Ezekiel 40:17 Kommentar

The waters of the sanctuary which this prophet saw in vision (Eze 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 20:1-15 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, 1. To assure the captives that they should not only return to their own land, and be settled there, which had been often promised in the foregoing chapters, but that they should have, and therefore should be encouraged to build, another temple, which God would own, and where he would meet them and bless them, that the ordinances of worship should be revived, and the sacred priesthood should there attend; and, though they should not have a king to live in such splendour as formerly, yet they should have a prince or ruler (who is often spoken of in this vision), who should countenance the worship of God among them and should himself be an example of diligent attendance upon it, and that prince, priests, and people, should have a very comfortable settlement and subsistence in their own land. 2. To direct them to look further than all this, and to expect the coming of the Messiah, who had before been prophesied of under the name of David because he was the man that projected the building of the temple and that should set up a spiritual temple, even the gospel-church, the glory of which should far exceed that of Solomon's temple, and which should continue to the end of time. The dimensions of these visionary buildings being so large (the new temple more spacious than all the old Jerusalem and the new Jerusalem of greater extent than all the land of Canaan) plainly intimates, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, that these things cannot be literally, but must spiritually, understood. At the gospel-temple, erected by Christ and his apostles, was so closely connected with the second material temple, was erected so carefully just at the time when that fell into decay, that it might be ready to receive its glories when it resigned them, that it was proper enough that they should both be referred to in one and the same vision. Under the type and figure of a temple and altar, priests and sacrifices, is foreshown the spiritual worship that should be performed in gospel times, more agreeable to the nature both of God and man, and that perfected at last in the kingdom of glory, in which perhaps these visions will have their full accomplishment, and some think in some happy and glorious state of the gospel-church on this side heaven, in the latter days. In this chapter we have, I. A general account of this vision of the temple and city (Eze 40:1-4). II. A particular account of it entered upon; and a description given, 1. Of the outside wall (Eze 40:5). 2. Of the east gate (Eze 40:6-19). 3. Of the north gate (Eze 40:20-23). 4. Of the south gate (Eze 40:24-31) and the chambers and other appurtenances belonging to these gates. 5. Of the inner court, both towards the east and towards the south (Eze 40:32-38). 6. Of the tables (Eze 40:39-43). 7. Of the lodgings for the singers and the priests (Eze 40:44-47). 8. Of the porch of the house (Eze 40:48, Eze 40:49).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 40 This and the eight following chapters contain a vision of a city and temple herein described, and are thought to be the most difficult part of the whole Bible. The Jews forbid the reading of it till a man is arrived to thirty years of age; and then he must expect to meet with things in it he does not understand, and which must be left until Elijah comes to explain them. Many Christian commentators have omitted the exposition of these chapters; and all acknowledge the difficulties in them. Something however may be got out of them, relating to the Gospel, and Gospel church state, which I am fully persuaded is intended by the city and temple; for that no material building can be designed is clear from this one observation; that not only the whole land of Israel would not be capable of having such a city as is here described built upon it, but even all Europe would not be sufficient; nor the whole world, according to the account of the dimensions which some give of it. The circumference of the city is said to be about eighteen thousand measures, Eze 48:35; but what they are is not certain. Luther makes them to be thirty six thousand German miles; and a German mile being three of ours, the circuit of this city must be above a hundred thousand English miles; and this is sufficient to set aside all hypotheses of a material building, either of city or temple, the one being in proportion to the other. The Jews dream of a third temple to be built, by their vainly expected Messiah; but nothing is more clear than that the true Messiah was to come into the second temple, and by that give it a greater glory than the former ever had; as is evident from Hag 2:6 and, according to Malachi, he was to come suddenly into his temple, which could be no other than the then present one, Mal 3:1, and into which Jesus came, and where he often appeared and taught, as well as entered into it with power and authority, as the Lord and proprietor of it; by which he appeared to be the true Messiah, as by many other characters; see Luk 2:22. There are some who think that Solomon's temple, as it was before it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and as it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, is here described; and that partly to let the Jews know what a glory to their nation they lost by their sins; and partly that they might have a complete pattern for the rebuilding of it, as well as to comfort them under its present ruins; but there is no agreement between them. This temple was to be built at a distance from the city, several miles; according to some ten, others twenty, and by the best account twenty seven miles; see Eze 45:1, whereas Solomon's temple, and that built by Zerubbabel, were in the city of Jerusalem: nor from either of these flowed waters, which rose up to a river, on the bank of which were many trees for food and medicine, and whose waters were healing, and quickened wherever they came, as from this, Eze 47:1, nor do we ever read of the east gate of these temples always shut, as this, Eze 44:2, and besides, both these temples were profaned and destroyed; whereas this shall never be, but God will dwell in it forever, Eze 43:7, neither place, structure, nor worship, agree. Nor is this city here the same with the New Jerusalem John had a vision of; for though