“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, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.”
Month; April 30, the year of the world 3430. (Usher) (Calmet) — In explaining this last most obscure vision: I. The Jews say it was verified after the captivity. But thus the temple would be four miles round, and the city thirty-six, which never was the case. II. Hence more modern Jews assert it will be fulfilled by the Messias. III. Rejecting these errors, Lyranus, &c., suppose that the promise was conditional, and that the sins of the Jews prevented the city and temple from being so large; and that the mystical temple of the Church is also insinuated, into which both Jews and Gentiles shall enter. IV. Though this opinion be probable, it seems better to follow St. Jerome, St. Gregory, &c., who cannot apply all to the Old Testament, nor think that such a huge temple and city were indeed promised, but explain some parts of the captives at their return, as a figure of those redeemed by Christ, and brought into his Church, which is adorned with all graces. Yet the greatest part must be understood of the Church triumphant. (Worthington) — St. Jerome confesses his ignorance of this subject; and those who have come after him, though they imitate not his modesty, add little to dissipate the mist with which this vision is surrounded. Some have adhered too close to Josephus, while Villalpand has here discovered all the magnificence of Greek and Roman architecture, and has represented the temple six times as large as it really was. It seems that the prophet has described the same temple of Solomon which he had seen, that the dimensions might be preserved, and the hopes of the people kept up; (Calmet) and that they might comprehend what a loss they actually sustained on account of their sins, (Haydock) and might strive to come up to this pattern (Du Hamel) as “near as they should be able,” the wealth of the people being much less than Solomon’s. (Grotius) — These arguments do not, however, shew that the buildings were to resemble each other. They vary in many particulars; and the prophet would specify what was to be really executed. He says nothing of the ornamental part, and little of the height, which are the most expensive. (Houbigant) (Preface) — If some things appear to be too grand for the temple of Solomon, and of Zorobabel, we must reflect that the prophet passes from the figure to the Church of Christ, which is not unusual. (Menochius) — Alcasar and Bossuet explain it wholly of the Church, so that the letter requires few notes. (Du Hamel)
“In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. by which: or, upon which”
Mountain; Moria, in spirit. On the eastern side, the road to the city was level. Walls were added after the captivity, on the other sides. (Josephus, Jewish Wars vi. 6.) — City, the temple was so large. — South, to one coming from the north, though the temple lay on that side of the town, Psalm xlvii. 2. (Calmet) — Septuagint read mongod, “over-against,” instead of mongob, “south,” which has perplexed many. (Houbigant) — Ezechiel was placed on Sion, which was not very high, but here it denotes the Church. Jerusalem was in ruins. (Worthington)
“And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.”
Brass: shining. (Haydock) — This angel waited for the prophet at the northern gate, but introduced him by that looking towards the east, ver. 16. — Line. It seems never to have been used. (Calmet)
“And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.”
Breadth. Hebrew, Chaldean, Septuagint, “of six cubits, in a cubit and a palm;” intimating that the sacred cubit contained six palms, while the common one had only five, (chap. xliii. 13.; Worthington) being half a yard; (Arbuthnot) or the Hebrew cubit was a hand’s breadth larger than the Babylonian, or about 21½ inches, (Calmet) which may be styled (Menochius) the sacred cubit. (Arbuthnot) (Haydock) — Reed. This outer wall (Calmet; Menochius) was to prevent any from falling down the precipice. It was about four yards nine inches in height and thickness, being so solid in order that the ground might not give way. Josephus describes prodigious walls, (Haydock) reaching to the bottom of the mountain, three hundred cubits on the south and west; but then the temple was much enlarged. (Calmet)
“Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad. which looketh: Heb. whose face was the way toward the east”
And. In this verse occurs the first of thirty-four words where the j is allowed by the keri to be omitted in this one chapter, always when it is the sign of the plural number before a suffixed v, and of course by voluntary assimilation. But Camb. Manuscript has the j regularly in the thirty-two of these words. (Kennicott) — Steps. The ground was not quite level, which caused the buildings to rise one above another more elegantly. There were four great gates.
“And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.”
Chamber, for the porters, (Calmet) three on each side of the porch, ver. 10. (Haydock)
“And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.”
Thirteen, or twenty-six feet high.
“He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.”
Cubits high, or else the elevation is nowhere specified. (Calmet)
“And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees. narrow: Heb. closed arches: or, galleries, or, porches inward: or, within”
Slanting, or “lattice.” Septuagint, “dark.” See 3 Kings vii. 4. (Haydock) — They were larger within, to afford light, as in Solomon’s temple, and in castles. Interpreters disagree in their sentiments: but all allow that God here insinuated that he would reward people in the Old Testament with temporal, and those in the New with spiritual blessings; first with grace in this life, and with glory in the next. (Worthington) — Yet we must not suppose that the saints of old were deprived of eternal goods. (Haydock) — About. The other gates had the like ornaments. (Calmet)
“Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.”
There were chambers. Gazophylacia, so called, because the priests and Levites kept in them the stores and vessels that belonged to the temple. (Challoner) — They went all round the courts. The women were in the second story. Villalpand and Capel, who are deemed the most accurate, suppose that there were no chambers below, but an open gallery. There seem, however, to have been chambers also, chap. viii. 7. (Calmet)
“And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.”
Lower. So that there was a step up to the threshold. (Haydock) — Marble was used in all places exposed to the weather. (Josephus, Jewish Wars vi. 14.)
“And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.”
Seven. There were eight to the inner court, (ver. 31.) shewing that more perfection is now required, and a greater reward given. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
“And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. broad: Heb. breadth”
Five cubits. The parallel passages would intimate “fifty.” (Calmet) (Villalpand) — But the texts all read five, and Maldonat understands the four vacant spaces between the chambers, ver. 7. (Menochius)
“And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.”
Gates. Hebrew is very obscure. The holocausts were slain on the north side of the altar, Leviticus i. 11.
“And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering. hooks: or, and irons, or, the two hearthstones”
Borders, to prevent any thing falling. Chaldean, &c., have “hooks.”
“And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.”
North. The singers occupied two wings.
“And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house. charge: or, ward, or, ordinance”
Watch over the sacred ornaments, perfumes, lamps of the sanctuary, &c., Numbers iii. 28.
“And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.”
Altar. Not on actual service, (chap. xli. 13.) but to prepare the victims.
“And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.”
That side. Septuagint add, “and the opening (euros, width) of the gate was 14 cubits, and the breadth (projections, epomides) of the,” &c., (Haydock) or the wall on each side of the door was three cubits, so that the porch was 20 cubits broad. (Calmet)
“The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.”
Eleven. 3 Kings vi., says ten. The exact breadth was ten and a half, (Villalpand; Tirinus) or what the pavement covered is there specified according to some. Roman Septuagint has “twelve.” But the edition of Basil reads more correctly, ten. (Calmet) — Yet both ten and eleven may be right, if this temple be different. (Haydock) — Eight. Hebrew seems corrupt, a being substituted for a. “They mounted by ten steps,” as the Septuagint read. Aquila has eleven; Symmachus [has] eight. — Pillars of brass, 3 Kings vii. 15. (Calmet) — As they are not measured, they were like Solomon’s. (Worthington)