Ezekiel 40:30 — Word Study
WLCוְאֵֽלַמּ֖וֹת סָבִ֣יב׀ סָבִ֑יב אֹ֗רֶךְ חָמֵ֤שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ אַמָּ֔ה וְרֹ֖חַב חָמֵ֥שׁ אַמּֽוֹת׃
BSAThe porticoesʼêylâm [arches, covered areas] around [the inner court]çâbîyb [surrounding, encompassing] [were] twenty-fiveʻesrîym [twenty and five] cubitsʼammâh [units of measurement, about the length of a forearm] longʼôrek and fivechâmêsh cubitsʼammâh [five units] deeprôchab [in width, broad]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֵֽלַמּ֖וֹת | and porches | Conjunction, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| סָבִ֣יב׀ | [were] all around | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| סָבִ֑יב | all around | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| אֹ֗רֶךְ | [the] length | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| חָמֵ֤שׁ | [was] five | Adj |
| וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ | and twenty | Conjunction |
| אַמָּ֔ה | cubit[s] | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְרֹ֖חַב | and [the] breadth | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| חָמֵ֥שׁ | [was] five | |
| אַמּֽוֹת׃ | cubits | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | (The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep. ) |
| KJV | And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. |
| ASV | And there were arches round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. |
| YLT | As to the arches all round about, the length [is] five and twenty cubits, and the breadth five cubits; |
| WEB | There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. |
| BBE | And there were windows in it and in the covered way all round: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. |
All translations agree on the term אֵילָם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence presents a main clause followed by a subordinate phrase, focusing on the dimensions of the porticoes.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאֵילָם
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 40:30
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Measurements of the Templegenerated
Ezekiel 40:30 describes the porticoes around the inner court of the temple, detailing their dimensions. This verse is part of a larger vision where Ezekiel outlines the measurements and design of the temple, emphasizing the importance of these architectural features in the worship of God. The description continues with other structures in the temple complex, highlighting their significance in the context of Israel's worship practices.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 40:21–25 | Its three gate chambers on each side, its side pillars, and its portico all had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֵילָם, ve.'e.la.Motgenerated
The word אֵילָם (eylam) refers to a structure like a porch or portico, which is an architectural feature supported by pillars. It is derived from a root meaning 'pillar-space' and emphasizes the design of spaces in buildings, particularly in sacred architecture.
In this verse, it indicates the covered areas surrounding the inner court, contributing to the overall structure and function of the temple. The use of this term highlights the importance of these spaces in the context of worship and gathering.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb structure is implied with the subject אֵילָם (eylam), indicating the porticoes. The sentence includes phrases that describe the dimensions of the porticoes, specifically their length and breadth.
The word order emphasizes the dimensions first, followed by the description of the porticoes, which is typical in Hebrew for highlighting important architectural details.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 40:30 describes the porticoes around the inner court of the temple, stating that they were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep. This verse is part of a larger vision of the temple's architecture, highlighting its significance in the worship of God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The porticoes serve as covered areas that provide space for gathering and worship, emphasizing the architectural design of the temple.
The measurements are crucial for understanding the layout and design of the temple, which reflects the order and holiness of the worship space.
A cubit is a unit of measurement, roughly the length of a forearm, used in the Bible to describe the dimensions of various structures.
This verse is part of Ezekiel's detailed vision of the temple, which serves to restore hope and outline the future worship practices of Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What architectural features do I think are important in a place of worship?
- How do measurements contribute to the understanding of sacred spaces?
- In what ways can I appreciate the significance of design in my own worship practices?
- What does the concept of 'surrounding' imply about community in the context of worship?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist quotes this verse to discuss the measurements of the vestibules in the temple, emphasizing their significance.
"Twenty-five cubits in length, and five cubits in width, and its vestibule toward the outer court." The interior gates have vestibules that are measured as twenty-five cubits in length.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 40 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 40:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long,.... That is, high; this was the height of them; these were the frontispiece of the gate to the inner court without, and faced the outward
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 40 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; And he measured the south gate according to these measures - namely, the measures of the outer gate.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 40 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFive and twenty cubits long: here, as once before, , length is put for height.