he borrows some of his expressions to describe it from hence; and in some things there is an appearance of agreement, as of the river of water of life, and the tree of life on both sides of the river, Rev 22:1, yet the description agrees not, either with respect to its gates, or its compass; and though there was no temple in that John saw, as there was none in this, it being without the city; yet here is a temple in this vision, and the greatest part of it is taken up in the description of it. It remains that this must be understood mystically and figuratively of the Gospel church, which is often spoken of as a city and temple, Heb 12:22 and which began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, immediately after the death and resurrection of Christ; when his disciples had a commission to preach the Gospel to all nations; and who accordingly did, even before the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the material temple, so that Gospel churches were planted in all parts of the world; and especially this was the case, when the Roman empire, called the whole world, became Christian: though the further and greater accomplishment of this vision will be in the latter day; when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea; when Jews and Gentiles will be converted, and Gospel churches be set up everywhere; so that the Gospel church state, or kingdom of Christ, signified by the great mountain in Dan 2:35, and by this large city here, will fill the whole earth: and the rather this may be thought to be the design of this vision to represent it, as it follows the prophecies of the Jews' settlement in their own land; and of the destruction of Gog, or the Turk, attempting to dispossess them; of which in chapters 37-39. In this chapter are first an account of the vision in general, the time, manner, and place of it, Eze 40:1, a description of the person, the builder and owner of the house; and by whom the prophet is shown each of the parts and dimensions of it, whom he calls to him for that purpose, Eze 40:3, and then a particular account is given, which begins with the outward wall around the house, Eze 40:5, then the east gate, with its posts, porch, and chambers, and the outward court with its chambers, Eze 40:6, then the gate of the outward court to the north, with its chambers, and the gate of the inner court over against that, Eze 40:20, then the gate to the south, with its posts, arches, and chambers, Eze 40:24, then the inner court to the east, its gate, chambers, and arches, Eze 40:32, then the north gate, with its posts, chambers, and arches, Eze 40:35, in the porch of which are the tables, on which the sacrifices are slain, Eze 40:39, after which are described the chambers for the singers and the priests, Eze 40:44, then the inner court and altar in it; and the chapter is concluded with the dimensions of the porch of the house, Eze 40:48.

Then brought he me into the outward court,.... The divine and glorious Person in human form, having brought the prophet up to the eastern gate, and through it, and the porch that belonged to it, to the inner gate of it, which lay westward; and having measured that gate, its threshold, the porch, the posts or pillars, and little chambers in it; introduced him into a spacious piece of ground, that lay open to the air, and surrounded the whole building; and answers to the court of the Israelites in the temple, where they worshipped promiscuously, good and bad: and so may design the outward visible state of the Gospel church, consisting of good and bad, of wise and foolish virgins; like a field that has both wheat and tares in it; or a corn floor that has wheat and chaff upon it; which in the latter day will grow worse and worse, and be given to the Gentiles, Rev 11:2 but shall be recovered again, and make a considerable part of this fabric; which represents the state of the church, and the outward administration of the word and ordinances in it, and the visible fellowship of the saints together in them. And, lo, there were chambers; in the outward court, in various parts of it; which signify, as before, visible congregated churches, formed according to the order of the Gospel; in which the word is preached, ordinances administered, and saints have fellowship one with another. It is a different word here used from that in Eze 40:7, and is by some rendered "cells, storehouses, treasuries" (f); and here, the unsearchable riches of Christ are preached, and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in him are brought forth, and presented to the view of the saints. And a pavement made for the court round about; as this court went round about the whole building, so there was a pavement upon it all around. The word (g) used has the signification of a "burning coal". Probably this pavement appeared as made of stones of various colours, of black, white, and red, like a chequered work of black and white marble; or as made of the porphyry stone, which is variegated with divers colours. This pavement was for those that dwelt in the chambers to walk in, and converse together: and it may denote the walk of the saints, both in the ordinances of the Gospel, and in their outward conversation, as becoming it; in love to them that are within, and in wisdom towards those that are without: and this is walking as on a pavement, on firm ground, in a plain and even way, where there is no occasion of stumbling; it is walking clean, in righteousness and holiness, and not in the mire and dirt of sin; and it is pleasant walking in the courts of the Lord, and in the ways and paths of wisdom; and beautiful it is to see the saints walk harmoniously and comfortably together here, conversing with each other, and building up one another upon their most holy faith. Thirty chambers were upon a pavement; according to some, fifteen on each side of the eastern gate, as you came out of it into the court; or rather, according to Cocceius's tables, these were all around the court, eight to the east, eight to the north, eight to the south, and six to the west; or, as Villalpandus, seven to the east and west each, and eight to the north and south apiece. This suggests that there will be visible congregated churches in the latter day in all parts of the world, east, west, north, and south; see Isa 43:5. (f) "cellae", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus, Cocceius, Starckius; Sept; "gazophylacia", V. L. (g) "pruna ardens", Isa. vi. 6.

