1In the twenty-fifth year of our exile,aour exile I.e., the exile of King Jehoiachin; see 1.2. the fourteenth year after the city had fallen, at the beginning of the year, the tenth day of the month—on that very day—GOD’s hand came upon me, and it brought me there.
2It brought me, in divine visions, to the Land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountainbvery high mountain Cf. Isa. 2.2; Mic. 4.1. on which there seemed to be the outline of a city on the south.con the south Septuagint reads “in the distance.”
3It brought me over to it, and there, standing at the gate, was a figure who shone like copper. In his hand were a cord of linen and a measuring rod.
4He spoke to me: “Mortal, look closely and listen attentively and note well everything I am going to show you—for you have been brought here in order to be shown—and report everything you see to the House of Israel.”
5Along the outside of the temple [area] ran a wall on every side. The rod that the figure held was six cubits long, plus one handbreadth for each cubit; and when he applied it to that structure, it measured one rod deepddeep In this chapter’s descriptions, the Hebrew word that ordinarily corresponds to English “width” sometimes designates a measurement from an opening or outer surface inward, and so corresponds to the English “depth”; and the word that ordinarily corresponds to English “length” designates the distance from side to side of a vestibule or a passage, and so corresponds to the English “width.” and one rod high.
6He went up to the gate that faced eastward and mounted its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep—the one threshold was one rod deep.ethe one threshold was one rod deep Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
7Each recess was one rod widefwide See note at v. 5. and one rod deep, with [a partition of] 5 cubits between recesses; and the threshold of the gate, at the inner vestibule of the gate, was one rod deep.
8For when he measured it at the inner vestibule of the gate, it was one rod [deep].gFor when he measured … one rod [deep] Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
9Next he measured the vestibule of the gate, and it measured 8 cubits and its supports 2 cubits; the vestibule of the gate was at its inner end.
10hThis verse would read well before v. 7. On either side of this eastern gate there were three recesses, all three of the same size; of identical sizes were also the supportsisupports In connection with recesses, the “supports” are partitions. on either side.
11He measured the opening of the gate and found it 10 cubits wide, while the gate itself measured 13 cubits across.jThe opening was perhaps narrowed by a stone on each side for receiving the hinge of a door-leaf.
12At the fronts of the recesses on either side were barriers of one cubit;kbarriers of one cubit Meaning of Heb. uncertain. the recesses on either side were 6 cubits [deep].
13Their openings faced each other directly across the gate passage, so that when he measured from rearlrear Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of recess to rearmrear Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of recess he obtained a width of 25 cubits.n25 cubits Since each of the recesses was 6 cubits deep (v. 7a) and the passage in the middle was 13 cubits wide (v. 11).
14oMeaning of verse uncertain. He made the vestibulepvestibule Here, ʼelim is the same as ʼelam in vv. 16, 21, 22, etc.—60 cubits—and the gate next to the support on every side of the court.
15And [the distance] from the front of the outerqouter Meaning of Heb. uncertain. gate to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was 50 cubits.
16The recesses—and their supports—had windows with framesrwith frames Meaning of Heb. uncertain. on the interior of the gate complex on both sides, and the interiors of the vestibules also had windows on both sides; and the supports were adorned with palms.
17He took me into the outer court. There were chambers there, and there was a pavement laid out all around the court. There were 30 chambers on the pavement.
18The pavements flanked the gates; the depth of the lower pavementsslower pavements The outer court and its gates were 8 steps lower than the inner ones; cf. v. 34. paralleled that of the gates.
19Then he measured the width of the lower court,tlower court See note at v. 18. from in front of the inner gate to in front of the outer gateuthe lower court, from in front of the inner gate to in front of the outer gate In this rendering, the adjectives “lower” and “inner” are construed, not with the nouns they stand next to in the Hebrew, but with those with which they agree in gender.—100 cubits.After the east [gate], the north [gate].vAfter the east [gate], the north [gate] Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
20Next he measured the gate of the outer court that faced north: its length and its width,
21its three recesses on either side and its supports, as also its vestibule. It measured, like the first gate, 50 cubits in length and 25 cubits in width.
22Its windows and [those of] its vestibule, as also its palm trees, corresponded to those of the gate that faced east. [From the outside] one had to climb 7 steps to reach it, and its vestibule was ahead of them.wahead of them Septuagint reads “at its inner end.”
