Ezekiel - 40:47



47 He measured the court, one hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was before the house.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Ezekiel 40:47.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And he measured the court a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad foursquare: and the altar that was before the face of the temple.
And he measured the court, the length a hundred cubits, and the breadth a hundred cubits, four square: and the altar was before the house.
And he measureth the court: the length a hundred cubits, and the breadth a hundred cubits, square, and the altar is before the house.
And he took the measure of the open square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide, being square; and the altar was in front of the house.
And he measured the court to be one hundred cubits in length, and one hundred cubits in width, with four equal sides. And the altar was before the face of the temple.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

The court - The inner court (B) where was the brass altar Ezekiel 43:13.
The new chapter would begin better at Ezekiel 40:48.

He measured the court - This was the court of the priests. See FFF in the plan.

So he measured the court,.... The inward court, where the prophet and his guide now were; and the gates leading to which he had been measuring, with the chambers, arches, and tables belonging thereunto:
an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; the floor, or area of this court, which was a hundred cubits in length and breadth; so that it was a perfect square, equilateral, east, west, north, and south, and above fifty yards each way; such a court as never was in any temple whatever: hence Kimchi observes, there was no such court in the second temple; no, nor in the first neither: in the second temple, the length of the court of Israel, according to Abarbinel, was a hundred and thirty five cubits, and the breadth eleven, but this was a hundred by a hundred; these things, says Lipman (u), are wonderful in my eyes: this denotes the large increase of the church, and of spiritual worshippers, in the latter day; and the foursquare of it signifies the order, perfection, and stability of it; see Revelation 21:16,
and the altar that was before the house; the altar of burnt offering, which stood before the house or temple, in the midst of the inward court; so that it might be seen by all in the inward court and chambers; and even by all in the outward court, through the several gates, which directly opened and led to it. This was typical of Christ, the altar, we Christians have a right to eat of; which sanctifies every gift offered upon it, and which every worshipper should by faith look unto for the expiation of their sins. The dimensions of this altar were now taken, and are given in Ezekiel 43:13.
(u) Tzurath Beth Hamikdash, sect. 27.

court, an hundred cubits . . . foursquare--not to be confounded with the inner court, or court of Israel, which was open to all who had sacrifices to bring, and went round the three sides of the sacred territory, one hundred cubits broad. This court was one hundred cubits square, and had the altar in it, in front of the temple. It was the court of the priests, and hence is connected with those who had charge of the altar and the music. The description here is brief, as the things connected with this portion were from the first divinely regulated.

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