The pavement is spread wide with stone, to stop the footsteps of the sinners who live there being made dirty with mire and earth and dust.

(Verse 17 and onwards) 'And he led me to the outer court, and behold, treasuries, and a pavement laid with stone in the court all around: thirty treasuries around the pavement. And the pavement in front of the gateways, at the gateways, was lower. And he measured the width of the gateway from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner court outside, one hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side. Seventy: And he brought me into the inner court, and behold, chambers, and the posts of the court all around, thirty chambers by the posts. And there was a porch in front of the gateways, and there were posts along the front of the gateways, below the columns.' And he measured the width of the atrium from the place that was under the outer gate to the inner gate: under the outer gate that faced the outside, one hundred cubits, and it turned towards the east. For the chambers, thirty, which were turned into seventy, or treasury rooms and cellars, as Aquila interpreted, Symmachus placed platforms. And for one hundred cubits of the outer space, which extended to the Eastern gate, the same number of cubits in Hebrew, and it is said to extend to the North: but in the Seventy, the name of the North has been removed. Therefore, that man who had in his hand a measuring line and a reed of measurement, and stood at the gate, among other things that the prophets showed to the sight, after the courtyard of sixty cubits, and another vestibule of the inner gate which measured fifty cubits, led the prophet to the outer courtyard, or as it is contained in the Septuagint, he brought him to the inner courtyard. And I marvel greatly, according to the literal and Septuagint text, how after the outer courts, which measure sixty and fifty cubits, there is an inner court which extends in width one hundred cubits: unless, of course, according to mystical understanding and the progress of those who enter, the inner things in teachings are broader. But upon entering the inner courtyard, or upon being led to the outer courtyard, as is stated in Hebrew, he immediately saw thirty chambers or treasuries, or as Symmachus interprets, exedras, which had been prepared for the dwelling of the Levites and priests, and a pavement adorned with living stones or intercolumnia, to show that the inner or outer courtyard had a row of columns in front of the entrance, and a pavement in front of the gates, or a portico behind the gates. In these colonnades, I believe that the columns were arranged in order, so that there were colonnades in front of the treasuries, and columns supporting the colonnades in front of the facades of the colonnades. The pavement, which was laid with stones, extended in front of the atrium’s colonnades, lower in elevation than the colonnades, and had the same length as the building of the chambers. And the same man, in whose hand there was a measuring line and a reed, measured from the face of the lower gate, or as the Seventy translate it, the outer gate, to the front of the atrium or the inner gate, one hundred cubits towards the east, and, as it is said in Hebrew, towards the north. From which we understand that Evangelical saying which is narrated by the Savior (Matthew 15), sowing in the field of the mind good seeds, which multiplies fruits according to the variety of virtues in thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold, agree with the prophecy of this place. And here the thirtieth, sixtieth, and hundredth number are mentioned, so that by these steps we may be able to reach perfect knowledge; but only in such a way that the fiftieth number leads us to the inner parts of the Church, which, after the completion of the seven weeks of the Sabbath, broke forth into the day of the resurrection. But they are called gazophylacia, which are full of spiritual riches, of which it is written: The redemption of a man's soul, his own riches (Prov. XIII, 8). About which also the Apostle Paul congratulates his disciples, that they are full of every word and all knowledge (Philippians I). However, in the Persian language, gaza is the term for riches. Or certainly, the thalami, which in Greek are called παστοφόρια, show the prepared chambers for the arrival of the bridegroom, which were thirty in number, in order to demonstrate the perfect age of the inhabitants. And the pavement was laid with stone, so that the feet of the inhabitants, who were sinners, would not be polluted by mud, dirt, and the dust. But rather, the stones on which the temple of God is built, were walked upon. Whether the spaces between the columns were in front of the doors of the chambers, which supported the building placed on top. These are the columns, of which even the Apostle Paul writes: They gave me and Barnabas their right hands, Peter and John, who seemed to be columns (Gal. II, 9). And in another place: The pillar and foundation of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). And in the Book of Revelation we read: He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never go out of it (Revelation 3:12). Therefore, the pavement that was in front of the gates, which we have already mentioned, or the covered walkway behind the gates, which protected the inhabitants of the chambers from rain, was lower. For always those things which are lower are placed in higher places, so that we may be able to arrive at mystical and secret things, and those full of spiritual riches, through ascent and steps. And the number is full and perfect in the number of ten decades, which also multiplies the seed of Isaac by a hundred grains (Gen. XXVI). But because he was in the land, and still he could say: I am a stranger, and a sojourner like all my fathers (Psal. XXXVIII, 13), it is recounted that he sowed barley, and harvested a hundredth of the grain. For the grain of wheat had not yet died in the earth, which would make many grains (Matth. XIII, Joan. XII), and to satisfy the hunger of the Jewish people hearing the word of God, He fed them with the bread that descended from heaven (Amos VIII, Joan. VI). However, how one hundred cubits were not only towards the Eastern gate, but also towards the Northern gate, the following testimony will demonstrate.