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 40 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(30) The arches round about.—This word, as already noted under Ezekiel 40:16, should be projections of the walls, if it has been correctly pointed by the Masorets; but it is exceedingly difficult to understand what is meant by the dimensions given, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. This statement occurs nowhere else in the description of the gates, and the verse is omitted in the Greek translation, and either considered spurious or else passed over in silence by many commentators. One explanation given is that the twenty-five cubits is the sum-total of all the “projections of the walls” into the interior of the gateway. thus there were two “spaces” (S on the plan [Ezekiel…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 40 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 30. And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long] That the five cubits broad should be read twenty-five is evident from Ezekiel 40:21; Ezekiel 40:25; Ezekiel 40:29; Ezekiel 40:33; Ezekiel 40:36, The word ועשרים veesrim, twenty, has probably been lost out of the text. Indeed the whole verse is wanting in two of Kennicott's MSS., one of De Rossi's, and one of mine, (Cod. B.) It has been added in the margin of mine by a later hand. It is reported to have been anciently wanting in many MSS.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 40 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges30. The verse is wanting in LXX. and some MSS., and in others deleted. No object belonging to the gateways has hitherto been mentioned to which the measurements can apply. The verse may have arisen from an inaccurate repetition of the measurements given in previous verse.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 40 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleOF THE INNER COURT WITH ITS GATES, FOR , AND CELLS FOR PRIESTS, Ezekiel 40:28-49.28-37.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 40 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
(The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep. )
There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.
(The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep.)
There were porches all around, 43¾ feet long and 8¾ feet wide.
Tyndale line
And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
And there were arches round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
And there were arches round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
And the arches around were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
And the arches round about were fiue and twenty cubites long, and fiue cubites broad.
Strictly literal
And there were projections round about, twenty-five cubits long, and five cubits broad.
As to the arches all round about, the length [is] five and twenty cubits, and the breadth five cubits;
As for the arches all around, the length—twenty-five cubits, and the breadth—five cubits;
And arched passages were all round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
There were also porticos all around the inner wall; these were twenty-five cubits in length and five cubits in width.
From the Latin
And the porch round about was five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
Simplified
(The other surrounding porches measured twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep.)
And there were windows in it and in the covered way all round: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text provides a detailed account of the porticoes, while the Septuagint matches seven of the ten words, indicating some alignment in the description but differing in word order and structure.
וְאֵֽלַמּ֖וֹת סָבִ֣יב׀ סָבִ֑יב אֹ֗רֶךְ חָמֵ֤שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ אַמָּ֔ה וְרֹ֖חַב חָמֵ֥שׁ אַמּֽוֹת׃
7 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 40:30
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵילָם (eylam) refers to a structure like a porch or portico, suggesting a space supported by pillars. The term is derived from a root meaning 'pillar-space' and is associated with architectural features. It appears in contexts related to building and design.
[אֵילָם] n.m. porch
base
H361 אֵילָם
361 'eylam ay-lawm'
or (shortened) ;elam {ay-lawm'}; or (feminine) ielammah
{ay-lam-maw'}; probably from 352; a pillar-space (or
colonnade), i.e. a pale (or portico):--arch.
see HEBREW for 0352
אֵילָם (e.lam) — arches.
porch, vestibule, portico
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common feminine plural absoluteHC/Ncfpa
סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.
סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
base
H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'
or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a
circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with
or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,
circuit, compass, on every side.
see HEBREW for 05437
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.
: around/border
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.
: side
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.
: whole
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.
: neighours
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.
סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
base
H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'
or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a
circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with
or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,
circuit, compass, on every side.
see HEBREW for 05437
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.
: around/border
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.
: side
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.
: whole
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.
: neighours
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
אֹ֫רֶךְ (orek) means 'length' and can refer to physical length or duration of time. It also encompasses concepts of forbearance and self-restraint, particularly in the context of patience. The word is derived from a root associated with the idea of length, as noted in Strong's entries.
