Ezekiel 42

Ezekiel 42:1

THe utter court] From the inner court, where the Basilicke or body of the Temple was, he brought me to the portico, which encompassed the outward court on the North side The chamber] the Italian, the chambers] into that long file or row of pilasters and arches, over which there was a continued building of chambers in two rowes, and on the East side of this file there was a square tower which served for a staire to go up to these chambers, which staires were immediately opposite to the body or basilicke of the Temple The building] namely,〈◊〉 addition of chambers between one counterfort and the other. See Ezekiel 41:12.

Ezekiel 42:2

Before the] he represents the foure sides or fronts of the tower: whereof the first looked from East to West, towards the length of the portico of a hundred cubites, equall to the length of the court, Ezekiel 40:19; Ezekiel 40:47. The other was towards the breadth of the said Portico, which was of fifty cubites, Ezekiel 40:21 The North doore] namely, on the side of this doore, to which all the other doores were equall in all dimensions.

Ezekiel 42:3

Over against] this is the third side of the East tower, standing towards the void space of twenty cubites, called here the inner court, whereof is spoken, Ezekiel 41:10 The Pavemont]this is the fourth side of the tower, where it should also seeme the doore was at the end of the pavement, upon the plaine of the ground of the porticoes. See Ezekiel 40:17 In three] this tower stood on a side where three of these porticoes did meet; the East, the West, and the North.

Ezekiel 42:4

Before the] when you were gone up the staires of that tower, you came to the chambers, borne up by the porticoes underneath, and those chambers ere divided into two orders or rowes, one towards the inner court, and the other towards the outward court, with an entry between, into which came these chamber doores Inward] the meaning is, upon the wals of these chambers, which were one against the other, of each side of the entry, there were pilasters like to them in the portico underneath, jetting out one cubite without the wall, so that from wall to wall there were twelve cubites, and from plaister to plaister ten cubites Their doores] namely, of those which stood to the Temple ward for the doores of the opposite file stood towards the South.

Ezekiel 42:5

Were shorter] the seeling of the uppermost chambers was not so high as the seeling of the lowermost, and these were also lower then the vaults below For the galleries, the Italian.For the pilasters] that is to say, the pilasters and halfe columnes which were set to the outside of these chamber wals, were of a lesser proportion, and not so massy as those beneath; wherefore, according to reason they ought not to be so high.

Ezekiel 42:6

For they were in three] counting the portico which was made with pilasters and arches for one But had not] namely, the two upper rowes or stories were not made up with vaults, borne up with massy pilasters, as the lowermost row which stood upon the plaine of the court, but with a continued wall divided with little pilasters, or halfe columnes, which from story to store were lessened according to the rules of architecture, and they being lessened in that kind, reason would have the height also to be abated.

Ezekiel 42:7

The wall] the Italian, the closure] namely, the wall at which ended the Northerne file or row of these chambers; for there was no wall a crosse of these rowes, but only at the Temple gate That was without] at the head of those rowes of chambers, to make a difference between them and the inward wals The Chambers] of that entry, and that whole body of building,fifty cubites] counting the void place of the entry, and the wals, and the pilasters, which was the breadth of the porticoes also.

Ezekiel 42:8

The length] that is to say, the extent in breadth, and not in length of this body of building, v. 2. from one of the chambers opposite to the other That were] so it seemes were distinguished the chambers of the porticoes, with which the courts were encompassed, from these chambers, which joyned to the body of the Temple, Ezekiel 41:9 And lot] the Angell and the Prophet comming downe from the Northerne tower, to goe to the Southerne tower, which was opposite to it, by the way found this place of a hundred cubites in length, and twenty in breadth, which was before the Temple, Ezekiel 41:14.

Ezekiel 42:10

In the thicknesse of the wall] the Italian, in the breadth of the precinct of the court] namely, in that space of fifty cubites of breadth, v. 2. where the porticoes were that encompassed the inward court Toward the East] along the Southerne side, drawing towards the East by a direct line over against the Temple, and the chambers joyning to it, there was such an other building of chambers as on the foresaid Northerne side The building] See Ezekiel 41:12.

Ezekiel 42:11

The way] the Italian, an entry, or gallery] See v. 4.

Ezekiel 42:12

Toward the South] the same ought to be understood of the Northerne ones Before the wall] the Italian, the closure of the parapett] the Hebrew word is of a very doubtfull and obscure signification: it may signifie straight, and it seemes this closure was made like to some leaning place where one stood upright.

Ezekiel 42:13

That approach] that come neare to the sanctuary where God dwelt in the signes of his grace and vertue, whiles the people stood further off.

Ezekiel 42:14

Enter therein] the Italian, enter into the holy place] into the Priests court where the Altar was, and much more in the inner court where the Temple was Not goe out] clothed in their sacred garments, in which they have done their service But there] in the aforesaid chambers.

Ezekiel 42:15

The inner house] namely, the Temple porticoes, and all the buildings that were inclosed within the outward compasse of the wall, measured hereafter and described, Ezekiel 40:5.

Ezekiel 42:16

The East side] the meaning is not, that there were five hundred reeds of every side; but that on which side soever they did begin, they found the same measure in the whole circuit: which seemes to shew, that the building being of like proportion on all sides, every side being of one hundred and five and twenty reeds: of which side soever a man stood, it appeared that the whole circuit was five hundred.

Ezekiel 42:19

Under] being come to the Southerne portico they found the tower with staires, every way like to the opposite Northerne tower, the comming in of which below was towards the East These chambers] namely, this Southerne body of building, where there were chambers like to the former chambers As one goeth] by these words he seemes to signifie, that there were in other places also other towers and staires to goe up into these chambers From the] namely, along the portico which incompassed this court.

Ezekiel 42:20

He measured it] the Italian, he measured the house] namely, the inner square, in which the porticoes, courts and Temple were, within which compasse the Israelites only might come, which were purified according to the Law, and without that, to the other inclosure and compasse of five hundred reeds: the Gentiles and all were admitted; and therefore it is called the Gentiles court, Revelation 11:2 A wall] which encompassed the said whole square. See upon Ezekiel 40:31 Between the] namely, that part of the Temple which was appointed for Gods people, from the other which was common to strangers and heathens.