Ezekiel's Code OUTER GATES OF EZEKIEL'S TEMPLE [EZEK. 401 city was taken, on that very day, the hand of Jehovah was laid upon me, and wall 5There was a wall encircling a temple, and in the man's hand a measuring Encirreed six cubits long, each cubit being equal to a cubit and a handbreadth an and he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height one reed. outer "Then he came to the east gateway and went up its steps and measured East the threshold of the gate one reed wide. And each guard-room was one gatereed long, and one reed broad; and between the guard-rooms were spacesh way of five cubits; and the threshold of the gate at the vestibule of the gate on the inner side was one reed. Then he measured the vestibule of the gate, eight cubits, and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was on the inner side. 10And the guard-rooms of the east gate were three on each side; all three were of the same dimensions; and the posts were on both sides. 11And he measured the breadth of the entrance to the gateway, ten cubits; and the width of the gate, thirteen cubits; 12and there was a sill one cubit wide, before the guard-rooms on each side; and the guard-rooms, six cubits on both sides.k 13 sions 3And he measured the gate from the outer wall of the one guard-room Dimento the outer wall' of the other, twenty-five cubits wide; door opposite door. of the 14 He also measured the vestibule,m twentyn cubits; and the court reached to gatethe jambs, round about the gateway. 15And from the front of the gateway at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate were fifty cubits. b 401. 2 Lit.. vision of God, following the superior Gk. and Syr. The Heb. adds, thither at the end of 1 and repeats the verb, probably from 3. 402 Cf. for the same idea, Is. 22, Mi. 41. d 402 Or Gk., opposite; but according to 212 the prophet came from the north. ple buildings referred to were also along the southern slope of the temple hill. e 404 Heb.. set thy heart upon. The tem f 405 Ezekiel's long cubit was probably about 21 inches. Herodotus (I. 178) states that the royal Babylonian cubit was three digits longer than the ordinary cubit. 406 So Gk. In the Heb. a scribe has by mistake repeated the last clause. h 407 These were the niches, three on each side of the passage way, for the guards and Levites, cf. I Kgs. 1428, II Chr. 121. 407 Some Heb. texts add the following gloss which contradicts and is practically unintelligible, He measured also the vestibule of the gate on the inner side, one reed. This is not found in the Gk. The error is probably due to the fact that the scribe started to copy entire. 9 4011 The Heb. reads, the length of the gate thirteen cubits, but this contradicts 15, 21. Either this is a gloss or else the text should be slightly revised so as to read as above. 4012 The meaning possibly is that these barriers or sills before the guard-rooms were six cubits long and one in height and thickness. 14013 Following the Gk. m 4014 Restoring the text as the context demands. The latter part of the vs. is very doubtful and obscure. The Gk. has an entirely different reading. 4014 So Gk. Heb., 60, but the Gk. is supported by the other measurements in the Heb. way Outer court Ezekiel's Code 16 And the guard-rooms and their jambs had windows, within the gate round about, and likewise the vestibule had windows round about within; and on each jamb were palm-trees. 17Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement made round about the court; thirty chambers were upon the pavement. 18And the pavement was on the side of the gateways; it 04016 Or, latticed. P 4016 The Heb. text is corrupt; a scribe has apparently confused the Heb. word for vestibule with the similar word for arch. Ezekiel's Code OUTER GATES AND COURT [EZEK. 4018 corresponded to the length of the gateways, that is, the lower pavement. 19Then he measured the breadth from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner court without, one hundred cubits on the east and on the north. outer 20 And the north gateway of the outer court, he measured its length and North breadth. 21 And there were three guard-rooms on each side; and its jambs gateand its vestibulesa corresponded to the measurement of the first gate; its way length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits. 22And its windows and its vestibule and its palm trees measured the same as those of the east gate; and seven steps led up to it; its vestibule was within. 23 And there was a gate to the inner court opposite the north gate, corresponding to the one on the east; and he measured from gate to gate one hundred cubits. S way 24 And he led me toward the south; and he measured its guard-roomst South and its jambs and its vestibule; they were of the same dimensions as the te others. 25 And there were windows in it and in its vestibule round about corresponding to the other windows; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits. 26And seven steps led up to it, and its vestibule" was within; and it had palm-trees, one on each side of its jambs. 27 And there was a gate to the inner court on the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits. Ezekiel's Code § 142. The Inner Court, Ezek. 4028-47a inner gate Ezek. 40 28Then he brought me to the inner court at the south gate- South way; and he measured the south gateway; it measured the same as the others; 29its guard-rooms, and posts and vestibule were of the same dimensions as way the preceding; and there were windows in it and in its vestibule round about; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.▾ 31 And its vestibule faced the outer court; and there were palm-trees beside its posts; and the ascent to it had eight steps. inner 32 And he brought me to the east side of the inner court; and he measured East the gateway; it measured the same as the others; 33and its guard-rooms and gateposts and vestibules were of the same dimensions as the preceding; and there way were windows in it and in the vestibule round about; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 And its vestibule faced the outer court; and there were beside its palm-trees posts, one on each side; and the ascent to it had eight steps. 35Then he brought me to the north gateway; and he measured the gateway; North it measured the same as the others. 