Ezekiel 41:21

The posts of the temple were squared,.... Or, were "foursquare" (n); the two posts on each side the door, the lintel and the threshold, made a square; the posts themselves were not round, as pillars,

The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other.

The posts on each side of the gate or door, both of temple and oracle, were squared; not round, as some other were, and as the posts of the door of the tabernacle were, but of exact square. The face, the form of the door, or gate of the temple, was square, i.e. not arched, as the gates of our churches ordinarily are, but with a flat beam, or upper lintel, laid on the top of the posts, and so either made an equilateral square, or an oblong square. The appearance of the one as the appearance of the other; as was the form of the gate of the temple in its larger, so was the form of the gate of the oracle in its lesser dimensions.

Ezekiel 41:21 The posts of the temple [were] squared, [and] the face of the sanctuary; the appearance [of the one] as the appearance [of the other].Ver. 21. The posts of the temple,] i.e., Of the doors of the temple, were not round or arched, but square; as are at this day the doors of the Pantheon in Rome, saith Vilalpandus, built of old in honour of all gods, and now consecrated by the Pope to the honour of all saints with like superstition.

(21) The posts of the temple.—Posts is a different word from that hitherto used, and always means the framework in which the doors were hung. Temple is, as before, the Holy Place, in distinction from the sanctuary, or Holy of Holies. The door-frames of both were square and just alike.

21. the posts … squared] The text is very uncertain, the versions deviating from Heb. and from one another. The word “temple” (Ezekiel 41:20) being omitted the words read: and the wall, 21 of the temple was square door-posts—a construction scarcely possible to express the idea that the wall had square door-posts. Syriac read: and the wall of the temple was four-square—omitting “door-posts.” LXX.: and the holy place (holiest) and the temple opened (spread out) four-square—reading “holy place” for wall, and “opened” for door-posts. It is probable that something is said of the holiest, because the next clause refers to an article that stood in front of it. It is also probable that the “door” referred to Ezekiel 41:20 is that from the holy place into the holiest. But the witnesses leave us uncertain whether something be said about the wall or about the door-posts. If of the first the reading may be: and the wall of the holiest was four-square (Hitz., Corn.). Reference, however, might be to the door-posts. In Solomon’s temple those of the holy place appear to have been four-cornered, and those of the holiest five-cornered (1 Kings 6:31; 1 Kings 6:33). face of the sanctuary … the other] This has no probability. The clause is rather to be connected with Ezekiel 41:22. Perhaps: and in front of the sanctuary (the holiest) was the appearance as the appearance 22 of an altar of wood, three cubits the height thereof, &c. So LXX. and partly Syr. In the holy place in front of the holiest there stood an object having the appearance of an altar of wood. The present text might read: “and (as for) the front of the sanctuary, the appearance was as the appearance,” i.e. it had the appearance which is well known and does not need further description—a form of speech common enough in Shemitic, but quite improbable here.

The posts - Not the word used before (see Ezekiel 40:9 note). These “posts” are rather pilasters forming part of the inner walls. The appearance ... other - i.

20, 21. Read, “And as for the wall of the temple, the doorposts were squared; and in front of the sanctuary was the appearance as the appearance of an altar of wood, three cubits high,” etc.