After the prophet, introducing oblique windows concerning the grace of contemplation, spoke many things, he says he was led outside, and recalls having seen treasuries. In these treasuries, what else is designated but the knowledge of teachers? But rightly in this matter it can be asked, since holy teachers teach spiritual and internal things, why does the prophet say he was led outside, and saw treasuries outside? But it must be known that contemplation is one thing, which sees only as much as it is unable to speak, while knowledge and doctrine are another thing, which sees only as much as it can express through the tongue. For in comparison with that light which cannot be expressed by voice, almost all that can be expressed by voice is as if outside. Because in the Greek language φυλάττειν means "to keep," and in the Persian language treasures are called gazae, the place where riches are kept is customarily called a treasury. What therefore is designated by treasuries, except, as we said before, the hearts of teachers filled with the riches of wisdom and knowledge? Because, according to Paul's words: "To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge in the same Spirit." For there are some who through the gift of grace understand even those things which they have not heard expounded by teachers; these clearly have received the word of wisdom. And there are some who cannot understand by themselves what they have heard, but retain those things which they have read in commentators, and knowledgeably bring forth what they have learned by reading. From what then are these filled except with the word of knowledge? Although this can also be understood in another way, because wisdom pertains to life, while knowledge pertains to teaching. Therefore whoever lives well and preaches prudently is rightly called a treasury of spiritual building, because heavenly riches are dispensed from his mouth. The same teacher of the Gentiles had seen that the disciples abounded in these riches when he said: "You have been made rich in Him, in all speech and all knowledge." Therefore treasuries have been built in the edifice of the holy Church, because the tongue of teachers abounds with the riches of knowledge. That these are true riches, Truth Himself declares on His own authority, when He says of transitory riches: "The deceitfulness of riches chokes the word." For wisdom and knowledge of spiritual teaching are true riches, in comparison with which those that can pass away are called false. Concerning these riches it is said through Solomon: "A desirable treasure rests in the mouth of the wise." But apart from the fact that spiritual riches lead to the eternal homeland, there is a great difference between them and earthly riches, because spiritual riches increase when distributed, while earthly riches either are distributed and diminish, or are retained and are not useful. Therefore those who contain these true riches within themselves are rightly called treasuries. And these treasuries have a pavement all around, because the humility of the hearers clings to and lies beneath them. This pavement is rightly said to be paved with stone in the court, because in the breadth of charity the souls of the faithful are joined to one another. They are called stones in the strength of faith, and they are laid in the pavement in the bond of humility. The apostle Peter had beheld these minds of the faithful as strong in faith when he said: "And you, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house." Concerning these stones of the holy Church, the Lord says through Isaiah: "I will make your ramparts of jasper, and your gates of carved stones, all your borders of desirable stones, all your children taught by the Lord." For Almighty God placed jasper, which is a green-colored stone, as the ramparts of the holy Church, because He strengthened the minds of her preachers with the love of inner greenness, so that they might despise all transitory things, desire nothing in this world which is enclosed by an end, and scorn all its joys as withered. Hence also the shepherd of the Church himself, calling his hearers to the pastures of eternal greenness, speaks of God, saying: "According to His great mercy, He has regenerated us into a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven." The gates of this holy Church are set upon carved stones, because those through whose voice we enter into eternal life, while they displayed in themselves the holy works that are divinely commanded, held them as if carved within themselves. For the gates would be uncarved but plain if they merely uttered words but did not demonstrate holy works in themselves. But when they show themselves to live according to what they speak, they are both gates, because they lead within, and carved, because by living they preserve what they speak to others. We see all the borders of this holy Church set in precious stones, when we behold in it all the faithful who are strong in faith and charity. To demonstrate what stones he meant, he added: "All your children taught by the Lord." Therefore what Isaiah saw—that all the borders of the Church were precious stones—this Ezekiel declared to be a pavement paved with stone round about, because he further adds concerning the treasuries: "Thirty treasuries in the circuit of the pavement." The number ten is always taken for perfection, because observance is contained in the ten precepts of the law. For the active and contemplative life are joined together in the commandments of the Decalogue, because in it both love of God and love of neighbor are commanded to be kept. Indeed, love of God pertains to the contemplative life, while love of neighbor pertains to the active. But every teacher, in order to extend himself fully into the active life and rise vigilantly into the contemplative, ought to be perfect in faith in the Holy Trinity. Hence these same treasuries are also mentioned as being thirty, so that when ten is multiplied by three, the life and tongue of the teacher may be established in the Trinity.