אֹ֫רֶךְ 94 n.[m.] length
length
of time
forbearance, self-restraint
base
H753 אֹ֫רֶךְ length
753 'orek o'rek'
from 748; length:--+ forever, length, long.
see HEBREW for 0748
אֹ֫רֶךְ (o.rekh) — length.
1) length
1a) physical length
1b) of time
2) forbearance, self-restraint (of patience)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.
חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five
base
H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five
2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'
masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;
five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).
חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.
1) five
1a) five (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of five (with another number)
1c) fifth (ordinal number)
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
fiv (chamesh; pente).
See NUMBER.
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
אַמָּה (ammah) primarily means 'cubit,' a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 0.5 meters, derived from the word for 'mother' or 'forearm.' It can also refer to a foundation or base, as noted in Isaiah 6:4. The lexicons mention different types of cubits used in the Old Testament, including the common cubit and the legal cubit.
אַמָּה 246 n.f. ell, cubit
cubit
† measure, full measure, limit
base
[אַמָּה] n.f. (etym. & mng. dub.; Thes foundation) only Is 6:4.
ref
H520a אַמָּה ell, cubit H520b אַמָּה
520 'ammah am-maw'
prolonged from 517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure,
or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a
door-base (as a bond of the entrance):--cubit, + hundred (by
exchange for 3967), measure, post.
see HEBREW for 0517
see HEBREW for 03967
אַמָּה (am.mah) — cubit.
cubit-a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 18 in (. 5m). There are several cubits used in the OT, the cubit of a man or common cubit (De 3:11), the legal cubit or cubit of the sanctuary (Eze 40:5) plus others. See a Bible Dictionary for a complete treatment.
Aramaic equivalent: am.mah (אַמָּה "cubit" H0521)
אַמָּה (am.mah) — foundation.
foundation
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
רֹ֫חַב (rochab) refers to width or breadth, encompassing both literal and figurative uses. It is derived from the root word meaning to be wide. The term appears in various contexts, indicating expanse or largeness.
רֹ֫חַב 101 n.[m.] breadth, width
base
H7341 רֹ֫חַב breadth, width
7341 rochab ro'-khab
from 7337; width (literally or figuratively):--breadth,
broad, largeness, thickness, wideness.
see HEBREW for 07337
רֹ֫חַב (ro.chav) — width.
breadth, width, expanse
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
bredth (rochabh, the root idea being to make wide, spacious): A term of expanse or measurement used of the ark (Ge 6:15); of the tabernacle (Ex 27:13); of Solomon's temple (1Ki 6:2). platos, "breadth," as of the celestial city (Re 21:16). Figuratively, of the comprehensiveness of God's law (Ps 119:96); of the heart (1Ki 4:29, rendered "largeness of heart" English Versions); of God's immeasurable love (Eph 3:18).
חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.
חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five
base
H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five
2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'
masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;
five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).
חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.
1) five
1a) five (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of five (with another number)
1c) fifth (ordinal number)
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
fiv (chamesh; pente).
See NUMBER.
אַמָּה (ammah) primarily means 'cubit,' a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 0.5 meters, derived from the word for 'mother' or 'forearm.' It can also refer to a foundation or base, as noted in Isaiah 6:4. The lexicons mention different types of cubits used in the Old Testament, including the common cubit and the legal cubit.
אַמָּה 246 n.f. ell, cubit
cubit
† measure, full measure, limit
base
[אַמָּה] n.f. (etym. & mng. dub.; Thes foundation) only Is 6:4.
ref
H520a אַמָּה ell, cubit H520b אַמָּה
520 'ammah am-maw'
prolonged from 517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure,
or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a
door-base (as a bond of the entrance):--cubit, + hundred (by
exchange for 3967), measure, post.
see HEBREW for 0517
see HEBREW for 03967
אַמָּה (am.mah) — cubit.
cubit-a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 18 in (. 5m). There are several cubits used in the OT, the cubit of a man or common cubit (De 3:11), the legal cubit or cubit of the sanctuary (Eze 40:5) plus others. See a Bible Dictionary for a complete treatment.
Aramaic equivalent: am.mah (אַמָּה "cubit" H0521)
אַמָּה (am.mah) — foundation.
foundation
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa