Ezechiele 41:2 Commento

An account was given of the porch of the house in the close of the foregoing chapter; this brings us to the temple itself, the description of which here given creates much difficulty to the critical expositors and occasions differences among them. Those must consult them who are nice in their enquiries into the meaning of the particulars of this delineation; it shall suffice us to observe, I. The dimensions of the house, the posts of it (Eze 41:1), the door (Eze 41:2), the wall and the side-chambers (Eze 41:5, Eze 41:6), the foundations and wall of the chambers, their doors (Eze 41:8-11), and the house itself (Eze 41:13). II. The dimensions of the oracle, or most holy place (Eze 41:3, Eze 41:4). III. An account of another building over against the separate place (Eze 41:12-15). IV. The manner of the building of the house (Eze 41:7, Eze 41:16, Eze 41:17). V. The ornaments of the house (Eze 41:18-20). VI. The altar of incense and the table (Eze 41:22). VII. The doors between the temple and the oracle (Eze 41:23-26). There is so much difference both in the terms and in the rules of architecture between one age and another, one place and another, that it ought not to be any stumbling-block to us that there is so much in these descriptions dark and hard to be understood, about the meaning of which the learned are not agreed. To one not skilled in mathematics the mathematical description of a modern structure would be scarcely intelligible; and yet to a common carpenter or mason among the Jews at that time we may suppose that all this, in the literal sense of it, was easy enough.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 41 In this chapter the divine and illustrious Person, the prophet's guide, brings him to the temple itself, and gives the dimensions of the posts and doors, both of the holy and the most holy place, Eze 41:1, then of the wall of the house, its side chambers, the winding about to them, and the doors of them, Eze 41:5, next of a building before the separate place, its doorposts, narrow windows, and galleries, Eze 41:12, after that each of the ornaments of the house are described, Eze 41:18, then the altar of incense, Eze 41:22, and the chapter is concluded with observing the decorations and lights on the doors, porch, and side chambers of the temple and sanctuary, Eze 41:23.

And the breadth of the door was ten cubits,.... The temple door: great care is taken to observe and give the dimensions of the doors and gates of various places; to put us in mind of Christ the door and gate into the church, and into fellowship with God: this was as broad again as the door of Solomon's temple; for that was but the fourth part of the wall of it, five cubits, Kg1 6:1, and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side; the side walls of the door, both on the north and south, were five cubits each; which, with the ten, the breadth of the door, made twenty; and is just the breadth of the temple or holy place afterwards given: and he measured the length thereof forty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits; that is, the length of the temple from east to west, and the breadth of it from north to south, were of this measure; which exactly answers to the dimensions of Solomon's temple, a figure of the Gospel church, as this; see Kg1 6:2.

(Chapter 41, Verse 1 and following) 'And he brought me into the temple, and measured the fronts, six cubits in width here and six cubits in width there, the width of the tabernacle. And the width of the gate was ten cubits, and the sides (or shoulders) of the gate were five cubits here and five cubits there. And he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits.' After many mysteries and various entrances, and the peculiarities of each place, at last finally a man comes, whose string of masons and measuring rod was in his hand, and he brings Ezekiel the prophet into the temple, and he measured the front of the temple: for which atelam, the Septuagint; and aelim Theodotius; and around Symmachus translated. And on both sides the width of the tabernacle was six cubits, containing the mystery of all creatures: for in six days the world was finished. Through the knowledge of these and the causes and conditions and the order of creation, we enter into the temple of God, and through the order and stability of created things we come to know the Creator. But the width of the gate of the temple was ten cubits, which is a sacred and perfect number, and in which, on the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, there is fasting and propitiation. But on the tenth day of the first month, which is called Nisan, the lamb is taken for sacrifice and preparation for the Passover. Therefore, in the seventh month, the tithes are offered in the storehouses of God, or, as the Scripture has accustomed to call them, the wine presses. Hence the Apostle says: Be ye enlarged also (2 Corinthians 6); so that after entering the temple through the ten cubit gates, on both sides of the gate itself, the sides, or as it is properly said in Hebrew, the shoulders are measured, which are always referred to as works. And Issachar desired good (Gen. XLIX), resting among the clergy, seeing the rest, because it is good, and the land, because it is fertile, he put his shoulder to work, and he became a man of agriculture. And in the vestment of the high priest, the ephod with the breastplate is fastened, so that the works of reason are joined, and the man can say: I have understood from your commandments (Ps. CXVIII, 104). The gatekeepers on both sides of the gate had five porches, so that through earthly and divine senses, about which we have often written their differences, we may enter the inner sanctuary of the temple, which was measured by that man, who was the prophet's guide, with a length of forty cubits, and a width of twenty cubits, or rather, the gate's length and width: because he had spoken only of the width and shoulders above. But that the number which is next to eight hundred forty makes is no doubt. Hence it is commanded in Ecclesiastes: Give portions to seven, and also to eight (Eccl. XI, 2). I am aware that there is frequent debate about the mystery of this number, whether it is because through tribulations and distresses of this world we enter into the sanctuary of the Lord: therefore the length of the gate had forty cubits, which number is always associated with labor. And so, Moses and Elijah did not eat bread or drink water for forty days (Deut. 9, 3 Kings 19, Deut. 29). And for forty years, the people of Israel are troubled and tested in the wilderness and enter the promised land through many struggles. And the Lord and Savior, according to the weakness of the assumed body, is tested for forty days in the wilderness, so that after the victory, angels approach and minister to him (Matt. 4). But when we can say in the midst of tribulations and distress, the words of the Apostle: In all things we are troubled, but not crushed (2 Cor. 4, 8), and the prophetic words: In tribulation, you have enlarged me (Psalm 4, 1), then the widest entrance is opened to us, which has a width of twenty cubits, so that having overcome the struggles and earthly things, which themselves represent duality, we may enter the inner sanctuary of the temple and hear the Lord commanding his disciples: Have confidence, I have overcome the world (John 16, 34).

In this chapter the prophet gives us a circumstantial account of the measures, parts, chambers, and ornaments of the temple, vv. 1-26.

The breadth of the door - This was the door, or gate, of the sanctuary, (see gates 3, in the plan), and this doorway was filled up with folding gates. The measurements are exactly the same as those of Solomon's temple. See Kg1 6:2, Kg1 6:17.

THE CHAMBERS AND ORNAMENTS OF THE TEMPLE. (Eze. 41:1-26) tabernacle--As in the measurement of the outer porch he had pointed to Solomon's temple, so here in the edifice itself, he points to the old tabernacle, which being eight boards in breadth (each one and a half cubits broad) would make in all twelve cubits, as here. On the interior it was only ten cubits.

length thereof--namely, of the holy place [FAIRBAIRN].