36And its guard-rooms and posts and inner vestibules were of the same dimensions as the preceding; and there were way a 4021, 22 Standard Heb. text, arches. 4022 So Gk. Heb., before them. 4023 The Heb. has simply, to the east. t 4024 So Gk. The Heb. omits, and its guard-rooms. u 4026 Translating as in 22. 4029 The Gk. omits 30 A scribe adds in the Heb. different dimensions, Its vestibule round about was twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. These, however, are impossible. gate cial Ezekiel's Code windows in it and in the vestibule round about; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 And its vestibule faced the outer court; and there were beside its palm-trees posts, one on each side; and the ascent to it had eight steps. Sacrifi- 38 And there was a chamber with its opening into the vestibule of the gatetables way; there they washed the burnt-offering. 39 And in the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which were slain the burnt-offerings and the sin-offerings and the guilt-offerings. 40 And outside the entrance to the gateway on the north, were two tables. 41There were four within and four without the gateway: eight tables, upon which the burnt-offerings were slain. 42There were also four tables for the burnt-offering, of hewn stone, each a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and a cubit high; on which they laid the instruments wherewith the burnt-offerings and the sacrificial animals were slain, 43 and projections, one handbreadth in length, were fastened within round about. And over the tables were protecting roofs to keep off the rain and the hot sun.a Cham bers for priests 44He brought me outside the gate and into the inner court, and there were the two chambers on the inner court,b one by the north gate, facing the south, acting the other by the south gate facing the north. 45 And he said to me, This chamber, which faces the south, is for the priests, who have charge of the temple; 46 and the chamber which faces the north is for the priests who have charge of the altar; they are the sons of Zadok, those of the sons of Levi who may come near to Jehovah to serve him. 47a And he measured the court, a hundred cubits wide, and a hundred cubits broad- -a perfect square. Dimensions Ezekiel's Code § 143. The Great Altar, Ezek. 4047, 4313-27 Ezek. 40 47bThe altar was in front of the temple. 43 13And these are the measurements of the altar in cubits of a cubit and a handbreadth : the base shall be a cubit high, one cubit wide, with a border around its edge about a span wide; and this shall be the height of the altar: 14from the foun- . dation base to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the width one cubit. 15And the altar hearth shall be four cubits high; and above the hearth shall be four horns, one cubit high. 16And the altar 4038 Following a text slightly corrected by the aid of the Gk. and in accord with the demands of the architectural plan. Heb., by the posts, the gates. This chamber was probably one of the niches or guard-rooms. The Heb. reads, a chamber and its door with jambs at the gateways. Probably the eastern gateway is the one here intended, although the context suggests the one on the north. a 4043 So Gk. Heb., and on the tables was the flesh of the oblation. The Heb. also reads, east, in the last line instead of south gate, as the context strongly demands. $143 The general plan of the great altar was probably modelled closely after that of Solomon and is especially valuable, since for some reason the description of the latter has fallen out of the text of I Kgs. 6. The diagram opposite will suggest the form of Ezekiel's altar. 4314 Lit., base of the earth; of the earth may be a scribal error. Gk., from the top of the base. d 4315 So Gk., Syr. and Lat. • 4315 Again following the Gk. THE GREAT ALTAR [EZEK. 4016 Ezekiel's Code hearth shall be twelve cubits square. 17And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits square; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the base one cubit wide round about. Its steps shall face the east. cration 18Then he said to me, O man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: 'These are Consethe regulations for the altar in the day when it is completed, "In order that of the burnt-offerings may be offered and blood sprinkled on it, 19thou shalt givef altar to the priests the Levites who are of the family of Zadok, who approach to serve me," saith the Lord Jehovah, a young bullock as a sin-offering, g 20 And they shall take some of its blood, and put it on the four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border round about; thus shall they cleanse it and make atonement for it. 21They shall also take the bullock of the sin-offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place outside the temple. 22 And on the second day they shall offer a male goat without blemish as a sin-offering, and shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bullock. 23 When they have made an end of cleansing it, they shall offer a young bullock and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24 And they shall present them before Jehovah, and the priests shall sprinkle salt upon them and they shall offer them as a burnt-offering to Jehovah. 25Seven days shalt thou provide daily a goat as a sin-offering; they shall also provide a young bullock, and a ram from the flock, without blemish. 26 For seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify and consecrate it. 27 At the end of these days, on the eighth day and thereafter, the priests shall present your burnt-offerings and your peace-offerings upon the altar;k and I will accept you," saith the Lord Jehovah.' 14319 The regular form of the religious commands. The community, not Ezek., is addressed. He himself was one of the Levitical priests to which reference is made. 4319 The sin-offering, as elsewhere in the priestly laws is not for moral but ceremonial defilement cf. note § 204. 4320 So Gk. The Heb. has the second person singular throughout this and the following vss., except in 22. 25. The Gk, evidently has the original reading and the variations are due to a scribe who was influenced by Ex. 2936, Lev. 1811 where the second person singular is used. i 4324 I. e., the food for the Deity was prepared as an ordinary meal. 4325 So the Gk. and the marginal reading of the Heb. 4327 Cf. for the similar ceremony in the priestly codes, Ex. 2910-20 § 162. |