Ezekiel 43
43
The Glory Returns to the Temple
1 Then he brought me to the gate that faced toward the east. 2 I saw#tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb. the glory of the God of Israel#sn This same title appears in 8:4; 9:3; 10:19; and 11:22. coming from the east;#sn Earlier Ezekiel had observed God leaving the temple to the east (11:23). the sound was like that of rushing water;#sn See Ezek 1:24; Rev 1:15; 14:2; 19:6. and the earth radiated#tn Heb “shone from.” his glory. 3 It was like the vision I saw when he#tc Heb “I.” The reading is due to the confusion of yod (י, indicating a first person pronoun) and vav (ו, indicating a third person pronoun). A few medieval Hebrew mss, Theodotion’s Greek version, and the Latin Vulgate support a third person pronoun here. came to destroy the city, and the vision I saw by the Kebar River. I threw myself face down. 4 The glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate that faces east. 5 Then a wind#tn See note on “wind” in 2:2. lifted me up and brought me to the inner court; I watched#tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb. the glory of the Lord filling the temple.#sn In 1 Kgs 8:10-11 we find a similar event with regard to Solomon’s temple. See also Exod 40:34-35. and Isa 6:4.
6 I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man was standing beside me. 7 He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne#sn God’s throne is mentioned in Isa 6:1; Jer 3:17. and the place for the soles of my feet,#sn See 1 Chr 28:2; Ps 99:5; 132:7; Isa 60:13; Lam 2:1. where I will live among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars of their kings set up when they die.#tn Heb “by their corpses in their death.” But the term normally translated “corpses” is better understood here as a reference to funeral pillars or funerary offerings. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:583-85, and L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:257. 8 When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorpost by my doorpost, with only the wall between me and them, they profaned my holy name by the abominable deeds they committed. So I consumed them in my anger. 9 Now they must put away their spiritual prostitution and the pillars of their kings far from me, and then I will live among them forever.
10 “As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins and measure the pattern. 11 When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design – all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire design and all its statutes and do them.
12 “This is the law of the temple: The entire area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. Indeed, this is the law of the temple.
The Altar
13 “And these are the measurements of the altar:#tn Heb “the measurements of the altar by cubits, the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes. On the altar see Ezek 40:47. Its base#tn The Hebrew term normally means “bosom.” Here it refers to a hollow in the ground. is 1¾ feet#tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). high,#tn The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied in the translation for clarity. and 1¾ feet#tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). wide, and its border nine inches#tn Heb “one span.” A span was three handbreadths, or about nine inches (i.e., 22.5 cm). on its edge. This is to be the height#tc Heb “bulge, protuberance, mound.” The translation follows the LXX. of the altar. 14 From the base of the ground to the lower edge is 3½ feet,#tn Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters). and the width 1¾ feet;#tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm; the phrase occurs again later in this verse). and from the smaller ledge to the larger edge, 7 feet,#tn Heb “four cubits” (i.e., 2.1 meters; the phrase also occurs in the next verse). and the width 1¾ feet; 15 and the altar hearth, 7 feet, and from the altar hearth four horns projecting upward. 16 Now the altar hearth#tn The precise Hebrew word used here to refer to an “altar hearth” occurs only here in the OT. is a perfect square, 21 feet#tn Heb “twelve cubits” (i.e., 6.3 meters; the phrase occurs twice in this verse). long and 21 feet wide. 17 The ledge is 24½ feet#tn Heb “fourteen”; the word “cubits” is not in the Hebrew text but is understood from the context; the phrase occurs again later in this verse. Fourteen cubits is about 7.35 meters. long and 24½ feet wide on four sides; the border around it is 10½ inches,#tn Heb “half a cubit” (i.e., 26.25 cm). and its surrounding base 1¾ feet.#tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). Its steps face east.”
18 Then he said to me: “Son of man, this is what the sovereign Lord says: These are the statutes of the altar: On the day it is built to offer up burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it,#sn For the “sprinkling of blood,” see Lev 1:5, 11; 8:19; 9:12. 19 you will give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok, who approach me to minister to me, declares the sovereign Lord. 20 You will take some of its blood, and place it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; you will cleanse it and make atonement for it.#sn Note the similar language in Lev 16:18. 21 You will also take the bull for the sin offering, and it will be burned in the appointed place in the temple, outside the sanctuary.
22 “On the second day, you will offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they purified it with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you will offer an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. 24 You will present them before the Lord, and the priests will scatter salt on them#sn It is likely that salt was used with sacrificial meals (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5). and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25 “For seven days you will provide every day a goat for a sin offering; a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish, will be provided. 26 For seven days they will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so they will consecrate it.#tn Heb “fill its hands.” 27 When the prescribed period is over,#tn Heb “and they will complete the days.” on the eighth day and thereafter the priests will offer up on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings;#sn The people also could partake of the food of the peace offering (Lev 3). I will accept you, declares the sovereign Lord.”
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Ezekiel 43
43
The Glory of the Lord Returns to the Temple
1Then the man brought me back to the gate that faces east, 2and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.
3The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came#43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts when I came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown, 4and the glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. 5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
6While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple, 7and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile My holy name — neither they nor their kings — by their prostitution and by the funeral offerings#43:7 Or the monuments; also in verse 9 for their kings at their deaths.#43:7 Or for their kings on their high places 8When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by the abominations they committed. Therefore I have consumed them in My anger. 9Now let them remove far from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will dwell among them forever.
10As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure the plan, 11and if they are ashamed#43:11 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate and they will be ashamed of all they have done, then make known to them the design of the temple— its arrangement and its exits and entrances— its whole design along with all its statutes, forms, and laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out.
12This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.
The Altar of Sacrifice
13These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits#43:13 The long cubit, about 21 inches or 53.3 centimeters, is the basic unit for linear measurement throughout Ezekiel 40–48. (a cubit and a handbreadth): Its gutter shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span#43:13 One span is approximately 9 inches or 22.9 centimeters. around its edge.
And this is the height of the altar: 14The space from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide.#43:14 The space was to be approximately 3.5 feet (1.1 meters), and the ledge was to be approximately 1.75 feet wide (53.3 centimeters wide). The space from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide.#43:14 The space was to be approximately 7 feet (2.1 meters), and the ledge was to be approximately 1.75 feet wide (53.3 centimeters wide).
15The altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth. 16The altar hearth shall be square at its four corners, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide.#43:16 12 (long) cubits is approximately 21 feet or 6.4 meters. 17The ledge shall also be square, fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide,#43:17 14 (long) cubits is approximately 24.5 feet or 7.5 meters. with a rim of half a cubit#43:17 A half cubit is approximately 10.5 inches or 26.7 centimeters. and a gutter of a cubit all around it. The steps of the altar shall face east.”
18Then He said to me: “Son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be splattered on it: 19You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the Lord GOD. 20You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim; thus you will cleanse the altar and make atonement for it. 21Then you are to take away the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the appointed part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.
22On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering, and the altar is to be cleansed as it was with the bull. 23When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. 24You must present them before the Lord; the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished. 26For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; so they shall consecrate it.#43:26 Hebrew fill its hand 27At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.’”
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