“And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.”
Majesty. The world is enlightened by the preaching of the gospel; and the Church triumphant shall shine in perfection, when that which is sown in corruption shall put on incorruption, 1 Corinthians xv. (St. Jerome) — The blessed Virgin [Mary] conceiving Jesus Christ may be insinuated. (St. Thomas Aquinas, [Summa Theologiae] p. 3. q. 27. a. 3.) (Worthington)
“And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. when: or, when I came to prophesy that the city should be destroyed”
He came. Hebrew, “I came to destroy (Septuagint, to anoint) the city,” marking such as should be spared, chap. ix. The glorious chariot entered by the eastern gate, and the prophet followed to the court of the priests, ver. 5, 13. (Calmet) — The Jews say the second temple was deprived of the Shekinah, or glory of the Lord. Yet it seems here to enter; and Christ himself adorned this second house, more than the first, by his adorable presence, Aggeus ii. 8. (Haydock)
“And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.”
Said. The Lord spoke, (Chaldean; Theodoret) or the angel, (St. Jerome) in human shape. (Haydock) — He addresses the prophet, ver. 12 to chap. xliv. 5., though what follows immediately seems to belong to the Lord, (Calmet) in whose name he speaks. — Name. God hath abandoned the synagogue, but will remain with his Church unto the end, Matthew xxiii. 38., and xxviii. 20. Yet the perfect Church, without spot, is the [Church] triumphant [in heaven]; (Ephesians v. 27.; Worthington) though the Catholic Church, on earth, is ever holy and “the communion of saints.” (Haydock) — Carcasses. Idols, according to some; or rather by the kings being buried on Sion. This is nowhere else reprehended; neither is their building too near the temple, which the prophet here condemns, ver. 8. (Calmet) — It seems, however, that if these things had been blameable, such a number of pious and wise kings would not have acted thus, nor the prophets have neglected to admonish them of their duty. The carcasses and houses here specified may have been vestiges of idolatry; or, in future, the tombs and palaces were to be at a more respectful distance. (Haydock)
“In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. and the: or, for there was but a wall between me and them”
Wall. The kings of Juda had a door communicating with the temple, by which they entered on the west. It was guarded by Levites, 1 Paralipomenon xxvi. 16. Ezechiel places no door on that side. Yet in Herod’s temple we find one leading to the adjacent palace, and three others into the town. (Josephus, Antiquities xv. 14.)
“Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.”
Carcasses. Literally, “ruins.” (Haydock) — The remains of the dead were probably not disturbed; but no more, that we know of, were placed on Sion. (Calmet) — Kings may signify idols, Moloc, &c., which they had worshipped, and which some had even placed in the holy place, to the nation’s ruin. (Haydock)
“Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. pattern: or, sum, or, number”
Measure, that they may be convinced of their ingratitude, (Menochius) which has deprived them of so noble a structure, and put them under the necessity of beginning so great a work again. It required all the exertions of the prophets to make them go forward with it, Aggeus 1. (Haydock)
“And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.”
In the whole fabric, (Menochius) as thou hast described it, (Haydock) or received from the angel, with all the ceremonies to be observed.
“This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”
Border. Nothing but the temple shall be on this mountain. It shall be wholly consecrated to the Lord. This was ill observed. The Asmonean princes erected the famous tower Antonia, at the north side. (Josephus) See ver. 8. The Jews assert that it was unlawful to spit on this ground, &c., but no such thing is specified in Josephus or in Scripture, only we find that none were to go out by the same door at which they had entered, (chap. xlvi. 9.; Calmet) except the king.
“And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar. bottom: Heb. bosom edge: Heb. lip”
By. Hebrew, “by cubits.” This cubit is a common cubit, &c. The Babylonian, (Haydock) or sacred one, was a palm longer. (Worthington) (Chap. xl. 5.) — Breadth. It was the same as the depth, being designed to convey the blood by a conduit to the torrent Cedron. — Trench, or bottom aforesaid. Septuagint, “the height.” (Haydock) — Chaldean, “disposition of the altar,” which seems best.
“And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.”
Cubit. They were each a cubit broad, but this greater means higher up. Some assert that the priests stood on this base to avoid treading on the altar, when they placed the wood or victims. But it would be too low; and steps were made for that purpose. The altar was ten, or rather twelve cubits high, and as many broad. Solomon’s was ten high and twenty broad. Herod’s was a square of forty cubits, raised fifteen from the ground. (Calmet)
“So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns. the altar (first): Heb. Harel, that is, the mountain of God the altar (second): Heb. Ariel, that is, the lion of God”
The ariel. That is, the altar itself, or rather the highest part of it, upon which the burnt-offerings were laid. In the Hebrew it is harel, that is, the mountain of God; but in the following verse haariel, that is, the lion of God; a figure, from its consuming, and as it were devouring the sacrifices as a lion devours its prey. (Challoner) — Fire descending sometimes from heaven. (St. Jerome) (Worthington) — It also appeared like a little mountain in the court. See Isaias xxix. 1. The altar was probably made of brass, like Solomon’s. Josephus and Philo say that rough stones were used after the captivity: but it seems little attention was paid to the dimensions of the temple, &c., given by Ezechiel. (Calmet) — Yet the prophets were present to see the laws of God executed, and never complain of their infringement in these particulars, which were attended with no great difficulty, chap. xl. 1. (Haydock) — It is certain the Jews never thought themselves bound to make their altars of a determinate size.
“And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.”
Crown, which was usually placed round altars and tables, that nothing might fall down. — Bottom of the altar, or base, mentioned [in] ver. 13. — Steps, boarded on each side, Exodus xx. 26.
“And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.”
Levites. Hebrew, “of the race of Levi, of the family of Sadoc.” He had obtained the dignity under Saul, (Calmet) and after the deposition of Abiathar, under Solomon, (3 Kings ii. 26.; Haydock) his posterity always preserved it. (Calmet, Diss.) — Calf. Thou shalt give it, or make known these rites to the priests. (Haydock) — People are often said to do what they only command, as [in] ver. 20, &c.
“Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.”
Sanctuary, out of the precincts of the temple, but on the mountain, Leviticus iv. 3., and vi. 11.
“And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.”
He-goat. Septuagint add, “of the goats,” (hircum caprarum. Haydock) denoting a young kid, (Menochius) or one selected (Haydock) rather from the flock. (Calmet)
“Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves . consecrate: Heb. fill their hands”
Consecrate it. Literally, “fill his hand;” that is, dedicate and apply it to holy service, (Challoner) as the Hebrew, &c., speak of the altar. Septuagint, “they shall fill their hands,” seems more natural, (Exodus xxviii. 41.) and is adopted by Pagnin, Vatable, &c. (Calmet)