְרֹחַב מֵאָה אַמָּה מְרֻבָּעַת וְהַמִּזְבֵּחַ לִפְנֵי הַבָּיִת׃ 40:47
Ezek. 40:47 And he measured the courtyard, a length of one hundred cubits, and a breadth of one hundred cubits, square, and the altar was before the house.
וַיְבִאֵנִי אֶל־אֻלָם הַבַּיִת וַיָּמָד אֵל אֻלָם חָמֵשׁ אַמֹּות מִפֹּה וְחָמֵשׁ אַמֹּות מִפֹּה וְרֹחַב הַשַּׁעַר שָׁלֹשׁ 40:48 אַמֹּות מִפֹּו וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמֹּות מִפֹּו׃
Ezek. 40:48 Then He brought me to the porch of the house, as he measured a post of the porch, five cubits this way and five cubits that way, and the breadth of the gate was three cubits one way and three cubits the other.
אֹרֶךְ הָאֻלָם עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה וְרֹחַב עַשְׁתֵּי עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה וּבַמַּעֲלֹות אֲשֶׁר יַעֲלוּ אֵלָיו וְעַמֻּדִים 40:49 אֶל־הָאֵילִים אֶחָד מִפֹּה וְאֶחָד מִפֹּה׃
Ezek. 40:49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and a breadth of eleven cubits, and with steps that they could ascend to it, and columns were by the posts, one here and one there.
I’m sure no one can envision the house so far from this description. I certainly can’t. I may have some vague ideas as to certain portions of it, but the whole of it escapes me.
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