23Like the east gate, the north gate faced a gate leading into the inner forecourt; and when he measured the distance from gate to gate, it was 100 cubits.
24Then he took me to the south side. There was also a gate on the south side, and he got the same measurements as before for its supports and its vestibule.
25Both it and its vestibule had windows like the aforementioned ones. It was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide.
26Its staircase consisted of 7 steps; its vestibule was ahead of them,xahead of them See note at v. 22. and its supports were decorated on both sides with palm trees.
27The inner court likewise had a gate facing south; and on the south side, too, he measured a distance of 100 cubits from the [outer] gate to the [inner] gate.
28He now took me into the inner forecourt through its south gate. When he measured this south gate, it had the same measurements as the foregoing.
29Its recesses, its supports, and its vestibule had the same measurements. Both it and its vestibule had windows on both sides; it was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide—
30vestibules on both sides, 25 cubits long, 5 cubits wide.yvestibules on both sides, 25 cubits long, 5 cubits wide Connection unclear; wanting in some Heb. mss. and versions.
31Its vestibule, however, gave on the outer court.zgave on the outer court I.e., in the inner gates the vestibules were situated at their entrances, and so they were true vestibules, in contrast to the “inner vestibules” of the outer gates. Its supports were adorned on either side with palms, and its staircase consisted of 8 steps.
32Then he took me to the eastern side of the inner forecourt; and when he measured the gate there, he got the same measurements:
33its recesses, supports, and vestibule had the above measurements. Both it and its vestibule had windows on both sides; it was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide,
34and its vestibule gave on the outer court. Its supports were decorated on both sides with palm trees, and its staircase consisted of 8 steps.
35Then he took me to the north gate, and found its measurements to be identical,
36with the same recesses, supports, vestibule, windows on both sides, and a length of 50 cubits and a width of 25 cubits.
37Its supportsasupports Septuagint reads “vestibules”; cf. vv. 31, 34. gave on the outer court; its supports were decorated on both sides with palm trees; and its staircase consisted of eight steps.
38A chamber opened into the gate;bgate Heb. “gates”; the reference is apparently to the north gate; cf. v. 40 and Lev. 1.11; 4.24; 7.2. there the burnt offering would be washed.
39And inside the vestibule of the gate, there were two tables on each side, at which the burnt offering, the purgation offering, and the reparation offering were to be slaughtered;
40while outside—as one goes up towardcas one goes up toward Emendation yields “the vestibule at.” the opening of the north gate—there were two tables on one side, and there were two tables on the other side of the gate’s vestibule.
41Thus there were four tables on either flank of the gate—eight tables in all—at which [the sacrifices] were to be slaughtered.
42As for the four tables for the burnt offeringdburnt offering See v. 39.—they were of hewn stone, one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high—on them were laid out the instruments with which burnt offerings and sacrifices were slaughtered.eon them were laid out the instruments with which burnt offerings and sacrifices were slaughtered This clause would read well after v. 43.
43Shelves,fShelves Meaning of Heb. uncertain. one handbreadth wide, were attached all around the inside; and the sacrificial flesh was [laid] on the tables.
44There were chambers for singersgchambers for singers Septuagint reads “two chambers.” in the inner forecourt: [one] beside the north gate facing south, and one beside the eastheast Septuagint reads “south.” gate facing north.
45[The figure] explained to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who perform the duties of the temple;
46and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who perform the duties of the altar—they are the descendants of Zadok, who alone of the descendants of Levi may approach GOD to be in attendance.”
47He then measured the forecourt: 100 cubits long and 100 cubits broad—foursquare. In front of the temple stood the altar.
48He took me into the portico of the temple and measured it. The jambsijambs I.e., the edges of the flanking walls. of the portico were 5 cubits deep on either side. The width of the gate-opening was [14 cubits, and the flanking wall of the gate was]j[14 cubits, and the flanking wall of the gate was] Preserved in the Septuagint. 3 cubits on either side.
49The portico was 20 cubits wide and 11k11 Septuagint reads “12”; see note at 41.13. cubits deep, and it was by steps that it was reached.lit was by steps that it was reached Septuagint reads “it was reached by ten steps.” There were columns by the jambs on either side.