The outward court - This was the court of the people.

THE REMAINING CHAPTERS, THE FORTIETH THROUGH FORTY-EIGHTH, GIVE AN IDEAL PICTURE OF THE RESTORED JEWISH TEMPLE. (Eze. 40:1-49) beginning of the year--the ecclesiastical year, the first month of which was Nisan. the city . . . thither--Jerusalem, the center to which all the prophet's thoughts tended.

pavement--tesselated mosaic (Est 1:6). chambers--serving as lodgings for the priests on duty in the temple, and as receptacles of the tithes of salt, wine, and oil.

The Outer Court Described and Measured Eze 40:17. And he led me into the outer court, and behold there were cells and pavement made round the court; thirty cells on the pavement. Eze 40:18. And the pavement was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates, (namely) the lower pavement. Eze 40:19. And he measured the breadth from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner court, about a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side. - Ezekiel having been led through the eastern gate into the outer court, was able to survey it, not on the eastern side only, but also on the northern and southern sides; and there he perceived cells and רצפּה, pavimentum, mosaic pavement, or a floor paved with stones laid in mosaic form (Ch2 7:3; Est 1:6), made round the court; that is to say, according to the more precise description in v. 18, on both sides of the gate-buildings, of a breadth corresponding to their length, running along the inner side of the wall of the court, and consequently not covering the floor of the court in all its extent, but simply running along the inner side of the surrounding wall as a strip of about fifty cubits broad, and that not uniformly on all four sides, but simply on the eastern, southern, and northern sides, and at the north-west and south-west corners of the western side, so far, namely, as the outer court surrounded the inner court and temple (see Plate I b b b); for on the western side the intervening space from the inner court and temple-house to the surrounding wall of the outer court was filled by a special building of the separate place. It is with this limitation that we have to take סביב סביב. fעשׂוּy may belong either to לשׁכות ורצפּה or merely to רצפּה, so far as grammatical considerations are concerned; for in either case there would be an irregularity in the gender, and the participle is put in the singular as a neuter. If we look fairly at the fact itself, not one of the reasons assigned by Kliefoth, for taking fעשׂוּy as referring to רצפּה only, is applicable throughout. If the pavement ran round by the side of the gate-building on three sides of the court, and the cells were by or upon the pavement, they may have stood on three sides of the court without our being forced to assume, or even warranted in assuming, that they must of necessity have filled up the whole length on every side from the shoulder of the gate-building to the corner, or rather to the space that was set apart in every corner, according to Eze 46:21-24, for the cooking of the sacrificial meals of the people. We therefore prefer to take עשׂוּי as referring to the cells and the pavement; because this answers better than the other, both to the construction and to the fact. In Eze 40:18 the pavement is said to have been by the shoulder of the gates. השּׁערים is in the plural, because Ezekiel had probably also in his mind the two gates which are not described till afterwards. כּתף, the shoulder of the agate-buildings regarded as a body, is the space on either side of the gate-building along the wall, with the two angles formed by the longer side of the gate-buildings and the line of the surrounding wall. This is more precisely defined by 'לעמּת ארך השׁ, alongside of the length of the gates, i.e., running parallel with it (cf. Sa2 16:13), or stretching out on both sides with a breadth corresponding to the length of the gate-buildings. The gates were fifty cubits long, or, deducting the thickness of the outer wall, they projected into the court to the distance of forty-four cubits. Consequently the pavement ran along the inner sides of the surrounding wall with a breadth of forty-four cubits. This pavement is called the lower pavement, in distinction from the pavement or floor of the inner court, which was on a higher elevation. All that is said concerning the לשׁכות is, that there were thirty of them, and that they were אל הרצפּה (see Plate I C). The dispute whether אל signifies by or upon the pavement has no bearing upon the fact itself. As Ezekiel frequently uses אל for על, and vice vers, the rendering upon can be defended; but it cannot be established, as Hitzig supposes, by referring to Kg2 16:17. If we retain the