Ezekiel 40 Explained

Ezekiel 40 is the fortieth chapter of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet and kohen (priest) Ezekiel, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. The Jerusalem Bible refers to the final section of Ezekiel, chapters 40-48, as "the Torah of Ezekiel".[1] This chapter describes Ezekiel's vision of a future Temple.

Text

The original text was written in the Biblical Hebrew. This chapter is divided into 49 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Codex Babylonicus Petropolitanus (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Leningrad Codex (1008).

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B;

ak{G}

B; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A;

ak{G}

A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q;

ak{G}

Q; 6th century).

The beginning of the temple measurements (40:1–5)

This is the beginning of Ezekiel's final vision which he dated to the start of a Jubilee year, "in the 25th year of our exile" verse 1). In this vision Ezekiel is transported to the land of Israel (cf. Ezekiel 8:3), where he is placed on 'a very high mountain on which was a structure like a city to the south' (verse 2), evidently referring to Mount Zion (exalted as in and Micah 4:1) and a new city to replace the devastated Jerusalem. A man gleaming 'like bronze' (verse 3; cf. 1:7 9; 1:27; 9) appears with a measuring rod to measure the various dimensions of the temple complex and instructs Ezekiel to record the measurements to be passed on to the Israelites. The measuring actions continues to Ezekiel 42, but this single vision comprises the last nine chapters of the book (chapter 40–48), as Ezekiel tours the restored, pure temple and then watches the Divine Warrior's return and enthronement (in contrast to the vision in chapters 8–11, which record Ezekiel touring the defiled temple before watching the departure of the Warrior).

Verse 1

In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was captured,

on the very same day the hand of the Lord was upon me; and He took me there.[2]

Verse 4

And the man said to me,

"Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears,

and fix your mind on everything I show you;

for you were brought here so that I might show them to you.

Declare to the house of Israel everything you see."[9]

Verse 5

Now there was a wall all around the outside of the temple.

In the man's hand was a measuring rod six cubits long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth;

and he measured the width of the wall structure, one rod; and the height, one rod.[10]

The Eastern Gateway of the Temple (40:6–16)

Ezekiel records the blueprint of the eastern gateway (which is similar to northern and southern gates) based on the action of the man acting as his guide:The Jerusalem Bible argues that "these elaborate gates" would be built "to enable a watch to be kept on those who enter" in order to ensure that the Temple could be kept pure from foreigners and sinners.[12]

See also

Sources

External links

Jewish

Christian

Notes and References

  1. Jerusalem Bible (1966), Sub-heading for chapters 40-48 and footnote a at chapter 40
  2. 2 Ezekiel NKJV
  3. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, Editors. Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2007. p. 1238-1240 Hebrew Bible.
  4. Lang, Bernhard (1981) Ezechiel. Darmstadt. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesselschaft, cited in Kee et al 2008, p. 210.
  5. Jerusalem Bible (1966), Footnote b at Ezekiel 40:1
  6. The English translation of the Babylonian Talmud ‘Arakin 12a: "Is it not written: In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten. Now which is the year the beginning of which falls on the tenth of Tishri? Say: This is the jubilee year." The Babylonian Talmud (London: Soncino, 1948). apud Young 2006, p. 1. The Talmud is quoting Ezekiel 40:1.
  7. Young . Rodger C. . When did Solomon die?. JETS . 46 . 4 . 2003 . 589–603.
  8. Young . Rodger C. . The Talmud's two Jubilees and their relevance to the date of the Exodus . Westminster Theological Journal . 68 . 2006 . 71–83 .
  9. 2 Ezekiel NKJV
  10. 2 Ezekiel NKJV
  11. Epiphanius' Treatise on Weights and Measures - the Syriac Version (ed. James Elmer Dean, The University of Chicago Press: Chicago 1935, p. 69
  12. Jerusalem Bible (1966), Footnote c at Ezekiel 40:16

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