literal meaning of אל, at or against, we cannot picture to ourselves the position of the cells as projecting from the inner edge of the pavement into the unpaved portion of the court; for in that case, to a person crossing the court, they would have stood in front of (לפני) the pavement rather than against the pavement. The prep. אל, against, rather suggests the fact that the cells were built near the surrounding wall, so that the pavement ran along the front of them, which faced the inner court in an unbroken line. In this case it made no difference to the view whether the cells were erected upon the pavement, or the space occupied by the cells was left unpaved, and the pavement simply joined the lower edge of the walls of the cells all round. The text contains no account of the manner in which they were distributed on the three sides of the court. But it is obvious from the use of the plural לשׁכות, that the reference is not to thirty entire buildings, but simply to thirty rooms, as לשׁכּה does not signify a building consisting of several rooms, but always a single room or cell in a building. Thus in Sa1 9:22 it stands for a room appointed for holding the sacrificial meals, and that by no means a small room, but one which could accommodate about thirty persons. In Jer 36:12 it is applied to a room in the king's palace, used as the chancery. Elsewhere לשׁכּה is the term constantly employed for the rooms in the court-buildings and side-buildings of the temple, which served partly as a residence for the officiating priests and Levites, and partly for the storing of the temple dues collected in the form of tithes, fruits, and money (vid., Kg2 23:11; Jer 35:4; Jer 36:10; Ch1 9:26; Neh 10:38 -40). Consequently we must not think of thirty separate buildings, but have to distribute the thirty cells on the three sides of the court in such a manner that there would be ten on each side, and for the sake of symmetry five in every building, standing both right and left between the gate-building and the corner kitchens. - In Eze 40:19 the size or compass of the outer court is determined. The breadth from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner court was 100 cubits. השּׁער התּחתּונה, the gate of the lower court, i.e., the outer gate, which was lower than the inner. התּחתּונה is not an adjective agreeing with שׁער, for apart from Isa 14:31 שׁער is never construed as a feminine; but it is used as a substantive for חצר התּחתּונה, the lower court, see the comm. on Eze 8:3. מלפני denotes the point from which the measuring started, and לפני החצר the direction in which it proceeded, including also the terminus: "to before the inner court," equivalent to "up to the front of the inner court," The terminal point is more precisely defined by מחוּץ, from without, which Hitzig proposes to erase as needless and unusual, but without any reason. For, inasmuch as the gateways of the inner court were built into the outer court, as is evident from what follows, מחוּץ simply affirms that the measuring only extended to the point where the inner court commenced within the outer, namely, to the front of the porch of the gate, not to the boundary wall of the inner court, as this wall stood at a greater distance from the porch of the outer court-gate by the whole length of the court-gate, that is to say, as much as fifty cubits. From this more precise definition of the terminal point it follows still further, that the starting-point was not the boundary-wall, but the porch of the gate of the outer court; in other words, that the hundred cubits measured by the man did not include the fifty cubits' length of the gate-building, but this is expressly excluded. This is placed beyond all doubt by Eze 40:23 and Eze 40:27, where the distance of the inner court-gate from the gate (of the outer court) is said to have been a hundred cubits. - The closing words הקּדים have been very properly separated by the Masoretes from what precedes, by means of the Athnach, for they are not to be taken in close connection with ויּמד; nor are they to be rendered, "he measured...toward the east and toward the north" for this would be at variance with the statement, "to the front of the inner court." They are rather meant to supply a further appositional definition to the whole of the preceding clause: "he measured from...a hundred cubits," relating to the east side and the north side of the court, and affirm that the measuring took place from gate to gate both on the eastern and on the northern side; in other words, that the measure given, a hundred cubits, applied to the eastern side as well as the northern; and thus they prepare the way for the description of the north gate, which follows from Eze 40:20 onwards.